Cryptic Taunt!

Supporters and friends,

This year has been a rough move for us, we have had our power cut off twice since we moved in back in February to our new home in Daytona Beach. It seems the part time work I was doing for a local charity has not been enough to make up for the lack of support for the CCIB, so we have been in hard times. With the economy the way it is, I understand people's reluctance to help out the CCIB and purchase our goods, so we have decided to lower the price of the shirts we sell as one token of appreciation and help in hard times. Please consider helping, for though we rent the storage unit with the attached office for the CCIB, me, Ernie and Great Uncle Derick also live here for now. Its not easy, but we believe we are more strategically placed to solve the mystery since all of the recent reliable sightings have been in the south.

Now, on to the news. I received an email from a from one claiming to be named "Noel Cacti", the same email address was used that previous taunts came from. Ernie says it is still in some form of 'leek speak', often used on the internet by young riff-raff types (and as I said before, he learned about this in his computer classes, I was skeptical if they would be of any use but I see now that he's actually learning things, but again I digress.)

Here is the message we received (I did not change it at all):

"CaNt HiDe, we C U! TX n 09! RoAD tRip 4U LOL - N03L CaCt1"

Ernie has interpreted the message as a taunt, apparently the 'Noel Cacti' has followed our every move and knows we are now in Florida and plans to hit Texas again this year to force a long trek for us. Ernie saus the message should read "You cannot hide, we see you. Texas in 2009, a road trip for you - Noel Cacti". If this is accurate, and I believe it is, being a little more fluent in hooligan online writing style, it is a groundbreaking admission that the Noel Cactis is what we have thought - more than one person. The writer said "we", so it is a network, or at least more than one person working together.

We will update, and plan to preposition Ernie and myself in Texas next month while Great Uncle Derick holds down the HQ.

More later, we have work to do!

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Legend History - Medieval Cactus

Our diligent research continues. In hopes of discovering some clues into the Legend of the Christmas Cactus, our chief research agents (Great Uncle Derick, Mister E., and the ever-perceptive Ernie), are constantly combing the catacombs of history to uncover documentation of this most harrowing of legends.

In our recent trip to the archives at the public library, we finally secured credentials to scavenge the library art holdings. This is a key resource for historical investigation, for when there were no newspapers or this internet, art was where stuff was found. We have discovered many interesting clues in the annals of art, which will be included in our upcoming field guide, "The Legend of The Christmas Cactus: A Detective's Manual".

To whet your appetite, we will be sharing many of our findings here, including this tantalizing illuminated page from Italy which shows the walled city of Constantinople around the year 1475. Notice that the artist has illustrated what we now know to have been a scourge upon this historic city - the Christmas Cactus!


With proper training, one can clearly see the Cactus in its medieval form hiding out among the trees. Our expert investigators have examined and enlarged the Cactus for you to witness with your own two eyes. Its undeniable evidence that this mystery has a worldwide, age-old past!

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

2009 is here and the CCIB is on the move!

Well friends and faithful supporters, 2009 is here and we are now excitedly preparing for the Christmas season this year from the sunny state of Florida! Our new HQ (and our home) is in lovely Daytona Beach (near Ft. Lauderdale), a swanky town, but one that cut us a great deal on a storage unit with attached office space. Now that we have some room to work from, and a permanent place to store our research and archives, 2008's dismal failure will be marked off as experience and 2009 brings anticipation!

I'll be updating our blog as we make inroads to solving the mysterious hi-jinx of the Noel Cacti and the legend of the Christmas Cactus through the year, but as usual, action picks up nearer to the holidays.

In the mean time, our book, "Legend of the Christmas Cactus: A Detective's Manual", is almost finished and will be available sometime, we hope, in the near future. We know many of our supporters, especially those who have been long time subscribers to the old newsletter, have been asking for this handbook. Never fear, we are almost done!

If you would like to support the CCIB, you can purchase a shirt by following the link on the right of the blog. All profit is used for CCIB official business, and is our greatest source of support. Please consider helping solve this age-old mystery, especially if you have been victimized by the shock of a Christmas Cactus event.

