‘Love cushions’ showed loggers weren’t cheating on their wives, and are part of this man’s holiday traditions | CBC News
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If you were the wife of a Newfoundland logger and received a “love cushion” upon your husband’s return, it was a token that showed an unbreakable bound.
Ivan White of Flat Bay on Newfoundland’s west coast received a pair of red and green pillow covers from his dad when he married his wife, Joanann, 36 years ago. Each year since, they are the first Christmas decoration to be shown off in their home.
White’s father was a logger, and while he can’t be sure of the origins of the pillow affectionately called a love cushion, he’s been told this story:
“There was a gentleman whose wife was wary of his actions when he wasn’t at home. And he was in the logging camp, so this was a task she gave him to do. So every two weeks when he came home, he’d have a set of cushions,” he said.
The cushions take eight to 10 hours to make, he said.
“So she kept him busy.”
Learn more about love cushions, including how they’re made and what makes White’s so special to him, in the video above.
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