In Norse mythology, the mischievous god Loki killed heroic demigod Baldur with a spear fashioned out of mistletoe. After the tragedy, the gods decided that from then on the plant would represent love. And from this, kissing under mistletoe has become a longstanding Christmas tradition.
A Santa Barbara man recently turned the delightful custom into a prank. He held mistletoe over people’s heads with a fishing pole and solicited kisses from unsuspecting State Street shoppers, and he made a YouTube video of the shenanigans that already has over 44,000 views.