In Pure Spirit

For open minds

  • Brains
  • Peculiar
  • Beliefs
  • Places
  • Meanings
  • Gaia
  • About

It’s not the tryptophan turkey making you sleepy

December 26, 2022 by Andrew Leave a Comment

For many people, the end of December is a festive occasion with gatherings, gifts and feasts. Turkey dinners are a family challenge; once everyone has eaten, you may find people yawning and feeling sleepy.

Is there a particular reason why Christmas dinners make people feel so sleepy? You might have been told about turkey being rich in an amino acid called tryptophan.

This is not a medical article, but let’s look at the Turkey meat and drowsiness hypothesis.

[AI rendered] Christmas turkey dinner

Turkey meat and drowsiness hypothesis

The hypothesis that eating turkey meat causes drowsiness is commonly known as the “tryptophan turkey meat and drowsiness hypothesis”. It is based on the idea that the chemical tryptophan, found in turkey meat, is responsible for drowsiness.

The drowsiness experienced after eating turkey meat is caused by tryptophan being converted into serotonin in the human body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and thus can induce sleepiness.

However, studies have shown that the amount of tryptophan found in turkey meat is insufficient to cause drowsiness. It is more likely that the tiredness experienced after eating turkey meat is due to the large amounts of carbohydrates consumed in combination with the turkey, which trigger a surge in insulin levels. This, in turn, causes the body to absorb more tryptophan, increasing serotonin levels and drowsiness.

Which other foods have Tryptophan

According to Wikipedia, the top 5 foods for tryptophan to food weight are;

  1. Egg white, dried
  2. Spirulina, dried
  3. Cod, Atlantic, dried
  4. Soybeans, raw
  5. Cheese, Parmesan

Some foods have a higher tryptophan/protein ratio, though, such as;

  1. Chia seeds, dried (2.64)
  2. Milk (2.34)
  3. Sesame seed (2.17)

Why do we eat turkeys for Christmas?

The tradition of eating turkey for Christmas originated in England during the 16th century. At the time, turkey was a relatively inexpensive meat, so it was a popular choice for large family dinners. As the tradition of eating turkey on Christmas spread throughout Europe, it eventually made its way to America.

Turkeys are a large bird, and they can feed many people with one bird. Additionally, their flavour is suitable for a variety of accompaniments. From the classic roast potatoes and stuffing to cranberry sauce and vegetables, the turkey is the perfect centrepiece for a festive feast.

It is thought that in America, the tradition of eating turkey for Christmas was further popularized by Charles Dickens in his novella, A Christmas Carol. In the story, the Cratchit family feast on a turkey on Christmas Day.

From there, the tradition was firmly established and continues to this day.
So, there you have it – why do we eat turkey for Christmas? Turkey is a relatively inexpensive meat, it feeds a lot of people, and it is versatile enough to pair with a variety of sides. As Charles Dickens said, “What could be more pleasant than to expect a good dinner on Christmas Day?”

Where are Turkeys from originally?

In one last twist, Turkeys are not native to the UK.

Turkeys are native to North America and were first domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mexico centuries ago. Over time, they were brought to Europe by Spanish explorers, and eventually, they made their way to the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.

In Pure Spirit

What’s your favourite family-sized feast?

Who knew Christmas could be so freaky creepy?

December 19, 2022 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Yep, it’s marketing, but it’s interesting! Doors Online (who sell real doors) have put together a list of unusual Christmas traditions worldwide.

Weird Christmas in Poland

Weird Christmas in Poland

According to Polish folklore, any kid born over the twelve days of Christmas could be a werewolf or other half-human, half-demon hybrid. If this occurs, the only available treatment is to collect blood from the infant’s brow.

Weird Christmas in America

Weird Christmas in America

According to an old Appalachian belief, an unwed lady who goes to a hog enclosure at midnight on Christmas Eve and hears an elderly hog grunting will marry an older man. But if a young hog grunts first, she might expect a young and gorgeous husband.

