Silk Stitch Along

Since this seems to be the month to begin stitching, how about joining

with Laura Wasilowski as you learn these goals:

• Make an embroidered garden on silk. You can also use wool, cotton, or felt but silk is lovely to work with.
• Try new embroidery stitches and stitch combinations.
• Enjoy the challenge of free-form embroidery and improvise as we go.

And what better thread to use but SILK!  Gorgeous silk! 

She has listed three steps to organizing your work--to me, the best part of this stitch along is

to have fun! 

A Spinning We Go!

 ROC day is sometimes called “St. Distaff’s Day”. Of course, there is no such saint! It is celebrated on January 7th, the “first free day after Twelve-Eve Christmas”, which was a holiday of transition from Christmas revelries to the round of everyday work. It is also called “Rock” day, as the distaff was sometimes referred to as a rock. Traditionally, in old England, women did not spin during the twelve days of Christmas. ROC day or St. Distaff’s day, was their day to get back to work, and they certainly made the most of it! They were not without troubles during this time, because it was tradition that the plowmen thought it sport to set fire to the flax and tow.

The women kept buckets of water always ready to put out the fires. It was a game of sorts, with many young men being “drenched” to the bones! Also the spinners went back to work a day ahead of the weavers, so that they could have plenty of yarn for the weavers. It was their special day. THE SPINSTER In olden times, the fleece which was brought home in the summer was spun into clothing by the female part of each family during the winter.

It was a well known axiom that NO young woman was fit to be a wife until she had spun for herself a set of body, table, and bed linens. Hence the maiden was termed a spinner or spinster, and the married woman was referred to as a wife or as “one who has been a spinner” even though she carried on these traditions. Interestingly enough, is the term wife, which comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “wif” which is from the verb “wyfan” or “wefan” which means “to weave”!

January 7

St. Distaff’s Day

By Robert Herrick (1591–1674)

PARTLY work and partly play   You must on St. Distaff’s Day: From the plough soon free your team;   Then come home and fother them; If the maids a-spinning go,            Burn the flax and fire the tow. Bring in pails of water then,   Let the maids bewash the men. Give St. Distaff all the right;   Then bid Christmas sport good night,          And next morrow every one   To his own vocation.

Bring On THe King Cake!

Epiphany, the Feast of The Three Kings 

The Adoration of the Magi by Giotto [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas on 6th January (or January 19th for some Orthodox Church who have Christmas on 7th January) and is the time when Christians remember the Wise Men (also sometimes called the Three Kings) who visited Jesus.

Epiphany is also when some Churches remember when Jesus was Baptised, when he was about 30, and started to teach people about God. Epiphany means 'revelation' and both the visit of the Wise Men and his Baptism are important times when Jesus was 'revealed' to be very important.

Some Churches celebrate use Epiphany to celebrate and remember both the visit of the Wise Men and Jesus's Baptism!

Epiphany is mainly celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox Christians. It's a big and important festival in Spain, where it's also known as 'The festival of the three Magic Kings' - 'Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Mages', and is when Spanish and some other Catholic children receive their presents - as they are delivered by the Three Kings!

In Spain on Epiphany morning you might go to the local bakers and buy a special cake/pastry called a 'Roscón' (meaning a ring shaped roll). They are normally filled with cream or chocolate and is decorated with a paper crown. These are normally a figure of a king (if you find that you can wear the crown) and a dried bean (if you find that you're meant to pay for the cake!). In Catalonia it's known as a Tortell or Gâteau des Rois and is stuffed with marzipan.

In France you might eat a 'Galette des Rois', a type of flat almond cake. It has a toy crown cooked inside it and is decorated on top with a gold paper crown.

There are similar traditions in Mexico where Epiphany is known as 'El Dia de los Reyes' (the day of The Three Kings). It's traditional to eat a special cake called 'Rosca de Reyes' (Three Kings Cake). A figure of Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake. Whoever has the baby Jesus in their piece of cake is the 'Godparent' of Jesus for that year.

In Italy, some children also get their presents on Epiphany. But they believe that an old lady called 'Befana' brings them. Children put stockings up by the fireplace for Befana to fill.

In Austria, at Epiphany, some people write a special sign in chalk over their front door. It's a reminder of the Wise Men that visited the baby Jesus. It's made from the year split in two with initials of the names that are sometimes given to 'the three wise men', Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, in the middle. So 2014 would be: 20*C*M*B*14. The sign is meant to protect the house for the coming year. Some parts of Germany also have the tradition of marking over doors. The 'Four Hills' Ski Jumping Tournament also finishes on 6th January in Bischofshofen, Austria.

