What was a Victorian kissing ball?
During the Victorian period, Christmas kissing balls were decorated balls of holly, herbs and mistletoe, among other evergreens. They were traditionally hung over doorways as invitations for people to kiss.
What is a kissing ball at a wedding?
Kissing balls are pomanders, round decorated bases studded or festooned with flora, ribbons or other small items and hung in an arch or doorway. You’ll find them in traditional holiday decor as well as at wedding receptions.
How did kissing ball get its name?
After a period of unpopularity, thanks to the Puritans, Victorians brought the holy bough back from obscurity, complete with a new look and new name. It soon became known as the kissing ball which was an elaborately decorated apple or potato complete with herbs and foliage.
What is the significance of a kissing ball?
Over time, these kissing balls developed into a new meaning of love, affection, charity, piety and more. Now, the kissing ball now symbolized romantic love and is very popular in wedding ceremony décor and holidays.
Why is it called a kissing ball?
What does mistletoe have to do with Christmas?
Delighted, Frigg then declared mistletoe a symbol of love and vowed to plant a kiss on all those who passed beneath it. Mistletoe’s associations with fertility and vitality continued through the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century it had become widely incorporated into Christmas celebrations.
How do you take care of a kissing ball?
Place your Ivy Kissing Ball indoors in a bright location that does not receive full afternoon sun. It may also be placed outdoors in a protected patio or porch as long as it does not receive full afternoon sun. Move your Kissing Ball indoors if temperatures fall below freezing.
Where do you hang a kissing ball?
5 Places to Hang a Kissing Balls
- In a Bay Window. Many homes feature beautiful bay windows facing the front of the house.
- Hanging on a Porch. Replace your traditional hanging baskets with fresh and modern kissing balls.
- Hanging from a Chandelier.
- In an Architectural Cut-Out.
- Above a Mantle.
What is the meaning of a Christmas kissing ball?
The choice of herbs, flowers and boughs could state love, affection, charity, piety and more. By the end of the 19th century, the kissing ball now symbolized romantic love. It wasn’t uncommon to find ballrooms adorned with dozens of decorated kissing balls hanging from the ceiling.
What does a kiss underneath the mistletoe mean?
love
The origins of kissing under the mistletoe, a plant that often bears white berries, are often traced to a tale in Norse mythology about the god Baldur. In many tellings, Frigg declares the mistletoe to be a symbol of love after her son’s death and promises to kiss anyone who passed underneath it.
Why do they kiss under the mistletoe?
A young lady caught under the mistletoe could not refuse to give a kiss. This was supposed to increase her chances of marriage, since a girl who wasn’t kissed could still be single next Christmas. According to ancient custom, after each kiss, one berry is removed until they are all gone.
How do I attach ribbon to a kissing ball?
Take your ribbon and wrap it around the ball, securing the ribbon with a spot of hot glue on the bottom of the ball. Pull the ribbon around to the top and tie it on in a secure knot. Take a second, longer piece of ribbon, the length you will want to hang your kissing ball.
