Until recently we had never heard of Kissing Balls -- that is until Mickey Abbott from the Marketplace told us about them.

"They are an Adirondack tradition," Mickey told us. "We have a local make them. They are very popular."

We did a little research on Kissing Balls and learned that the orgins of the kissing ball can be traced to the Middle Ages. Villagers would wind together twine and evergreen branches into a ramshackle ball shape.

In the center of this conglomeration of evergreen boughs they would place a clay figure of an infant to represent the baby Jesus.

These "holy boughs", as they were called, would be hung from the ceiling along passageways in castles and big houses to render blessings and good luck to all who passed under the bough and the holy infant.

The Marketplace has the balls for $20. Got an ADK Christmas tradition? Share it with us in comments