You can kiss mistletoe goodbye this Christmas: Covid lockdown sees low demand for crop

It’s as much a part of Christmas as mulled wine and the Queen’s Speech, but we’re unlikely to see too much mistletoe this year.

There has been a healthy crop, but industry insiders are reporting low demand due to the lack of winter weddings, office parties and other social gatherings.

The country’s only mistletoe auction – at Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire – has been called off due to the Covid pandemic. 

The event has been held for 160 years and traders travel to it from all over Britain to buy their festive supplies.

Mistletoe expert Jonathan Briggs said: ‘For some weeks there has been a feeling there will be less demand and mood for mistletoe this year. 

‘Who after this year is going to kiss strangers, lockdown or not? Covid has killed Christmas kisses. 

‘And mistletoe will certainly not be the menace of office parties this year. 

‘There may be mistletoe elbow bumping or feet wagging, air kissing, or perhaps you just wear your mask.

‘But I think people will want to use it for decorations in the home.’ 

Tenbury Wells usually hosts an annual mistletoe festival where they crown a mistletoe queen and a holly king, the head girl and head boy from the local secondary school. 

Although this year’s festival has been cancelled, the Tenbury Mistletoe Association is still planning to decorate the town’s buildings. 

Its chairwoman, Diann Dowell told The Times: ‘It grows around the area in abundance and you see it throughout the seasons. Mistletoe is in the town’s roots. 

‘The festival is cancelled but what can we still do? We can still dress the town. It would be sad to have nothing, so let’s have something.’

Farmer Mark Adams, who sells it through his KissMe Mistletoe online shop, said: ‘A number of my regular buyers have told me mistletoe is a non-starter this year.’

The Government said last week that it would not ban mistletoe this Christmas.