Weird Christmas in Greece

Weird Christmas in Greece

You probably don’t picture burning shoes when you think of the aromas associated with Christmas. However, in Greece, it is a Christmastime tradition to burn one’s old shoes, and locals believe the terrible odour will scare away Christmas ghosts called Kallikantzaroi.

Evidently, footwear is a big deal in Greece during the holiday season. They also think it’s unwise to give someone a pair of shoes for the holidays for fear that they might one day abandon you.

Weird Christmas in Latvia

Weird Christmas in Latvia

Traditional Latvian Christmas celebrations include carrying the Yule log around the home, an act thought to ward off evil spirits.

In honour of Mithras, the sun god, a Yule log is cut down, dragged through the woods to your house, and finally burned inside your home. Hopefully, the sun will have returned the following year, and the dark days will have vanished thanks to this.

Weird Christmas in Czechia

Weird Christmas in Czechia

Whereas many people in Western Europe like to have beef or poultry as the main course at Christmas dinner, carp is more typically served in Eastern Europe.

It is common practise in the Czech Republic for hosts to lay a single fish scale under their guests’ plates as a symbol of good fortune and a reminder of the season’s plenty.

Weird Christmas in the Philippines

Weird Christmas in the Philippines

There is a significant Christian community in the Philippines, and celebrations start on September 1st for many people. As a result, many age-old customs and beliefs about the holiday season have been passed down.

One such belief among Filipinos is that bathing on Christmas Day is bad luck. Some say that if you do, the gifts of Jesus’ birthday will be lost, and you may develop a mysterious illness.

Weird Christmas in Serbia

Weird Christmas in Serbia

The twelve days leading up to Christmas in Serbia are known as the “unbaptized days,” They were traditionally viewed as a time when demonic forces of all kinds would be more active and dangerous than usual.

These demons, known as karakondula, are most active between midnight and dawn, and if they come across an unsuspecting human, they will hop on their back and demand to be carried wherever they choose.

As a result, the victim wouldn’t be freed until the devil heard a cockerel crowing at sunrise.

Weird Christmas in England

Weird Christmas in England

You might have been expected to help make the Christmas pudding if you dropped in on an English family on the last Sunday of Advent in the past.

But superstition demands a specific procedure. You need to get up and move from east to west like the Magi did on their way to see Jesus. By doing so, you’ll be granted a wish for the future year and bestowed with good fortune.

Weird Christmas in Portugal

Weird Christmas in Portugal

In Portuguese culture, family is extremely important year-round, especially during the holiday season. That’s why it’s common practise in Portugal to arrange an extra seat at the table during the traditional Christmas feast for loved ones who have passed on.

It is a way to honour ancestors who have passed away while bringing good fortune and financial success to the home in the following year.

Weird Christmas in Ukraine

Weird Christmas in Ukraine

Have you ever been curious about tinsel’s genesis? We may ask, but why do we use this sparkly, fluffy-looking substance to adorn our Christmas trees? It seems this weird Ukrainian ritual could be to blame.

If a spider’s web is discovered in the Christmas tree on the morning of the 25th, it is said to bring prosperity to the home and its inhabitants. Small spider tree ornaments, complete with webs, have become a tradition in Ukraine, where they are said to bring prosperity.

Weird Christmas in Guatemala

Weird Christmas in Guatemala

It’s lovely to have a spotless home before the holidays anywhere, but in Guatemala, cleanliness truly is next to Godliness. The locals have a superstitious fear of the dark and think evil spirits reside there.

One of the most labour-intensive Christmas traditions occurs on December 7th, when Guatemalans go on a massive cleaning frenzy, piling up trash and undesired goods they’ve collected over the year outside the front door.

An effigy of the devil is burned at the end of the year in a ritual known as La Quema del Diablo (or “Burning of the Devil”) to clear away any negativity from the previous year and make way for a fresh start that the new year brings.

