Lots of people decorate their homes with shit sticks at this time of year.
The modern word ‘mistletoe’ derives from the Old English ‘mistiltan’ - ‘mistil’ meaning ‘dung’ and ‘tan’ meaning ‘twig’. After passing through the digestive system of a bird, mistletoe berries retain their stickiness, which glues them to whatever branch the bird happens to be resting on when it takes a poo. People were quick to notice the connection between bird shit and the growth of the plant.
Boru
The modern word ‘mistletoe’ derives from the Old English ‘mistiltan’ - ‘mistil’ meaning ‘dung’ and ‘tan’ meaning ‘twig’. After passing through the digestive system of a bird, mistletoe berries retain their stickiness, which glues them to whatever branch the bird happens to be resting on when it takes a poo. People were quick to notice the connection between bird shit and the growth of the plant.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson