Dad's ingenious Christmas tree trick creates pure magic for his kid
The look on her face says it all.
Creating magic for kids is the best.
There’s nothing quite like creating Christmas magic for kids. Seeing them light up at the mention of Santa, squeal with glee at Elf on a Shelf antics, look with pure awe and wonder at all the sights and sounds of the season…it all helps rekindle that inner child spark that tends to fade as we grow older. It’s one of the many things that makes being a parent so rewarding.
In an effort to create a little extra holiday whimsy for his daughter, a father named Chinook used his natural storytelling skills to make a unique tradition—all involving a pinecone and the magic of the moon.
According to the story Chinook tells his daughter, which he aptly titled “The Moon and its Magic Spell”/ “The Little Pinecone,” the moon transforms a small pinecone into a large Christmas tree overnight, so long as it’s taken care of during the day.
In a video posted to TikTok, we see Chinook’s incredibly adorable daughter, Luna, decorating the pinecone with Christmas lights and placing it in water before heading off to bed.
When Luna wakes up the next morning, seeing her pinecone-turned-Christmas tree, full of twinkling lights and festive decorations, she’s completely mesmerized. All thanks to the efforts of her dad.
Watch:
@nativeamerican_tiktok “ The Moon and its magic spell”( Little Pine Cone ). I am a storyteller and I created this story for my daughter Luna🌜. Enjoy it and if you love my story, please share to support my art 🙏🏻💫 #storyteller #native #fyp #magic #moon #christmas #foryou ♬ suono originale - Chinook
Chinook’s creative tradition left millions of viewers moved—even inspired to take on the tradition themselves.
“In a world where magic is dying, this is everything. To more magic moonlight and pine cones!” one person wrote.
“What a beautiful treasured memory for her to pass on,” echoed another.
Still another person gushed, “Ohhh my goodness. I will now do this with my future children. Go on a walk to get our Christmas tree pinecone.”
Another added how it’s a great way to teach kids “how to care for, love and appreciate nature.”
One viewer noted how the this little story of a magic moon would help Chinnook’s daughter “grow into knowing how magical she is,” since Luna is spanish for “moon.”
Several folks are calling for this wonderful tale to be spun into a children’s book. Which, I mean, can’t you see this book gracing the shelves at Barnes & Noble? I mean c’mon.
Either way, it looks like “The Little Pinecone” is making its way into more people’s traditions, and along with it some childlike wonder.
It’s also a beautiful glimpse into the integral role storytelling plays in Indigenous cultures. Even now, they continue to connect generations, provide valuable lessons, and share a certain kind of wisdom you can’t simply Google. It’s so lovely to see.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."