The Jingle Bell Pepper was originally cultivated atop the Matterhorn by the Chrisquanchmo people. For years the they lived in dug-out caves at the summit of the mountain, relying on the little sustenance they could find in such a harsh environment. One day every week for years, they would spend climbing down the mountain to gather wood to heat their caves. Unless they could find a grub or two crawling through the wood, they were left to scavenge the bare summit. At best they could scrounge up a lousy Matterhorn muskrat here or there, but usually it was bitter snow-beetle soup to stave off the hunger. The only thing that made sipping the crushed up beetles bearable was the sweet summit snow. Eating the snow raw was fine, but it was cold enough at the top of the mountain, so melting it down to a broth was preferred.
Centuries of living this way would eventually lead to the cultivation of something new. As Switzerland became more and more populated, their farming techniques gave way to new varieties of produce. One notable crop that arose from the Swiss innovation was the Swissmas pepper. Like many countries were doing at the time, the Swiss also wanted to establish their national pepper. It had to be something that truly showed off their Christmas spirit. Their efforts yielded a green pepper with red splotches covering the surface. When plucked it gave a crunchy jangle to it, and the flavor was no better than it’s sound. For several years the Swiss would try to perfect this pepper, but were never able to. Finally, with more important matters taking precedence, they abandoned their efforts of creating a national pepper. To make room for more successful crops, they reaped every pepper from their vines and discarded them. Such an abomination required a special place for disposal. A place where few would ever find them.
The farmers hauled every last Swissmas pepper in carts up the mountains en masse. It was a perilous journey, and they quickly realized the carts were not quite suited for the terrain. They took off the wheels, and reusing the handles as poles they carried the peppers the rest of the way through the mountains in makeshift litters. Eventually, the farmers reached far enough into the mountain range where they felt comfortable disposing of the peppers. Briefly resting in the shade of the Matterhorn, the farmers were relieved to have relinquished their burden. Now rid of the Swissmas peppers, Switzerland could focus on moving forward as a country.
The following week, like usual, the Chrisquanchmo people descended down the mountain to collect their supplies. As they scavenged for wood, and any berries or greens they could eat, they found the mound of peppers. Luckily for them they were used to eating unappetizing meals, so the bitter flavor didn’t bother them. This new, temporary source of sustenance would last them several months, though it did mean making several extra trips a week.
The Chrisquanchmo people ate these peppers for months, discarding the seeds and stems along the summit as they pleased. Winter came along, and the further drop in temperature signaled to them to begin hibernating. This time of year, the Chrisquanchmo would always begin to hear singing near the base of the mountain. The Swissmas carols gently lulled them to sleep as they nestled into their caves, not waking until Spring. Likewise, the Swissmas pepper seeds settled into the sweet summit snow, ready to sprout when the first warm days would come.
With this added nutrition in the Chrisquanchmo diet, their hibernation was far less difficult than usual. Dreams of Swissmas Past filled their minds as their loud snoring rumbled through their dug-out caves. Now and then the tremors would cause small avalanches down the mountain, which is why the Matterhorn is notoriously dangerous to climb in the winter. Mountaineers tend to fear the rumbling noises they’ve heard coming from the summit, and the avalanches are only an added reason not to attempt climbing it.
Eventually the cold would subside, making way for Spring’s warmth. The ice throughout the region would begin melting, and all forms of life would emerge from their slumber. The Crisquanchmo were no exception. They tiptoed out from their caves, wary of any mountaineers that might have ventured up during their hibernation. There were none in sight, however what met their eyes as they emerged was something they’d never seen before. Specs of green dotted the mountain summit.
Not sure what to think of the verdant invasion, they left it alone for the time being, and began their descent to collect supplies for the week. Spring was always the best for them. Food was abundant at the base of the mountain, so they would always get their fill before returning.
For several weeks the Chrisquanchmo made their trip, and every time they returned to the summit, the green specs had grown. Upon returning one day, they noticed the green specs were no longer just green. Small red dots appeared on the bulb that had formed.
As it grew warmer in the year, some of the sweet summit snow melted, and the Chrisquanchmo watched the red and green bulbs grow. They were no longer little dots, but nearly the size of a snow-beetle, and looked like a prettier form of the Swissmas peppers they had eaten before hibernating. They were slightly pointed at one end, and they noticed the red dots would shine when viewed at some angles. As they walked among the mountain top, the bulbs would make a pleasant jingling noise when touched. The Chrisquanchmo grew quite fond of these strange things, and found them to be harmless.
As the year headed into the middle of summer, the food at the base of the mountain was less available, so they began to revert to their old diet of snow-beetle soup. However, one of the Chrisquanchmo people, named Saintnickshmo, noticed the resemblance of these bulbs to the Swissmass peppers. Longing for the change of taste again, Saintnickshmo decided to pluck one of the bulbs and eat it.
The sensation that swept through his body as he bit into the pepper was something he had never experienced before. The flavor was warm and leaped through his mouth, crackling occasionally. From his mouth, the feeling spread through the rest of his body, warming him to the core. His vision gave way to a tunnel of green and red, and he heard Swissmas carols gradually echo louder and louder through his head.
After a minute or so, the sensation faded and Saintnickshmo’s vision returned. Everything seemed so clear atop the mountain now. The glare of the sun's reflection required no squinting like usual.
