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A mistletoe buyer at Tenbury Wells
Mistletoe Crated for transport
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Harvest & Trade in Europe
European harvest for export to the UK
Large quantities of Britain’s Christmas mistletoe is imported from Europe - there is a substantial cross-channel trade in November and December.
1930s Normandy harvest
for UK
1930s Press photo of French harvest
1920s:French imports at Southampton
1930s:French Mistletoe in London
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This is not a new phenomenon - we have been importing mistletoe, particularly from France, since at least the late nineteenth century. Britain, with it's limited natural mistletoe populations in the south west midlands, was probably never able to fully meet the Victorian demand for Christmas mistletoe.
These pictures show french mistletoe being harvested in Normandy and Breton Orchards in the 1920s and 1930s. Note the traditional costume - the women's hats don't look very practical for mistletoe harvesting!
Also notice the wooden open-slatted crates. These are a distinctive sign of imported mistletoe - British mistletoe is usually packed more loosely.
The lower pictures show crates arriving at Southampton Docks, and subsequently at Nine Elms Station london, in the 1920s and 1930s. London and the south-east are probably still largely supplied by imported mistletoe. |
European harvest for local Christmas customs
A French
Mistletoe Seller
Most depictions show the
Marchand de Gui as a man
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The kissing custom is a very British tradition - our continental cousins are much less reserved, and don't usually need such tokens for their kissing! But there are many allied winter mistletoe customs, mostly relating to mistletoe as a sympbol of peace and of good luck. Some of these are discussed on the Customs pages.
To meet the demand for these customs mistletoe in France was often sold on the sheet by Marchands de Gui - Mistletoe Sellers.
These pictures show a few typical pictures of French mistletoe sellers - ranging from the traditional merchant with a pole of mistletoe, through to a rather more saucy representation from Raphael Kirchner (dating from WW1):
Kirchner's risque lady mistletoe seller
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Several other artists also painted these Marchands de Gui - including Picasso and Barrere. |
Mistletoe Seller by Barrere
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Mistletoe Seller by Picasso
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Harvest for medicinal uses
Continental mistletoe is harvested for more than just the seasonal trade. The European traditions of using mistletoe in medicine, particularly the Anthroposophic approach advocated by Steiner, mean there is harvesting all year round.
This is a different sort of harvest - the aim is to sample mistletoe at several times of year, and from differing hosts - as the chemical properties of mistletoe vary according to season and host. This careful, sustainable year-round harvesting is a complete contrast to the Christmas rush just to get a few branches with berries!
Most is taken from apple and pine trees, but minority hosts are also sought, including oak. To guarantee supplies from these minority hosts the mistletoe crop is harvested very carefully, and new colonies are established on key host species such as oak.
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Coming soon - links to:
The Mistletoe Picture Library
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European harvest for export to the UK