Weird Christmas in Spain

Weird Christmas in Spain

This Christmas superstition could help you if you’re buying a present for someone you don’t particularly care about. If you’re shopping for a loved one, it’s advisable to steer clear of anything pointy.

A superstition in Spain says if you give your friends and family sharp objects like blades or scissors for the holidays, your bond with them will inevitably become strained. Please don’t give them anything wrapped in yellow, as that will bring them nothing but misfortune forever.

In Pure Spirit

Are there any odd Christmas traditions that you, friends or family have?

10 common toxic dangers to your dogs and cats this Christmas

December 6, 2021 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Christmas and the end of the year can be a wonderful time, and it can be a festive celebration of meeting friends, family, and even turning strangers into friends.

It can be terribly depressing for some people, and it can be a time of anxiety for many more people. If you’re struggling or know someone who is, then there is help from Mind, Anxiety UK and others. Please check them out.

Sometimes, hidden risks can spoil the day and dangers people didn’t know they had to be anxious about. The Christmas tradition of bringing in certain plants is one of them.

Dangerous Holly

As highlighted by a pet insurance campaign from Money.co.uk, highlights the danger from dogs and cats eating toxic plants. Other pet insurance providers, of course, exist such as Waggel and Petplan, and I’m sure they’re equally aware of the risks.

The 10 most toxic winter plants, at least for dogs and cats, that Money.co.uk focuses on follow, and I was surprised by some of them.

#1: Holly

If the berries or spiked-edge leaves from a holly plant are ingested, this can cause irritation of the mouth, drooling, vomiting and other gastrointestinal upsets, as well as diarrhoea. 

Holly may also cause extreme head-shaking if consumed in large quantities.

#2: Mistletoe

Even though varied in types, the mistletoe berries contain chemicals like polysaccharides, alkaloids, and lectins that are harmful to dogs and cats. When ingested in small quantities, it can cause gastrointestinal irritation such as vomiting and abdominal pain. Consumed in large quantities, it may cause abnormal heart rate, low blood pressure and incoordination.

#3: Poinsettia plants

Widely known for their bright red and green foliage, the white sap from the coloured leaves contains a chemical that sometimes causes nausea, vomiting, drooling and diarrhoea, and irritation in the skin, mouth and oesophagus. 

#4: Christmas trees

If the Christmas tree pine needles trees are chewed, any oils released may cause irritations in the mouth and stomach upset. Prickly needles can also be hazardous to the mouth, throat and stomach if ingested.

#5: Ivy (Hedera species)

Ivy can cause severe skin irritation if dogs or cats directly contact this plant. If swallowed, ivy can also cause stomach upsets.

#6: Amaryllis

The whole amaryllis plant contains toxic substances, but higher quantities are found in the bulb, so be careful of pets who like to dig. 

If any part is swallowed, pets may experience severe gastrointestinal upsets (such as vomiting and abdominal pain), loss of appetite, lethargy and tremors.

#7: Lilies

Unsafe for both cats and dogs, if any part of a lily is swallowed (even in small quantities), this could cause severe gastrointestinal injury, leading to kidney failure for cats.

#8: Laurel

Laurel plants, including bay laurels (often used in cooking) and cherry laurel, contain toxins in all parts of the shrub, which cause vomiting, abdominal pain, hypotension, muscle weakness, and seizures.

#9: Snowdrops

These white flowers include toxins in their stems and leaves, with the highest concentration in the bulb. They can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, incoordination, and a fall in heart rate and blood pressure when ingested.

#10: Yew

This plant (leaves and berries, too) is highly poisonous as they contain taxines. When ingested, they can cause vomiting, weakness, breathing difficulties, and life-threatening change in heart rate and blood pressure in critical cases.

In Pure Spirit

What Christmas safety tips for pets do you have?

Photo credit: Tijana Drndarski.

