Cheech and Chong had it right!

Did 'Shrooms Send Santa And His Reindeer Flying?

Siberia, both the shamans — and the reindeer — were known to eat these mushrooms. Man and beast alike hallucinated.


You can see the Christmas connections, Pfister said.


"This idea [is] that reindeer go berserk because they're eating Amanita muscaria," Pfister said. "Reindeers flying — are they flying, or are your senses telling you they're flying because you're hallucinating?"


Look at the Christmas decorations here, he said.


"We use — all over the Western world at least — these Christmas ornaments [which] have Amanita muscaria or other mushrooms."


And finally, he said, consider the color schemes.


"So here's a red fungus with white spots. And Santa Claus was dressed in red with white trim."

Cheech and Chong knew this many years ago as shown in "Santa Claus and His Old Lady":

TC: Some magic dust?


CM: Yeah, magic dust, y'know? He used ta give a little bit to da reindeer, a little bit to Santa Claus, a little bit more for Santa Claus, a little bit more...


TC: And this would get the reindeer off, man?


CM: Aw, got 'em off, man? Are you kidding, man? They flew all da way around da world, man!