LUMP OF COAL
16 days!!! Only 16 days!!
Christmas legend in the Netherlands told tales that St. Nick (and later Santa Claus) would leave good children small presents of food and treats in their clogs left by the fireplace (clogs predated stockings). And the naughty children would get a lump of coal.
Italian traditions told of a Christmas witch (perhaps a cousin to Grýla?) who would leave tiny presents for the nice kids in the town, while the not so nice little ones received ONLY a single lump of coal.
What’s with all the negativity, Christmas? The Black Xmas Countdown Box prefers the positive outlook for this. In some smaller European towns in the early 1900s, those children who were good to others would receive a lump of coal, and were thrilled to wake in the morning with something so valuable! You see, certain areas of Europe had a shortage of coal, and for a child to receive a single lump was considered a good thing. This meant they could contribute to keeping their family warm for the holiday.
Sure we are all about the darker side of this holiday, but let’s maintain some positivity, right?
So enjoy your valued (chocolate) lump of coal – it’s not something to burn, but rather to eat.