The Meaning of Boxing Day

December 17, 2014 by Geist Escrigui Leave a Comment

boxing_dayMany people want to stay in countries that are celebrating the Boxing Day right after the celebration of Christmas Day. But most of them are not aware of its importance in the tradition of those people who belong in American and European nations. Boxing Day is one of the most special traditions that can be found in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries in the different parts of the globe. History shows that this event has been created to promote the season of giving in the duration of the Christmas season. Its name has been invented  to describe Christmas gifts in boxes. It’s a season of giving and it was designed to give real happiness and joy to the Christmas celebration of servants who deserve to be happy in the celebration of Christmas season.

This tradition is already well known in the different parts of the globe in the duration of 18th century. Until now, it remains as one of the most important traditions in English-speaking nations that can be found in Europe and America. This celebration has nothing to do with the popular sport in this world that is well known as boxing. It’s a great time for enjoyment and relaxation for those people who want to stay on the side of their family members in one of the most special days in the whole celebration of the Christmas season.

The exact date for Boxing Day this event is December 26. It’s an annual event that was designed to serve as a day off for all servants who want to provide their family members with gifts right after the celebration of Christmas day. On the exact date of this celebration, all servants will be provided with Christmas boxes by their masters as a sign of thanksgiving and humbleness while celebrating the birth of the Jesus Christ. Servants can use all things that can be found in their Christmas boxes as gifts for their family members when needed.

The main purpose of Boxing Day is to make sure that all people in this world will be happy and aware of the true spirit of Christmas celebration for the rest of their lives. In other countries, new terms and words were used to introduce this event. In South Africa, the term that was used since 1994 to describe this tradition is Day of Goodwill since it encourages people to be humble and aware of the real meaning of love while celebrating the second day of Christmas season. In Europe, the most common term for this special tradition is Second Christmas Day.

At the present time, the new term that has been introduced to describe this celebration is bank holiday. This is because Christmas boxes are no longer popular in the whole celebration of Christmas day in this modern world. There are times that the celebration of this event will be moved to December 27 if December 26 falls on a Sunday. This tradition is something that all servants or workers should never miss in the whole celebration of Christmas season.

In Pure Spirit

What does Boxing Day mean for you? Is it about hitting online stores like Amazon and eBay in search of sales? Is it about recovering from a busy Christmas Day?

What tips do you have for getting the most out of Boxing Day? Let us know in the comments below.

Image Credit: Patheos.

Are women monsters at Christmas?

December 11, 2014 by Andrew Leave a Comment

shouldn__t_fight_on_christmas_by_imandark-d4jksqzHoliday Autos is a site that helps people compare car hire providers. It works with brands like Europcar, Avis and Hertz. This year Holiday Autos has done some research into driving home for Christmas. You know the sort of stats; 23% of couples have had at least some for disagreement over who to visit for Christmas and that sort of thing.

I noticed some interesting little stats right at the bottom of the survey. Are you looking forward to seeing your mum this holiday? 14% of people in Holiday Auto’s survey said it was their own mother they least looked forward to seeing. The stat was the same for males and females and was double any other family members. Do mothers worry so much over Christmas that they let the stress get to them?

The figure was even worse among 18-24 year olds. A whopping 26% of young people weren’t keen on spending time with their own mum this Christmas.

It goes on; for people in the 55-64 age range it was the sister-in-law who was the most dreaded family member for the Christmas get together. Some 10% of females found the impending meeting with their mother-in-laws shuddersome and 7% of males didn’t even want to socialise with their own sisters. In Northern Ireland a huge 28% of people in the survey put their sister-in-law at the bottom of the meet and greet pile.

In Pure Spirit

You can see Holiday Auto’s write up of the survey over on their blog. They talk about things like the item you’re most likely to forget on a Christmas trip (your toothbrush) and favourite Christmas driving tunes. I’m afraid it took this blogger to notice and worry about this sinister festival transformation of women.

