I share your skepticism and tepid weariness for the sort of over-interested rambling psychedelics can bring on. That said, I think this is a really unique case

I share your skepticism and tepid weariness for the sort of over-interested rambling psychedelics can bring on. That said, I think this is a really unique case and deserves more investigation. The number of relational motifs is astounding: - The mycorrhizal relationship between the Amanita Muscaria mushroom and pine trees [1]. This means that the "gifts" of the mushroom would grow underneath the pine tree, much as we place boxes under Christmas trees today. - That reindeer, after consuming Amanita Muscaria mushrooms, urinate a less toxic, yet still psychedelic substance. At the very least, reindeer are quite attracted to Amanita Muscaria mushrooms [2] [3]. - That mushrooms become more potent when dried, and are therefore often dried by hanging them over a fire fireplace, much like the stockings we hang over our fireplaces today. - The myth of the mysterious workshop of elves who produce presents and live at the north pole. (I think it's very clear the relationship elves/dwarves have to psychedelics.) As an anecdotal story, while living and traveling in Europe for a 2 year period, I was stunned at how many Christmas statues and figurines I saw which incorporated the Amanita Muscaria mushroom in some way — from elves sitting on top of the mushroom to the face of St. Nicholas etched into a larger painted wooden mushroom. I also don't know that the origins of Christmas traditions are so well-documented as you claim. Christmas is a rather messy amalgamation of pagan folklore, Christian mythology and religion, and other interspersed and aberrant traditions (take Zwarte Piet, for example). With a large grain of salt and acknowledging the probably biased nature of the publication, I would point you to this article for a bit more in-depth exploration of this topic http://entheology.com/research/when-santa-was-a-mushroom-amanita-muscaria-and-the-origins-of-christmas/ http://entheology.com/research/when-santa-was-a-mushroom-ama.... I could go on, but I don't want to devote too much writing to something that's unlikely to be read (given it's a late response). Some other links: - https://psychedelicgospels.com/santa-siberian-reindeer-shaman/ https://psychedelicgospels.com/santa-siberian-reindeer-shama... - https://www.samwoolfe.com/2013/08/is-santa-claus-myth-based-on-magic.html https://www.samwoolfe.com/2013/08/is-santa-claus-myth-based-... - https://www.gaia.com/article/the-story-of-santa-claus-might-come-from-mushroom-eating-shamans https://www.gaia.com/article/the-story-of-santa-claus-might-... ———————————————— [1]: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/fly-agaric/ https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fu... [2]: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/meet-the-animals-that-self-medicate https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/meet-the-anima... [3]: https://www.dailygrail.com/2012/09/taking-the-pss-did-shamans-really-drink-reindeer-urine/ https://www.dailygrail.com/2012/09/taking-the-pss-did-shaman...