At Epiphany in Belgium, children dress up as the three wise men and go from door to door to sing songs and people give them money or sweets, kind of like Trick or Treating on Halloween. Children in Poland also go out sining on Epiphany.

In Ireland, Epiphany is also called 'Nollaig na mBean' or Women's Christmas. Traditionally the women get the day off and men do the housework and cooking! It is becoming more popular and many Irish women now get together on the Sunday nearest Epiphany and have tea and cakes!

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (which celebrates Christmas on 7th January), twelve days after Christmas, on 19th January, the three day celebration of Ethiopians Timkat starts. This celebrates Jesus's baptism.

Epiphany Eve (also known as Twelfth Night) marks the end of the traditional Christmas celebrations and is the time when you were meant to take Christmas decorations down - although some people leave them up until Candlemas.

Love Books--For The Children

Mystery Children's Quilt Along   The details of my 2017 FREE Mystery Block of the Month..woohoo!

Go to Pat's website first, then head over to Free Quilt Patterns to watch video and download the supply list

Off The Loom....................

I'm so excited!  I'm thrilled!

Cut off these two scarves from the loom this week

All washed, pressed and ready for wear!

One is woven in Dornick twill and the other just

1-3, 2-4 on the same threading

These are handspun wool/silk and the weft is handspun silk.

I'm loving these!

Now, what to warp on the loom next--hmmmm?

Museum At FIT

Black Fashion Designers is an exhibition that examines the impact of African American and African designers on the fashion industry. It will be on display in the Fashion & Textile History Gallery at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City from December 6, 2016 through May 13, 2017. 

Museum Exhibits of 2017

Black fashion designers began to gain recognition during the late 1940s, even while still segregated within the fashion industry. A section of the exhibition devoted to black designers breaking into the industry features work by New York-based Zelda Wynn Valdes and Ann Lowe, who created custom-made gowns for society women and celebrities. They represent the transition from nineteenth-century dressmaking traditions that encompassed countless, unnamed black dressmakers, to the modern conception of a fashion designer. Designers such as Arthur McGee, Wesley Tann, and Jon Weston worked for New York manufacturers before establishing their own businesses. For example, Weston, an FIT alumnus, started his ready-to-wear company in the mid-1960s, stating, “I’d gone as far as I could go on Seventh Avenue; it wasn’t growing with me.” 

New UFO's?

It's the new year--a time to begin those new UFOs!  Yes, I know, when I begin a project, I'm just sure that it will not end up in my UFO pile for another year.  This Year it will be different--I say to myself!

I resolve---oh, I hate that word!  But, I PLAN to take at least one UFO out of the box to finish--yes, I said FINISH! before I begin another UFO!  It's a definite challenge to just reach in the box and pull out an unfinished object--don't look!  Just reach in and do it!  Okay, so it's not one you REALLY want to do now--but, it needs to be finished sometime!.

I know there is a 'game' you can play with yourself, especially on knitting UFO's--place the project with needed yarns in a plain paper bag; staple it shut!  and pile into a box!  Gee whiz--so many--but, the next time you want something to knit--reach into the box and pull out one of these bags!  You can't look in the bag--it's stapled, right??

It's not so easy with quilting UFOs--okay, here we go--first up--to finish one of those Christmas hangings I didn't do before Christmas 2016--so close to being finished, of course.

This is one of those Christmas panels that has been 'aging' forever!  Luckily, I did copy off some instructions--thank goodness! 

Okay, it will be ready for Christmas 2017!  

Finished!! just need to cut the binding and select a backing and off to the

quilter it will go.

Now, doesn't that feel good!?

on to the next UFO to finish...........

Happy New Year!

Here we go again!   2016 was a full year of daily blog journals.

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings, events, and just plain

happenings.

To each of you,

I wish you the best of the new years--may 2017 bring you

joy, peace, good health and many happy days of stitching!

Let the 2017 begin!!

Auld Lang Syne--2016

"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. It is well known in many countries, especially (but far from exclusively) in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Boy Scout youth movement, in many countries, uses it as a close to jamborees and other functions. The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago", "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, is loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times". The song begins by posing a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten, and is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships. Most common use of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words "For the sake of" or "And days of", rather than Burns' simpler lines. This allows one note for each word, rather than the slight melisma required to fit Burns' original words to the melody.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne

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  • Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me

2017--The Year of Stitches

A year in stitches--Take a blank canvas, each day add at least one stitch to that canvas.  This is
a great way to practice all those techniques you want to learn or already know.  It is also a diary of
each day's progress in your thread world.