It’s worth noting that this “women are monsters at Christmas” is not a claim being made exclusively by men. Women aren’t looking forward to meeting their female family members either.

Do you think this is because women worry so much about Christmas that they get stressed? What are your theories?

Image credit: Jim Hiro at Deviant Art.

Science explains Santa Claus in the most surprising way

December 25, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

It’s a song. Yes, it might be from the newsmongers at Fox via FoxADHD.com but credit where credit is due. This is catchy and full of fun science facts. Given who’s made the video it’s a bit surprisingly to see pagans accurately been credited as the creators of the original holiday we now call Christmas, too.

In Pure Spirit

What has Santa done for you this Christmas?

27 festive holiday traditions that may surprise you

December 19, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Do you know where the mistletoe Christmas kiss tradition comes from? Is it Christian? What about Santa? Does he wear that red suit because he was coloured that way by a Coke-a-Cola advertising campaign? What secret Hanukkah practises are still going on today?

This video from the every entertaining Mental Floss is a fun and informative few minutes.

In Pure Spirit

Are you surprised at all the pagan origins to the Christmas holiday that we know today? Or do you disagree with this video and suggest they’ve got their facts wrong?

5 hi-tech Christmas sweaters that’ll amaze you

December 16, 2013 by Andrew 1 Comment

That’s right; these are Christmas sweaters that let you use your iPhone or Android phone to display moving pictures and special effects like flickering fires and festive scenes.

The apps are free and you can grab the iPhone app and the Android app without spending a penny.

The sweaters are a little more expensive. You can buy them for the US market here or check out the UK store.

Knitted Crackling Fireplace Christmas Jumper

crackling-fireplace-knit-ugly-christmas-sweater-digital-dudz-1

Crackling Fireplace Christmas Jumper

crackling-fireplace-ugly-christmas-sweater-digital-dudz-1

Caroling Kitty Christmas Jumper

caroling-kitty-ugly-christmas-sweater-digital-dudz-1

Creeping Santa Christmas Jumper

creeping-santa-ugly-christmas-sweater-digital-dudz

Snowing Snow globe Christmas Jumper

snowing-snowglobe-christmas-sweater-digital-dudz-1

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Fashion meets technology meets original Christmas fashion?

Fancy one of these sweaters for yourself?

Sponsored Video: Macmillan Cancer Support’s Tree of Light

December 13, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

The cancer support charity Macmillan have allowed energy supplier Npower to hook up with them this Christmas.

The goal is to raise awareness of Macmillan’s work. The Tree of Light itself is in Covent Garden London and the idea is that people cover the tree with baubles and that those baubles are notes of remembrance for those lost to cancer. If you can’t make it to London then you can visit this special page on Npower, leave a message and it may be shown on a screen in the Tree of Light itself.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to see the Tree of Light in London? Why not upload or link to any pictures of the towering tree you took while you visited the gardens.

Disclaimer: The video is distributed and sponsored by Macmillan, the text and opinions are my own.

Watch this mouse decorate a Christmas tree

December 12, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Merry Christmouse.

If you want to see more of what these trained mice can do you can check out Mouse Agility over at facebook/smartmice. You’ll be joining some 4,000 plus curious mice loving folk.

In Pure Spirit

Do you have any weird and wonderful Christmouse or Christmas stories?

Next Page »

Search

Trending

The meaning of itches and their omens
The Mill Pond Wizard of Easton Conservation
Myths and meanings of the Harvest Moon
Castle Menzies: Ghost hunts and history

Join us

Join us

In Pure Spirit via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,005 other subscribers.

Disclosure

This blog discusses ideas and causes. Urban myth, science and faith combine here. So do editorials and technology; In Pure Spirit uses affiliate marketing and some links might earn us money. You can read more about that here.

Policies

  • Contact us
  • Privacy
  • How we earn money
  • Writing about belief

Member of The Internet Defence League

Copyright © 2023 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...