And. . . . . . As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

One more year of failure

I will keep this short because I am very discouraged. As I write from a motel room in New Mexico, after such high expectations of a solid discovery, I am downtrodden because it was all for naught. In fact, I never could find any hint of the location reported to be in the three emails I received regarding the Christmas Cactus sightings mentioned in our previous post.

In fact, I now suspect they were all hoaxes designed to throw us off the trail of the Noel Cacti activity, which must again have been down in Texas. Now, on Christmas day, I sit here wondering how many unsuccessful years will go by before we are able to document a sighting in person.

I will be posting soon about our upcoming move to Florida; we had hoped to move to Texas since the trends show this is the center of Cactus activity for the time being, but we got a better deal in Florida. I'll be able to update later, for now I will resign 2008 to the history books and look forward to a fresh start for 2009. Thank you for your continued support and for the donations.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Three Reports, One Lead

Great news, Cactus lovers! I clunked into Salt Lake City today, arriving at my camp site destination. After unloading and grabbing a bite to eat I headed down to the local library so I could check the CCIB inbox. With Ernie staying in a motel with no internet access, and Great Uncle Derick on his way to North Carolina--whom, on a side note, I have not heard anything from since his departure this morning--I am the only one who frequents the inbox. As the page took it's normal 2-minute-load time I eagerly awaited for any lead to appear, hopefully one in Houston. To my great joy I found 3 emails all related to the same incident! Apparently, these tips all repotred that the victims are a family of six that has recently moved to a small town in northern New Mexico that lies in between Farmington and Aztec. One of the emails had a detailed description of the cactus...

"... Its sorta like a really large paper maché figureen. It looks kinda fuzzy, and it lights up as well. There is a long orange extension chord that plugs into an electricity outlet on their front porch. [...] It is a hidious being, really... and I want the CCIB to come and get rid of it. If it stays here to much longer I'm afraid my property values will rapidly decrease. ..."

All of the reports have similar descriptions, and this is the first time in many years that the CCIB has received such a high amount of sightings all in one place at one time. I am now altering my course to go and investigate. I hope to get there by the 16th to investigate this scene.

Ernie is still patrolling Houston, hopefully making some progress. I haven't heard from him in a while, so after I finish this entry I believe I'll call him and let him know of the 3 reports, and that I will not be joining him in the next few days.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Portland Failure, Back to Houston

As I suspected, the lead I have just investigated in Portland, Oregon was a big, fat flop. I arrived at the alleged location of a cactus sighting at around 2:30 this afternoon, but I was surprised to find that it was an apartment complex with no yard. I spoke with the couple living in the apartment complex who reported the sighting, and they told me that a small, green, light-up cacti had been placed on their front porch two days ago, but when they went outside this morning, it had vanished. I became suspicious and conducted a little more investigation. After all, I hadn't driven all the way across the country to find it to be a big hoax. I spoke with a neighbor that lived in one of the apartments upstairs, who said she had gone to borrow a few eggs the other day. She confirmed that there was, in fact, never any appearance of a Christmas ornament of any kind. On top of that, the landlord of the apartment complex told me that all holiday-themed decorations were not permitted in the apartments, and the renters who claimed to have the cactus on their porch had never broken any of the rules. To be sure that I didn't leave without being utterly convinced that there was no cactus appearance, I went to the Waffle House that was next door to the apartments and asked the part-time assistant manager if any of their parking lot security cameras had a view of the apartment. Luckily, "WafHos_ID361_CAM04" had a decent view of the apartment unit under investigation. He gave me a tape with the past two days of camera footage (thanks to our donors and merchandise customers who funded our new CCIB credentials and badges) and after scientifically reviewing each hour of footage that was recorded, it became obvious that there was no cactus at all; only a UPS deliveryman and a stray cat. Maybe the couple just wanted publicity like the Floridan potato farmer of '06. Who knows, but we do not wish to press the issue and become wrapped up in some crazy delusion. On to greater things...