Michelle Anas Beauliew Morgan created a colorful canvas stitching each day in 2016.  Check out Facebook, Pinterest, and blogs to find tutorials on special stitches.

Gathering With Friends!

It's always a grand time when friends can gather to share fellowship.

Rosemary was our hostess for this day--we enjoy seeing her Christmas tree,

which is loaded (over 200 handmade ornaments!).  We can spend hours

looking and admiring these ornaments gathered over the years.

Most are handwoven, felted 

Some arrive from foreign countries or visitors to 

Rosemary's home

All of her ornaments are small and Rosemary says she 'talks' to each one

as she places them on the tree--she shares memories of each

This was the day we exchanged handmade gifts, either made by yourself

or someone else.  This was felted fingerless mitts made by Olga--

we all loved them!!

Olga is a super felt maker!  She made these wonderful bracelets

Dottie was wearing her little snowman pin, handwoven and stitched.

A knitted cowl was given from Penny's hands to Olga--

perfect match her lovely bracelets.

Marion received this super cotton scarf woven by Pat

My gift was one of Rosemary's handwoven cards and one of her

little woven angels--wings are lace from her wedding dress of

50 years ago--what a privilege to receive this sweet angel

with such memories

Ann received two indigo dyed towels, shibori stitched

by Connie

Connie stitched the stars and moon and hand dyed with indigo

Penny received this wonderful thread angel. 

Perfect day with friends!

A Good Way To End The Year......................

Yep! It's a good way to end my year--just ordered a new magazine subscription

that is loaded with more UFOs for me to add to my stash!

I'm so excited to see another publication on wool art applique, hooking, etc.

First issue released January, 2017

Check it out.

I already 'love' Primitive Quilts--have done some projects from past issues!

And now I'll have more!

Finished! That 2016 Year Lace Scarf

Whew!  Finished before 2016 ended--actually, I wanted to give this as a gift to blond headed daughter--after all I had only been knitting on it the whole of 2016.

Each month you had a different lace pattern to knit--to me, this is the

best way to accomplish a goal--even if it is a year long project.

I had this handspun merino/silk yarn--so glad I have handspun for this project.

I wasn't really sure I would like this yarn for the scarf, but it turned out okay! 

I love knitting LACE!  Never thought I would--when I took a workshop with THE 

Lace Knitting Gal from New Zealand--I was just dumb stuck while in the class!

Now, It finally clicked--don't laugh--that was 20 years ago!

I know!  it took me that long to get my brain to accept lace knitting!  But,

it's so worth it--

I'm preparing to knit in 2017 with Elizabeth Ravenwood in her 2017 Estonian Lace Knitting project.

You can find her and this project along with another year long learning adventure on Ravelry.

Happy Boxing Day! Or St. Stephens Day!

Take your preference--celebrate Boxing Day or St. Stephens Day......here is why

Boxing Day takes place on December 26th and is only celebrated in a few countries; mainly ones historically connected to the UK (such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) and in many European countries. In Germany it is known as "Zweite Feiertag” (which means 'second celebration') and also “Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag” which translates as Boxing Day (although it doesn’t literally mean that)!

It was started in the UK about 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.

It might have been the Romans that first brought this type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to collect money for the betting games which they played during their winter celebrations!

In Holland, some collection boxes were made out of a rough pottery called 'earthenware' and were shaped like pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term 'Piggy Bank'!

The Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas, is set on Boxing Day and is about a King in the Middle Ages who brings food to a poor family.

It was also traditional that servants got the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families on Boxing Day. Before World War II, it was common for working people (such as milkmen and butchers) to travel round their delivery places and collect their Christmas box or tip. This tradition has now mostly stopped and any Christmas tips, given to people such as postal workers and newspaper delivery children, are not normally given or collected on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day has now become another public holiday in countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is also the traditional day that Pantomimes started to play.

There are also often sports played on Boxing Day in the UK, especially horse racing and football matches! It's also when shops traditionally had big sales after Christmas in the UK (like Black Friday in the USA).

The 26th December is also St. Stephen's Day. Just to confuse things, there are two St. Stephens in history! The first St. Stephen was a very early follower of Jesus and was the first Christian Martyr (a person who dies for their religious beliefs). He was stoned to death by Jews who didn't believe in Jesus.

The second St. Stephen was a Missionary, in Sweden, in the 800s. He loved all animals but particularly horses (perhaps why there is traditionally horse racing on boxing day). He was also a martyr and was killed by pagans in Sweden. In Germany there was a tradition that horses would be ridden around the inside of the church during the St. Stephen's Day service!

