Hello, dearest daydreamer. Welcome to the Isle of Neverwas and the Lost and Found Exchange. 

Today is the fifth day of Yule, and we are continuing our celebration at Castle Nod. Today is Christmas Day, let’s spend a few heartbeats together and continue our story.

You, my dearheart, have woken up in the library of Castle Nod. It isn’t quite dawn yet, and it is still dark outside. The heavy library curtains are open just a little. You can see that snow has continued to fall through the night. There is a fresh, deep blanket covering the gardens. You can hear the gentle snores of the islanders sleeping in chairs, curled up on sofas. A group of children has curled up together under the Christmas tree. Woolen blankets and patchwork quilts have been carefully placed over them. The room is still warm, and you can see one of the mountain trolls asleep next to the fire, a book open on his lap. You creep past him and make your way through the Great Hall, down the winding stone staircase to the kitchen below. 

As you descend the staircase, the temperature increases. The Castle kitchen is already a buzz of activity. Loaves of bread have been baking in the large ovens and are now turned out of their tins onto a large table, waiting to be sliced and toasted for breakfast. Toast with butter and jam is a favourite of the islanders. Carrots, parsnips, and potatoes are already roasting in the oven for lunch. The smell of honey, ginger, orange, and thyme fills the air. 

Christmas morning at Castle Nod is always a treat. The islanders make gifts throughout the year. They bring them to the Castle and place them under the grand tree in the entrance hallway. The gifts made for the island’s youngest residents are always placed under the tree in the library. At some point during the Feast, they are collected up ready for this morning. 

You slowly make your way back up the stairs, not wanting to wake fairy folk sleeping in the Great Hall. The dancing went on until only a couple of hours ago. You carry a basket into the library filled with apples, pears, and nuts. Mrs. Morris carries a large tray of sweet mince pies dusted with icing sugar. Wilder Bear follows you into the room, carrying a tray with steaming pots of hot chocolate. On the tray are jars of mini gingerbread men, marshmallows, and chocolate curls. There is also a large stone pot filled with candy canes. 

As you enter the library, the little ones begin to stir; you can hear the gentle jingle of bells. While you have been helping in the kitchen, King Otto has quietly entered the library, and he has switched places with the mountain troll you saw sleeping there only minutes before. King Otto’s cheeks glow red; he is wearing a long green velvet robe trimmed with white and brown fur. A wide, red satin ribbon is tied at the waist, and holly and mistletoe have been embroidered around the hem and sleeve cuffs. To your untrained eye, it looks like Ruby Rabbit’s mam might have been responsible for the beautiful needlework. King Otto now has a long white beard and a green velvet Santa hat to match his robes. He sits quietly, beaming. To the side of his chair is a small side table. Mrs. Morris places an extra-large mug of hot chocolate down next to him. On the floor in front of him, he has a brown cloth sack full of small parcels.

Island folk wake up slowly, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They are handed mugs of hot chocolate, helping themselves to toppings and a sweet mince pie. Parents and grandparents hold the hands of little ones, nervous to see Santa in the library. They are gently guided towards King Otto, who hands them a gift from the sack. Their faces light up as packages and parcels wrapped in brown paper and newspaper held together with twine and ribbon are passed to the children.

Some of the little ones need help from grown-ups. Older children tear at paper. It is the simple joy of thoughtful gifts. You spot a carved wooden train painted red and gold. Another child has a pair of knitted socks with a star pattern. The library is filled with the sounds of the island’s youngest residents tearing paper, laughing, giggling, and happy chatter as they show their family and friends what they have been gifted. Gifts of hats, scarves, and mittens come in various colours and patterns. One of the bunnies unwraps a beautifully stitched crown, and her sister has been gifted a fairy wand.

Elsewhere in the Castle, island folk are swapping gifts, thoughtfully wrapped packages of sweets, small parcels of biscuits, gifts of jars of jam or chutney. The knitters and crocheters on the island have been busy. Since arriving at the Castle for the Feast, you’ve spotted more than one guest knitting, stitching, and crocheting. More gifts wait under the tree, waiting for the islanders to return home after the Feast draws to an end tomorrow. 

Today, there is another special Yule tradition, after breakfast, it is the scavenger hunt. The islanders make their way to the Great Hall for thick slices of toast, dripping with butter and strawberry jam that has captured the taste of summer. Many more mugs of hot chocolate are drunk alongside cups of sweet milky tea and strong black coffee. Make sure to wrap up warm before we head outside. The islanders wear their new scarves, hats, gloves, and mittens so they can go and play in the snow. 

The sky today is a clear, pale blue. Big fluffy clouds lazily drift by, holding the promise of more snow later.  As you arrive outside, some of the younger island folk are already making snowmen. Later, the fairies will enchant them to play a game of hide and seek in the Castle gardens. Getting outside during Yule is important. It is a time to celebrate the return of the sun and appreciate the change of the season. 

The island folk all assemble at the fountain in the middle of the driveway to collect their clues. Not all the clues are the same. King Otto and Mr. Morris spend an evening a week from April onwards planning the scavenger hunt. Their clues are challenging; hidden throughout the gardens are 15 wooden treasure chests guarded by ravens. An assortment of items can be found concealed inside the chests, including books, glass baubles, and carved wooden birds. Even if you stumble across the location of the final treasure chest as you hunt the grounds, it can only be opened by finding and solving all 15 clues.

The winner of the Scavenger hunt gets Mrs. Morris’s Christmas cake. It is undisputed that she makes the best Christmas cake on the whole island. It is a family recipe; even her husband, Stan, doesn’t know the recipe. He is banned from the kitchen. The competition is tough. The winner also gets their name added to a special plaque inside the Castle. They also get bragging rights for the rest of the year. 

The Feast will continue at Castle Nod for the rest of the day. Some families will begin to drift back to their homes to continue their own Yule celebrations, but most will stay at the Castle again tonight. Tomorrow, the islanders will make their way to Bubble Beach before returning home for more gift-giving and celebrations as Yule continues.

For my daydreamers, mischief-makers, and restless souls. Welcome to the Isle of Neverwas. You are home.