Christmas is a magical time of year. To prepare for the
holiday, people gather to watch classic movies like Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer. They also speculate with children about Santa Claus and decorate Christmas
trees. Although Christmas is largely a commercial event for many, there are
varying ideas about the true meaning of the holiday.
For my entire life, I was taught that the true meaning of
Christmas was derived from religion. Just recently, however, someone suggested
that the true meaning of Christmas may actually come from red-and-white
mushrooms.
Amanita Muscaria
Red and white mushrooms, also known as amanita muscaria or
fly agaric, are poisonous plants found in temperate and boreal regions of the
Northern Hemisphere. These cosmopolitan mushrooms are often found in woodlands
of birch, pine, spruce, fir, and cedar. In the Northern Hemisphere, red and
white mushrooms pop-up during the wet seasons of autumn and winter, but may
differ based upon location and climate.
Amanita muscaria become relatively large (3-8 inches), and
have a bright red tops when they're fully-grown. Although they are poisonous,
these mushrooms are known for their hallucinogenic affects. They were used by
ancient Siberian shaman, who would consume the mushrooms and have constituents drink
their urine for insight and "transcendental experiences". Compared to other hallucinogenic mushrooms, however,
the amanita muscaria is said to be "rarely" consumed in modern times.
Christmas Origins
Theories suggest that most symbols and icons associated with
Christmas are derived from shaman traditions of pre-Christian, northern Europe. These traditions include Santa Claus, Christmas
trees, flying reindeer, and gift-giving.
Santa: While
Santa's current image is due in part to the Coca-Cola Company, it is said that
all of his attributes – appearance, manner, and clothing – are reminiscent of
ancient mushroom-gathering shamans. One side effect of consuming amanita
muscaria is a flushed complexion, which accounts for Santa's famous rosy cheeks
and nose. Theorists even liken Santa's signature laugh of "Ho, ho, ho!" to that
of someone who had eaten the mushroom.
Santa, like the ancient mushroom-gathers, also dresses in a
red and white fur-trimmed coat with tall black boots. Ancient shaman wore these
outfits when filling sacks with mushrooms before returning to their homes,
which were tee-pee like in design (with a smoke-hole as an entrance). The
shaman would climb down the chimney-like entrance and share the contents of his
bags.
Christmas Trees: Ancient
people believed in the idea of a World Tree, whose roots stretched into the
underworld and whose braches reached towards the "heavenly realm". As mentioned
earlier, amanita muscaria grows in woodland areas under certain trees, such as
fir and evergreens. Like the tree, they are symbolic because the cap of the
mushroom is the fruit, while the stem is beneath the soil. To ancient peoples,
this meant that the mushrooms were the "fruit of the tree".
Because the mushrooms appeared without a noticeable seed, they
were seen by some as a "virgin birth". This "birth" was made possible by the
morning dew, which was the "semen of the deity"; the tinsel that adorns many
modern Christmas trees is said to represent the divine fluid.
Flying Reindeer:
Ancients considered Reindeer to be sacred animals because they provided food,
shelter, clothing, and other necessities. Reindeer, like humans, also sought
out the red-and-white mushrooms. After consumption, the reindeer would prance
around under the mushroom's influence.
Gift-Giving:
Today, gift-giving is a central part of Christmas, a holiday that is often
associated with commercialism and greed. Originally, however, the "gift" that
was celebrated was from the earth. Ancient peoples celebrated the fruiting of
the amanita muscaria for the "revelations" it provided.
While the amanita muscaria is not something that everyone would
like to associate with the origins of Christmas, it certainly provides an
interesting theory. Even though I am not completely sold on the idea, I enjoyed
researching the potential shamanistic ties to one of the most celebrated
holidays in the world.
Do you think it's possible that Christmas originated from
amanita muscaria?
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Resources:
http://www.westseattleherald.com/articles/2007/12/12/interact/columnists/column03.txt
http://animamrecro.wordpress.com/2006/12/30/hallucinogenic-mushrooms-and-santa-claus/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria
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