St. Stephen's Day (or 'the feast of Stephen') is when the Carol 'Good King Wenceslas' is set. It's about helping the poor - so it has a strong connection to Boxing Day.

Why Is Christmas Celebrated On December 25?

So, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

Read this! 

One of the most fascinating Christmas events that we attended was 

the Planetarium, where we learned that Jesus was most likely born in the 

Spring, not December.

Does it really matter what date Christ was born ?  We 

celebrate the joy of this event any time of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Hanukkah - The Jewish Festival of Lights!

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This happened in the 160s BCE/BC (before Jesus was born). (Hanukkah is the Jewish word for 'dedication'.) Hanukkah last for eight days and starts on the 25th of Kislev, the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar (it uses the moon for its dates), Kislev can happen from late November to late December.

In 2016, Hanukkah is from in the evening of Saturday, 24 December until the evening of Sunday, 1st January.

During Hanukkah, on each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a 'hanukkiyah'. There is a special ninth candle called the 'shammash' or servant candle which is used to light the other candles. The shammash is often in the center of the other candles and has a higher position. On the first night one candle is lit, on the second night, two are lit until all are lit on the eighth and final night of the festival. Traditionally they are lit from left to right. A special blessing, thanking God, is said before or after lighting the candles and a special Jewish hymn is often sung. The menorah is put in the front window of houses so people passing can see the lights and remember the story of Hanukkah. Most Jewish family and households have a special menorah and celebrate Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is also a time for giving and receiving presents and gifts are often given on each night. Lots of games are played during the time of Hanukkah. The most popular is 'dreidel' (Yiddish) or 'sivivon' (Hebrew). It's a four sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side. The four letter are the first letter of the phrase 'Nes Gadol Hayah Sham' which means 'A great miracle happened there' (in Israel, 'there' is changed to 'here' so it's 'Nes Gadol Hayah Po'). Player put a coin, nut or chocolate coin in a pot and the top is spun. In the letter 'nun' (נ) come up nothing happens, if it's 'gimel' (ג) the player wins the pot, if it's 'hay' (ה) you win half the pot and if it's 'shin' (for 'there' ש) or 'pe' (for 'here' פ) you have to put another item into the pot and the next person has a spin!

The Story behind Hanukkah

"Twas The Night................................"

According to legend, Clement Clarke Moore wrote his immortal poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas, for his family on Christmas Eve 1822. He never intended that it be published, but a family friend, Miss Harriet Butler, learned of the poem sometime later from Moore's children. She copied it into her album, and submitted it to the editor of the Troy (New York) Sentinel where it made its first appearance in print on December 23, 1823. Soon, the poem began to be reprinted in other newspapers, almanacs and magazines, with the first appearance in a book in The New York Book of Poetry, edited by Charles Fenno Hoffman, in 1837.

It was not until 1844, however, that Moore himself acknowledged authorship in a volume of his poetry entitled Poems, published at the request of his children. One hundred and eighty years later it is the most-published, most-read, most-memorized and most-collected book in all of Christmas literature.

Ahh, Rudolph--

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company, department store operators, had been purchasing and distributing children’s coloring books as Christmas gifts for their customers for several years. In 1939, Montgomery Ward tapped one of their own employees to create a book for them, thus saving money. 34-year old copywriter Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in 1939, and 2.4 million copies were handed out that year. Despite the wartime paper shortage, over 6 million copies had been distributed by 1946.

May drew in part on the story “The Ugly Duckling” and in part from his own experiences as an often taunted, small, frail youth to create the story of the misfit reindeer. Though Rollo and Reginald were considered, May settled on Rudolph as his reindeer’s name.

Writing in verse as a series of rhyming couplets, May tested the story as he went along on his 4-year old daughter Barbara, who loved the story

Sadly, Robert Mays wife died around the time he was creating Rudolph, leaving Mays deeply in debt due to medical bills. However, he was able to persuade Sewell Avery, Montgomery Ward’s corporate president, to turn the copyright over to him in January 1947, thus ensuring May’s financial security.

May’s story “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was printed commercially in 1947 and in 1948 a nine-minute cartoon of the story was shown in theaters. When May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, the Rudolph phenomenon was born. Turned down by many musical artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa Claus, the song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 at the urging of Autry’s wife. The song sold two million copies that year, going on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”. The 1964 television special about Rudolph, narrated by Burl Ives, remains a holiday favorite to this day and Rudolph himself has become a much-loved Christmas icon.

Why Christmas Trees Are Decorated?

The Christmas tree is a strong symbol of Christmas. It serves as the family’s center of attention. In fact, it is the center of most Christmas ceremonies all over the world.