He walked back to the caves in a state of contentment. The rest of the Chrisquanchmo could tell something was different about Saintnickshmo. They asked him what happened, and he simply pointed to the peppers. Curious, the other members picked their own peppers one by one and soon experienced the same sensation Saintnickshmo had just minutes before. Moments later, the entirety of the Chrisquanchmo people stood atop the summit of the Matterhorn, completely overtaken by the sound of Swissmas carols ringing throughout their minds. It was so powerful that Saintnickshmo, no longer affected by the pepper, soon heard a chorus of Swissmas carols being sung by his very own people. He had never heard something so beautiful.
The effects soon wore off and the Chrisquanchmo stood in amazement at the new cultivation. Unsure of what to think, they decided to rest for the night. They had never slept so well in their lives, and when they woke up, they stood outside their caves and pondered what to do with the rest of the peppers. Saintnickshmo picked up one of the stems lying on the ground, and noticed seeds still hanging from where the pepper was bitten off. As he picked it up, he heard the same jingling produced as when they walked through the peppers. It was the seeds that produced the sound. They looked like small jingle bells. Saintnickshmo then picked up one of the old, half-eaten Swissmas peppers they’d brought up from the base of the mountain. He noticed the seeds of this pepper were crinkly, and produced the unpleasant jangle they heard carrying the peppers up the mountain.
Thanks to the Matterhorn’s sweet summit snow, what the Chrisquanchmo had brought home as a mediocre dietary addition, had evolved into a fantastic edible delight. For months following this discovery, the Chrisquanchmo ate these peppers with everything. Snow-beetle and pepper soup became their favorite dish. Pepper-stuffed muskrat was often served as well.
It was a perfect relationship. The Chrisquanchmo would discard the pepper stems, and in turn the pepper seeds would sprout new pepper plants. They became the only staple crop to ever exist atop the Matterhorn. After some time, they found themselves with more peppers than they were able to use themselves.
The Swiss people noticed the summit of their beloved mountain changing color and decided to investigate. They assembled their finest mountaineers, and began conditioning them both physically and mentally. The physical work would be easy; they’d done this plenty of times before. What scared them the most was avalanches, and whatever made the rumbling noises during the winter.
After weeks of preparation, the Swiss climbing team embarked on their perilous journey. For hours they hiked through the mountain range, surmounting any obstacle that stood in their way. Eventually they reached the base of their target, and sat down to rest before beginning their long climb upward. Looking up they could see the green was much more vibrant, and covered nearly all of the snow.
Once fully rested, with ice picks and rope in hand, they took their first steps up. It was a long and strenuous journey, one that only the fittest could endure. After six grueling hours of the treacherous conditions, though, they arrived at the summit. Before they could even stop and take a breath, what little air they did have was swept away at what they saw. Peppers stretched across the snow in front of them, all the way to the peak, and cut off immediately by the sky behind them.
Distracted by this initial sight, they failed to see the many heads pop out of the nearby caves. The Chrisquanchmo slowly approached the mountaineers, and startled them in doing so. They didn’t expect to find people living on top of the mountain. What the climbers had prepared extensively for, these people seemed to have done with ease. Once the initial shock faded, Saintnickshmo cautiously proceeded forward to inspect the newcomers.
The peppers jingled as his legs brushed by. Before he reached them, he thought to pick some of the peppers to offer the mountaineers. He gestured to them to come forward and try them. Not sensing any harm from these people, the Swiss men accepted their offering, and all at once bit into the mysterious food.
Saintnickshmo and the rest of the Chrisquanchmo watched as the Swiss climbers stared up into the sky in euphoria. Shortly they returned, and in their content state they joined the Chrisquanchmo in the caves for snow-beetle soup. After sharing stories for hours, everyone eventually fell asleep. The summit shook to the tremors of the snoring Chrisquanchmo, but the Swiss climbers had nothing to fear.
They stayed on the mountain for several days, learning about the Chrisquanchmo people and their culture. Realizing they had a surplus of peppers on the mountain, the Swiss asked to bring some back home with them. They were happy to offer the Swiss as many peppers as they wanted to bring back. The climbers filled their packs until full before saying their goodbyes and departing. Before they could bid Saintnickshmo farewell, though, he decided to join them on their return trip as a guide.
Traveling down the mountain was much less threatening with Saintnickshmo at their side. They arrived at the base in under an hour after following the path the Chrisquanchmo had taken for years before. He followed them back to their hometown and they were greeted with a tremendous ceremony.
The mountaineers told their people of the adventure, and explained why the mountain top was now green. Upon finishing their story, they unveiled the peppers they had brought home, and curiosity ensued among the crowd. They passed the peppers out to everyone, and like on the summit, the congregation fell into a trance after eating them. Swissmas carols echoed out from the dinner table as everyone felt the peppers warmth sweep over them.
As the Swiss people came out of their trance, though in a contented state, they were amazed that a pepper could do such a thing. They asked Saintnickshmo what kind of pepper they had just eaten, and he sat quietly for several moments. He’d never called them anything in particular, so he had no name to give them. After pondering for a short time, though, he answered their question. Naturally, Saintnickshmo decided to call it “The Jingle Bell Pepper.”
. . .
To this day the Swiss and the Chrisquanchmo have a strong relationship, with much thanks to Saintnickshmo for serving as liaison between the two. The Swiss buy Jingle Bell Peppers and export them all over the world. This gives the Chrisquanchmo a stable income, and means to a life that consists of more than snow-beetle soup. They’ve also learned how to use old pepper vines as fuel for their fires, saving them several trips every month.
What began as an attempt to show the rest of the world the amount of Christmas spirit in Switzerland, ended up as a gift the whole world now enjoys.
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