Today Great Uncle Derick and Field Unit Van #3 (complete with a new spare tire thanks to our faithful donors) left for Tennessee to investigate a reported victim's yard being "devoured by a horde of Santa Clause-themed desert plants," according to the report details. From the email it sounds like there are many cacti in the yard. Meanwhile Ernie is still systematically mapping out the Houston, Texas area looking for clues, but all for naught so far, for there have been no leads, clues, hints or sightings of any holiday-themed cacti at all, only a Christmas Tamale and a few inflatable Mexican jalapenos (common sight in the South with their spices and whatnot) .

For our donors', here is a report of how your generous aid is going to be used to continue the search for the terror of the Christmas Cactus. Today I will be heading to join Ernie in Houston and will be checking my email in the Public Library in Salt Lake City for any leads. If Field Unit Van #1 holds up, I hope to join cousin Ernie soon.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Faithfully searching,
Mr. E

Leads rolling in!

More leads! Great Uncle Derick has been manning the email in box this season and has reported a flurry of Christmas Cactus Sighting leads! As I type, I am at an internet cafe in Ogden, Utah attempting to make my way to the northern border of the United States where a sighting of a mysterious cactus with a red hat has supposedly appeared. Field unit van #1 is performing well, and I can say that I am pleased I have not had the same problems that Ernie has had down in Texas.

Ernie has reported that Field unit van #2 is now repaired, and he has begun routine patrols of the neighborhoods surrounding the area of last year's sighting. We have confirmed that last year's sighting was indeed in the Clear Lake area, and Ernie reports that Clear Lake is in fact anything but clear. But again, I digress.

Ernie investigated two leads that came in this week in the Houston area and both turned out to be dead ends. One was a large trash bag filled with leaves while the other appeared to be an illuminated halapeenyo pepper with a sombrero hat. Poor Ernie was run off the site of the pepper sighting by a rather unfriendly German Shepherd dog and barely made in back to the safety of the Field Unit Van.

As we continue to evaluate leads, our most dedicated efforts are the city of Houston and surrounding towns, since the last few years' sightings have all be from that area. Perhaps the perpetrator of the mysterious Cactus legend prank is trying to make us complacent and lazy to throw us off his trail. Maybe he intends to continue striking in the Houston area. We must be getting close!

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

December 2008 Updates

Christmas Cactus sighting leads this year have been slow, as they usually are through the spring, summer and fall, making these off-seasons prime research periods for the CCIB staff. As leads begin to pick up in frequency (4 last week and 8 this week already!) we are beginning to enter that very small but exciting period of a few brief weeks when things move very quickly. When a lead is reported and validated, we have only precious hours to reach the site and confirm the presence of the mysterious Christmas Cactus, and apprehend the perpetrators of this most mysterious shenanigan. This means we must be on our toes, so to speak.

As we await leads eagerly, I will be scanning a couple of newly-discovered documents that our research department uncovered over the course of the year and sharing those that seem to be legitimate references to this ghastly and dangerous prank. Last year's very close encounter with the cactus ended in disappointment, but we acquired exceptional data, images and clues in last year's botched attempt. At least we actually SAW the cactus for once and snapped an actual photo (see it below), the only one known and confirmed photo of the cactus in its present form. My Great Uncle Derick, crack research assistant for the CCIB, discovered that there may be more than one Christmas Cactus being thrust upon unwary families, but this remains to be confirmed.

Ernie called from the Houston area where he is on station at a local motel, awaiting orders. He said it is rainy and cold, it even snowed, yet his spirits seemed high. However, he has unfortunately had to put Field Unit Van #2 in the shop to replace the water pump. The shop guy said 3 days because he had to order parts, so hopefully this minor setback won't foil our prudent attempts to station a unit in a likely location for this year's hoped-for appearance. This will seriously cut into our meager budget for field operations (T-short sales only go so far in the world of investigation), but we will remain optimistic.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

-Mister E.

Last year's taunt

For those who follow our CCIB Investigation closely, let me pass on some info. Last year, after being foiled by the Christmas Cactus perpetrators, whoever they may be, the CCIB was taunted with e-mail messages from one claiming to be named "Noel Cacti".

