Pucker up Manchester, for the Kissing Quarter has landed.
A sprig of mistletoe is clearly not enough to get those Christmas hearts a-fluttering as the Corn Exchange has introduced a pop-up area in the newly-refurbished atrium designed to bring out the romance in all of us.
It features comfy benches, festive trees and plenty of that famous green plant that Sir Cliff Richard likes to pair up with wine.
Just don’t go getting too carried away..
Did you know? (we didn’t)
• Interestingly, there is a proper etiquette for kissing under the mistletoe: first, the kiss should be on the cheek and last just a second.
• Since mistletoe remains green throughout the year, many ancient races ascribed these plants with magical healing powers and with fertility, and some cultures viewed it as an aphrodisiac due to the suggestive arrangement of its berries.
• The association between mistletoe and fertility made it a traditional addition to ancient Greek myths, where the custom of kissing under mistletoe may have started. This practice was later extended to wedding ceremonies.
• In Edwardian England, if a girl refused a kiss whilst standing under mistletoe, it was said that she wouldn’t receive any marriage proposals during the following year.
• The custom of kissing under mistletoe originated in England. The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of mistletoe before the person could be kissed and when all the berries had gone, there could be no more kissing.
• In Edwardian England, if a girl refused a kiss whilst standing under mistletoe, it was said that she wouldn’t receive any marriage proposals during the following year.
[Source:- manchesterevening]