Another source, http://www.alleghenycandles.com/ (single taper is $9.99) says, “When the first settlers arrived on our shores, every moment was one of survival. Everything was in short supply including candles. Generally candles were made of tallow (animal fat) which tend to smoke and give off an odor. They can turn rancid as well. It didn’t take long for the early colonists to discover that the abundant bayberry bush had berries that would give off a waxy residue when boiled. They learned to collect and save the bayberry wax that would rise to the surface of the water and make them into taper candles. The bayberry tapers burned longer and cleaner than the tallow version. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of bayberries to make enough wax to make a single taper. These bayberry tapers were a real treasure to the colonists who saved them for special occasions. To have a bayberry candle was a luxury to be saved and relished. It became the tradition to burn your bayberry candle on Christmas or New Years eve to bring blessings of abundance in the coming year.”

Pat: my aromatic garden would have boxwood hedges (now there’s a heavenly aroma, to my mind) and be filled with bayberry. Of course, given the season, I’d also grow trees of the genus Boswellia (frankincense) and Commiphora (myrhh), but, hey, I live in Connecticut. But if I were heading for a manger scene and needed to bring a gift, boxwood and bayberry would be that Child’s gifts. Also loved the photograph of the porcupine-in-the-manger. Happy St. Nicholas Day, and congratulations on two years of brilliant blooging!