--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a…" description: "\"“Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a parasite.' But it's a tradition.' It's a parasite! And you expect people to stand under it and kiss?' Yes! it's what..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/billie-letts-26161_christmas_come-on-forney-novalee-it-s-a-parasite-b_495817.png" --- # Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a parasite.' But it's a… ![“Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a parasite.' But it's a tradition.' It's a parasite! And you expect people to stand under it and kiss?' Yes! it's what people do with mistletoe.” quote by Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/billie-letts-26161_christmas_come-on-forney-novalee-it-s-a-parasite-b_495817.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/billie-letts-26161_christmas_come-on-forney-novalee-it-s-a-parasite-b_495817.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/billie-letts-26161_christmas_come-on-forney-novalee-it-s-a-parasite-b_495817.png) > ““Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a parasite.' But it's a tradition.' It's a parasite! And you expect people to stand under it and kiss?' Yes! it's what people do with mistletoe.”” [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character mocks a tradition that feels oppressive, comparing it to a parasite, and questions why people accept it without critique. **In simple terms:** Traditions can be harmful if accepted blindly. Key Takeaway Question harmful customs. Themes tradition conformity critique Mood skeptical reflective Type critical observational When to use this quote - family gatherings - holiday rituals - peer pressure - cultural expectations Key Concepts social pressure symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What traditions do you accept without questioning? - How can you reshape harmful customs? A Different Perspective Not all traditions are inherently negative; some foster community. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Kissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing/) [Mistletoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistletoe/) [Parasites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parasites/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [I could stand up and go to her and kiss her. I could. But there is still too much to be ruined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-could-stand-up-and-go-to-her-and-kiss-her-i-could-but-there-is/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm not particular about being kissed under mistletoe. That being said, I'm not averse to trying it either!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tresa/i-m-not-particular-about-being-kissed-under-mistletoe-that-being-said/) [Catherine Tresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tresa/) > [“Daisy loved all parades, especially this one, whose crush of observers, prone to impulsive kisses, made it one more piece of the mistletoe under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/daisy-loved-all-parades-especially-this-one-whose-crush-of-observers/) [Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/) > [This Christmas I've decided to put a mistletoe in my back pocket…so all the people I dont like can kiss my ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-christmas-i-ve-decided-to-put-a-mistletoe-in-my-back-pocket-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the aim is to keep "Christ" in the shopping-mall Christmas or to ensure that pagan trees and mistletoe don't lose their Christian labels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haynes/if-the-aim-is-to-keep-christ-in-the-shopping-mall-christmas-or-to/) [Charles Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haynes/) > [I want that amazing Christmas kiss. You know, the one where you're under the mistletoe, not even realizing it, and all the sudden he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-that-amazing-christmas-kiss-you-know-the-one-where-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Inside, the festivities would continue, probably well into the night, with flirtation and merriment and gratuitous use of mistletoe. It was an inexpressibly wearying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/inside-the-festivities-would-continue-probably-well-into-the-night/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [Can't wait for christmas! Who's gonna be celebrating it under the mistletoe with someone special?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/can-t-wait-for-christmas-who-s-gonna-be-celebrating-it-under-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/christmas-crept-into-pine-cove-like-a-creeping-christmas-thing/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save-2/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Whose heart doth hold the Christmas glow Hath little need of Mistletoe; Who bears a smiling grace of mien Need waste no time on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kendrick-bangs/whose-heart-doth-hold-the-christmas-glow-hath-little-need-of/) [John Kendrick Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kendrick-bangs/) > [“While she could hardly fathom what had just happened to her that night, she reached some conclusions before she fell asleep, certain things now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-she-could-hardly-fathom-what-had-just-happened-to-her-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The mistletoe hung in the castle hall, The holly branch shone on the old oak wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haynes-bayly/the-mistletoe-hung-in-the-castle-hall-the-holly-branch-shone-on-the/) [Thomas Haynes Bayly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haynes-bayly/) > [Because we need Christmas we had better understand what it is and what it isn't. Gifts, holly, mistletoe, and red-nosed reindeer are fun as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-w-pinnock/because-we-need-christmas-we-had-better-understand-what-it-is-and/) [Hugh W. Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-w-pinnock/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) ## More by Billie Letts > [You ever think about this? Every year you live, you pass the anniversary of your death. Now you don't know what day it is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/you-ever-think-about-this-every-year-you-live-you-pass-the/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“Tell them our lives can change with every breath we take. Lord, we both know that. Tell them to let go of what's gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/tell-them-our-lives-can-change-with-every-breath-we-take-lord-we-both/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“Awake, she struggled to fill the hours until she could sleep again. But nothing she did made her feel whole. If she ate, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/awake-she-struggled-to-fill-the-hours-until-she-could-sleep-again-but/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“The money" The girl stiffened at something she heard in his voice, something jagged and sharp, like words torn by the blade of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/the-money-the-girl-stiffened-at-something-she-heard-in-his-voice/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“Tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take. Lord, we both know that. Tell them to let go of what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/tell-them-that-our-lives-can-change-with-every-breath-we-take-lord-we/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [...tell them that we have some good in us, too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. That’s why we’ve got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/tell-them-that-we-have-some-good-in-us-too-and-the-only-thing-worth/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“Well, sometimes love seems easy. Like..it's easy to love rain...and hawks. And it's easy to love wild plums...and the moon. But with people, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/well-sometimes-love-seems-easy-like-it-s-easy-to-love-rain-and-hawks/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“The boy, a ten-year-old copy of the man...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/the-boy-a-ten-year-old-copy-of-the-man/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [Novalee watched his lips shape the words...the sounds, like whispered secrets, hanging in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/novalee-watched-his-lips-shape-the-words-the-sounds-like-whispered/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [“A man can't love you because you haven't read as many books as he has? He can't love you because you don't speak French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/a-man-can-t-love-you-because-you-haven-t-read-as-many-books-as-he-has/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [Never act like you want it, darlin'. Act like you wouldn't own it if they paid you. Tell them it's dirty, broken...a useless thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/never-act-like-you-want-it-darlin-act-like-you-wouldn-t-own-it-if/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [Well, sometimes love seems easy. Like..it's easy to love rain...and hawks. And it's easy to love wild plums...and the moon. But with people, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/well-sometimes-love-seems-easy-like-it-s-easy-to-love-rain-and-hawks-2/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [Home gives you something no other place can... your history. Home is where your history begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/home-gives-you-something-no-other-place-can-your-history-home-is/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [And the needles of the pine trees, freshly washed to a deep, rich green, shimmered with droplets that blinked like clear crystals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/and-the-needles-of-the-pine-trees-freshly-washed-to-a-deep-rich-green/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) > [Home is the place that'll catch you when you fall. And we all fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-letts/home-is-the-place-that-ll-catch-you-when-you-fall-and-we-all-fall/) [Billie Letts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) [Explore all 22 Billie Letts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-letts/) ## More Christmas quotes > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/) [Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/) > [May you have the spirit of Christmas which is Peace, the gladness of Christmas which is Hope, and the Heart of Christmas which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-you-have-the-spirit-of-christmas-which-is-peace-the-gladness-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To my future children; you will know the true meaning of Christmas just not you get gifts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-future-children-you-will-know-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-smith/no-sane-local-official-who-has-hung-up-an-empty-stocking-over-the/) [Al Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-smith/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Santa Claus has nothing to do with it," the latke said. "Christmas and Hanukah are completely different things." "But different things can often blend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/santa-claus-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-the-latke-said-christmas-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For Christmas one year I bought my son a BB gun. He bought me a t-shirt with a bulls eye on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/for-christmas-one-year-i-bought-my-son-a-bb-gun-he-bought-me-a-t/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“I stopped keeping an eye out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve because, when I was five, my mother told me that Santa was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-stopped-keeping-an-eye-out-for-santa-claus-on-christmas-eve-because/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [On Hanukkah, the first dark night, Light yourself a candle bright. I'll you, if you will me invite To dance within that gentle light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/on-hanukkah-the-first-dark-night-light-yourself-a-candle-bright-i-ll/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) [Browse all 5,100 Christmas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Come on, Forney.' Novalee, it's a parasite.' But it's a tradition.' It's a parasite! And you expect people to stand under it and kiss?' 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