One of the more romantic Christmas traditions is kissing under a sprig of mistletoe, hung from a ceiling or doorway. Those who find themselves under its green leaves might not know that this symbol of love is actually a vicious parasite that survives by sucking the nutrients from trees.

Don’t think that making out under a parasite sounds very romantic? Well, it gets weirder. The plant’s parasitic nature is probably why people began to think mistletoe was special enough to kiss under in the first place.

Mistletoe seems to miraculously stay green all winter, and this is "the fundamental basis of all mid-winter traditions relating to mistletoe,” says Jonathan Briggs, a mistletoe expert and consultant. But it keeps that lively green