Christmas is about traditions and memories, and symmetric and beautifully decorated Christmas trees are something that the entire family will always value and remember. Every year, between 25 and 30 million Americans celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees, thus, the scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree enlivens the Christmas spirit among most Americans.

Christmas trees have a long and exciting history. During the pre-Christian era, people and tribes often had holy groves and trees where they sacrificed to the gods. The trees were most often oak or ash, and they symbolized a connection between heaven and earth. Similar ideas are found in the Old Testament – trees symbolized wisdom and life.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, German tradesmen began to hold parties where a spruce was placed inside a home. Another story tells of how the German theologian and reformer, Martin Luther, put candles on the leaves as symbols of the stars twinkling among the forest’s trees. In the 17th century, the tradition of decorated Christmas trees in connection with festivities spread out to the German towns, and from there, to other parts of Europe.

Even if the first Christmas tree in the USA, perhaps, can be traced all the way back to 1777, Christmas trees did not become popular in the USA until the middle of the 18th century. An image of the English royal family standing in front of a Christmas tree was copied and brought to the USA in 1850. This resulted in the American upper classes embracing the Christmas tree. In the following decades, the tradition of Christmas trees in living rooms became popular among the rest of the population.

Why Are Red And Green Colors of Christmas?

Evergreen plants, like Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and that winter wouldn't last forever!

The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid winter festivals. In many parts of Europe during the middle ages, Paradise plays were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who couldn't read. The 'Paradise Tree' in the garden of eden in the play was normally a pine tree with red apples tied to it.

Now the most common use of green at Christmas are Christmas Trees.

As mentioned above, an early use of red at Christmas were the apples on the paradise tree. They represented the fall of Adam in the plays. Red is also the color of Holly berries, which is said to represent the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. Red is also the color of Bishops robes. These would have been worn by St. Nicholas and then also became Santa's uniform!

Gold is the color of the Sun and light - both very important in the dark winter. And both red and gold are the colors of fire that you need to keep you warm.

Gold was also one of the presents brought to the baby Jesus by one of the wise men and traditionally it's the color used to show the star that the wise men followed.

Silver is sometimes used instead of (or with) gold. But gold is a 'warmer' color.

White paper wafers were also sometimes used to decorate paradise trees. The wafers represented the bread eaten during Christian Communion or Mass, when Christians remember that Jesus died for them. White is used by most churches as the color of Christmas, when the altar is covered with a white cloth (in the Russian Orthodox Church Gold is used for Christmas).

Blue

The color blue is often associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus. In medieval times blue dye and paint was more expensive than gold! So it would only be worn by Royal families and very rich people. Mary was often painted wearing blue to show she was very important.

Blue can also represent the color of the sky and heaven. During Advent, purple and sometimes blue is used in most churches fort he color of the altar cloth (in the Russian Orthodox Church red is used for advent).

te of the Merry Net

Is There A Pickle On Your Tree?

The tradition of the Christmas Pickle has got to be one of the strangest modern Christmas customs in that no one is quite sure why it exists at all!

In the 1880s Woolworth stores started selling glass ornaments imported from Germany and some were in the shape of various fruit and vegetables. It seems that pickles must have been among the selection!

Around the same time it was claimed that the Christmas Pickle was a very old German tradition and that the pickle was the last ornament hung on the Christmas tree and then the first child to find the pickle got an extra present.

However, the claim that it's an old German tradition seems to be a total myth! Not many people in Germany have even heard of the Christmas Pickle! (Similarly in Russia virtually no one knows the supposedly Russian story of Babushka!)

Some families now have the tradition of hanging the pickle on the tree, with the first person/child to find it getting a present. But it probably didn't start in Germany!

There are two other rather far-fetched stories linking the pickle to Christmas.

One features a fighter in the American Civil War who was born in Bavaria (an area of what is now Germany). He was a prisoner, and starving, he begged a guard for one last pickle before he died. The guard took pity on him and gave a pickle to him. The pickle gave him the mental and physical strength to live on!

The other story is linked to St. Nicholas. It's a medieval tale of two Spanish boys traveling home from a boarding school for the holidays. When they stopped at an inn for the night, the evil innkeeper, killed the boys and put them in a pickle barrel. That evening, St. Nicholas stopped at the same inn, and found the boys in the barrel and miraculously bought them back to life!

There is an old legend about St. Nicholas rescuing boys from a barrel but the barrel was originally holding meat for pies - not pickles!

So it's most likely that an ornament salesmen, with a lot of spare pickles to sell, invented the legend of the Christmas Pickle!

The American city of Berrien Springs, MI (also known as the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World) has an annual pickle festival held during the early part of December.