The Interesting Connection Between Christmas and Mushrooms
What Do Mushrooms Have To Do With Christmas?
The legend of Santa Claus has some deep ties to mushrooms. You might already know about the ways that the Coca Cola company utilized the character of Santa Claus to sell soda. But they also extrapolated from historic legends and characters from Northern European countries. Read on to see the interesting connection between Christmas and mushrooms.
Holiday eCard
Before you finish reading up on all of these Christmas connections below, we invite you to download this Holiday eCard from Fantastic Fungi, celebrating the connection between Amanita Muscaria and these wonderful holiday stories.
How Christmas Started
Originally, the figure of Santa Claus came from the Nordic countries. In this region, Arctic shamans used to dole out psychedelic mushrooms as part of their winter solstice celebrations. They dressed in red clothing with white spots, similar to Amanita mushrooms. People enjoyed a magical experience and communed with nature on the night of the solstice. Just like Santa enters homes through the chimney, Arctic shamans typically entered snow-blocked homes through an opening in the roof.
Nordic shamans had a deep connection with reindeer as well. They were generally recognized as the spirit animals for the shamans. Under the influence of magic mushrooms, it’s easy to see how someone could hallucinate flying reindeer beneath a beautiful night sky in December.
There’s another interesting connection between mushrooms and the tradition of gift-giving at Christmastime. Most people put up an evergreen tree inside their homes to mark the holiday. Gifts are wrapped and placed underneath the tree. Mushrooms also tend to grow at the base of trees, where decaying organic matter can feed the fungi. It’s more than a coincidence that people leave red and white presents underneath their pine trees on Christmas.
This year, honor the history of Nordic shamans at Christmas. Create some delightful mushroom-shaped ornaments to hang on your tree and share the story of the Arctic mystics who delivered gifts in the middle of the night, assisted by their sleigh and reindeer. Spread your newfound knowledge of the connection between Christmas and mushrooms!
Paul Stamets Explains Mushrooms & Christmas
More great video content to watch!
Joe Rogan “Santa Was a Mushroom”
After Skool
Check out this hilarious animation from After Skool that really packs a punch.
More Content
New Study Confirms Mushrooms Boost Nutrition
Although we’ve discussed the benefits of eating more mushrooms on the blog and in the film Fantastic Fungi, a new study was recently published showing in-depth some of the nutrients that mushrooms can add when incorporated into the average diet. When looking at mushrooms nutrition facts, you will see what they provide from consuming them. […]
Wonder and Awe
Louie Schwartzberg shares his sense of wonder, as he transcends the ordinary and tests our concepts of time and scale with his beautiful imagery.
The Significance of Mushrooms in These Pop Culture Classics
Mushrooms In Pop Culture Classics Have you managed to spot all of the mushrooms in pop culture classics? Particularly in science fiction, these fungi present themselves as a commonly beneficial aid to the main character. From video games like the Mario franchise to famed literary works and classic movies, the message is clear: medicinal mushrooms […]