Chapter 11 Chapter 3 - The only green in winter

In the car the next day, Ming Jing apologized to me first. "Come on. Last night I didn't dare go out alone at night, so I insisted on you walking with me. You don't mind, do you?" "Of course not. It's fun to go for a walk." "Really?" "Will you hit me if I say I lied to you?" "Come on. I'm sure you won't lie to me." Ming Jing smiled, "Thank you for accompanying me." Then Mingjing fell into a deep sleep.When it's time to get out of the car, I'll wake her up again. When Mingjing climbed the mountain, she was full of energy, dancing while walking, and occasionally humming a song.

"Come on, look." She pointed to a Taiwan alder tree about seven meters high by the road in front of us. "Don't you want to tell me again, this tree looks like the shape of missing?" Mingjing laughed twice, walked under the tree, and beckoned me to approach. "Did you see that lump in the tree that looked like a bird's nest?" I walked up to her and looked up. On a bare branch, this nest-like mass has green leaves and white berries. "That's called mistletoe, a parasitic plant. This alder tree is its host." "Mistle? A Christmas tree decoration?"

"Well. Westerners regard it as a sacred plant, and it is often used to decorate Christmas trees. Kissing under the mistletoe is very auspicious! Legend has it that couples who kiss under the mistletoe will stay together forever." "Oh? Really?" Mingjing nodded, and suddenly moved two steps to the left. "If you stand under the mistletoe, it means that anyone can kiss you, and you must not refuse! That's not only very rude but also bad luck.This is an important custom of Christmas. " I beat my chest and stomped my feet, secretly screaming that it was a pity.I actually missed two chances to kiss Ming Jing in a row.

"Hehe... It's a good thing you haven't heard of this custom. Did you know that Hitler was also tricked?" "Oh?" "I heard that when Hitler attended a banquet, a beautiful girl led him to the mistletoe and kissed him. Although he was very angry, there was nothing he could do about it!" Mingjing simply sat down and waved to me again, and I also sat down to rest. "That's why Westerners often hang mistletoe on the door beam. Not only can it represent luck, but it can also wait for the rabbit and kiss anyone who passes by the door." "Hmm. It's a bit of a ruthless custom."

"Person! Dangerous!" When Mingjing and I were sitting and chatting, Bo Sen and Sun Ying passed by us. "What are you doing?" Berson turned around and asked me. "Careful! Keep to the left and stay out of this tree." "Are there any snakes in the tree?" Although Bo Sen asked, he still moved away from Taiwan alder a little bit. "Worse than a snake." "Come on! You are good or bad. Sun Ying is a nice person." "I'm sorry. Person is my best friend. I can't bear it." Ming Jing laughed out loud. Bo Sen and Sun Ying continued to walk forward with puzzled faces.

"That's why mistletoe becomes a Christmas tree decoration. When the bells ring on Christmas Eve, hug and kiss each other under the Christmas tree, and the friendship can last forever, whether it's love or friendship. Some Families simply put mistletoe on the roof, so as long as they kiss in the house, they can bless the whole family to live happily together forever." After Mingjing finished speaking, her expression was very relaxed. "Come on, isn't this tradition very warm?" I nod. I looked at the branches of alder alder in Taiwan that had lost all their green leaves, while the mistletoe parasites on them were still green.

It feels very abrupt. "Why do you know so much about mistletoe?" "I used to have cats, and cats would often bite the plants at home. But to cats, mistletoe and ivy are as poisonous as evergreen. So I went to find a book to study." "The book says that mistletoe has been an object of superstition and worship since long, long ago." Mingjing seemed to have opened up the chatterbox, talking incessantly. "It can be used to fight witchcraft. In Greek mythology, Persephone (Persephone), the queen of the underworld, used a mistletoe to open the gate of the underworld."

Mingjing took out the chewing gum and handed me a piece. "Now, do you know how the Christmas custom of kissing under the mistletoe came about?" "Auntie, you are the master. The disciple just obeys the instruction." "In ancient Norse mythology, Balder, the god of peace, was shot to death by the evil god Loki with an arrow made of mistletoe, which is the only thing in the world that can hurt Balder. Balder's mother --Frigga, the god of love, was in great pain when she heard about it, so she and the gods tried their best to save Bird's life, and finally saved him. Frigga was very grateful, so she promised that whoever stood under the mistletoe would be given That person kissed, thus forming the custom of kissing under the mistletoe on Christmas. It also preserved the meaning of the mistletoe symbol, love, peace and forgiveness forever, and these three are also the spiritual essence of Christmas."

"It turns out that the meaning of Christmas is not to eat Christmas dinner, nor is it to party all night." "Well. Westerners must stay at home during Christmas, but Taiwanese people always go out." Mingjing smiled, and continued, "It's ironic, but it's also fun. Fortunately, not many people in Taiwan know the custom of kissing under mistletoe, Otherwise, the price of mistletoe will skyrocket at Christmas, and you boys will cry to death again. " Mingjing glanced up at Misaki again, and said softly: "It really is the only green in winter."

"Huh? What did you say?" "It's difficult to distinguish mistletoe in normal times, but in winter all trees are dead, only it is still green, so it is easy to see. That's why it is called the only green in winter." Mingjing turned to look at me, hesitated to speak. "Auntie, do you want to tell me that yearning is the same as mistletoe, it doesn't change with the seasons?" "Hehe...Guer, you are really a very smart and quick-response person." Ming Jing stood up, "Now, we should go." "Ok." We didn't go far, and saw mistletoe growing on a fallen alder tree by the side of the road.

It seems that the alder tree in Taiwan is dead, but the mistletoe is still alive and well. Appears to be still sucking the last of the host plant's offerings. Does the mistletoe have to suck up the nutrients of the host plant before becoming a symbol of luck and love for others? A few years later, Mingjing told me that I was a mistletoe. So, who is my host plant?