為什麼西方聖誕節，可以在槲寄生（一種植物）下偷取愛人的一個吻？

槲寄生常用於裝飾聖誕樹。一種寄生植物，依附在喬木、灌木上，靠樹木的養分生存。在西方文化中，槲寄生則被用來在聖誕節時偷走愛人的一個吻。具體習俗：當你和另一個人被發現站在槲寄生下時，就可以接吻。這是為什麼呀？

KISSING is a very popular university student activity but usually it involves a lot of courting, flirting and a couple of dates to score a sloppy one (sloppy kiss that is). Yet Christmas delivers a culturally acceptable way to steal a kiss this festive season. And it all comes down to a plant called mistletoe.

接吻在大學生之間是很流行的一項「活動」，但即使只是為了獲得輕輕一吻（就僅是輕輕一吻），也需要經過大獻殷勤、打情罵俏加上幾次外出約會的繁瑣過程。然而，在這個節日季，聖誕節提供了一個在文化上可以接受的偷得一吻的捷徑。要達到這個目的，只需要一種叫做槲寄生的植物。

Mistletoe is the name of a plant often used for decorating at Christmas time. It is actually a parasitic plant that attaches to trees and shrubs and lives off their nutrients…awkward. But culturally mistletoe is used to steal a lover』s kiss at Christmas.

槲寄生常用於裝飾聖誕樹。實際上，它是一種寄生植物，依附在喬木、灌木上，靠樹木的養分生存。在西方文化中，槲寄生則被用來在聖誕節時偷走愛人的一個吻。

The basic idea: When you and another person are caught standing beneath the mistletoe you have to kiss. No argument, these are the rules so be careful what you walk under until December 25. Of course the tradition has now gone mobile with many men carrying mistletoe with them only to hold it above themselves when in close proximity to a good looking lady, or lad. This takes stealing a kiss to another level.

具體習俗：當你和另一個人被發現站在槲寄生下時，就必須接吻。規則就是這樣，沒有商量的餘地。所以，在12月25日前，都要小心你頭頂的東西。當然，這一傳統現在已經變靈活了，因為有很多男人隨身帶著槲寄生，好在有美女走近時把它舉到頭上。這一變化把偷吻的難度提到了新的高度。

But why do people kiss under the mistletoe? It all dates back to pre-Christian Europe where mistletoe was used to symbolise masculinity, including romance, vitality and fertility. This symbolism led to a belief that the mistletoe had mystical powers such as the power to start romance and eventually this started the custom of kissing beneath the magical mistletoe plant. The earliest documented kiss beneath the mistletoe is from 16th Century England…another great invention from the Brits. You are very welcome!

但是，人們為什麼要在槲寄生下接吻呢？這要從基督教前的歐洲說起。當時，槲寄生象徵著陽剛之氣，象徵著浪漫、活力和生育力。這樣的象徵意義讓人們相信，槲寄生有神秘的力量，能開始一段浪漫情事，最後就演變成在神奇的槲寄生下接吻的習俗。最早對於在槲寄生下接吻的文字記載始於17世紀的英國——英國人的又一項偉大發明，好好謝謝我們吧！

So with Christmas approaching it is time to put the lip balm on and pucker up just in case you get caught beneath the mistletoe for a sneaky kiss.

所以，隨著聖誕節的到來，是時候塗點潤唇膏、撅起小嘴了，說不定什麼時候你就會被發現和身邊的人站在了槲寄生下，即將被Ta偷走一個吻。