The following cryptic message was received last year, apparently in some sort of code. Ernie says it is 'leek speak', often used on the internet by young riff-raff types (he learned about this in his computer classes, and I was skeptical if they would be of any use, but I see now that he's actually learning things, but again I digress.) If this is true, Ernie thinks it is a taunt and claims that the person sending the e-mail has indicated that he will strike again in 2008. This can only mean one of two cases are true - 1.) that "Cacti Noel" is the true person behind the legend, perhaps the one we think we can see in the video images we received; or, 2.) that "Cacti Noel" is just pulling our leg.

Whichever is true, we will attempt to get to the bottom of it all and sniff out any clues we can to get to the bottom of this great mystery. Here is the message we received (I did not change it at all):

"r0unD & R0UNd 5H3 G0Ze, ware ShE 5T0p5, N0b0dEE n05e! CACTI BAK n 20o8!|"

Any help with clues is always welcomed:
legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

-Mister E.

Hope for 2008

The disappointing failure of 2007 is certainly upsetting and left the CCIB with a smarting blow to our morale, but there is hope that the mysterious "Legend of the Christmas Cactus" may still be solved. The last spotting of the Cactus, as you all know, was in Houston, TX where it mysteriously disappeared after being very nearly captured by our ever-diligent investigators. We reported last year that our field unit, for the first time, actually saw the fabled Christmas Cactus and got a single photo using our new night-vision equipped camera. Unfortunately, he got lost in the unfamiliar neighborhood and did not locate the Cactus again. When I was finally able to get in touch with him, Ernie in field unit van #2 was in Louisiana; he had somehow managed to get lost and, well, I won't go into how he ended up in another state.

So we have recovered, and as your ever-dutiful CCIB Investigators, we ask again: Will the Christmas Cactus turn up again this year?

With this hope in mind, and the memory and reputation of my poor old Grandpa E. driving my personal desire to solve this mystery, the CCIB has been working all year on more advanced technologies to help with tracking the Christmas Cactus, should it appear. With the help of our T-shirt sales and several anonymous donations, there are now three official CCIB field unit vans ready to dash to any part of the nation to investigate tips and leads. We are also able to send pictures, maps, and more via our new satellite phone internet connection. Unfortunately, we only have one of them and our service provider coverage is spotty. Either Ernie, myself or a local volunteer has to go down to the Carnegiea Public Library to use the internet because the official CCIB computer only has dial up. Still, we hope this high-tech addition will help us.

Last week, we took the prudent action of stationing a field unit van in the area of the last sighting of the Christmas cactus. My cousin and faithful assistant, Ernie, is staying in a motel in Houston, Texas and monitoring CCIB leads remotely by telephone. This year he has a good set of maps that we got at the Exxon Station, they have those good street maps that include close-up parts of the city, so he should be less likely to get off course this year. All of this is expensive, the motel charges by the week and Ernie has already informed me of the challenges of motel life. I owe him a little more respect.

Once again, if you have any information, any knowledge, any tips at all concerning the whereabouts of the elusive Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting of any kind, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

-Mister E

Hopes Dashed to Solve Mystery This Christmas

Our hopes are dashed yet again. Unless by some great act of wonder, field unit in van 2 has become hopelessly lost after making a series of blunders. We were so excited yesterday to have received confirmed pictures of the elusive and mysterious Christmas Cactus in a yard somewhere south of Houston, Texas using our new high tech night vision surveillance camera. After losing contact with van 2, apparently my cousin Ernie got lost and ended up in some place called Slidell... IN LOUISIANA! Now I'm not one to talk harshly about kin folk, but it's Ernie's last time running a CCIB field van, for because of his blundering driving and stubborn refusals to ask for directions, we've lost the Christmas Cactus for sure. If he ever manages to find the house where the Cactus was photographed yesterday, it will probably be long gone.

Friends and fellow Cactus hunters, this makes me so sad! Once again, we were THIS CLOSE!

But we are not without at least a very slim chance. If you know the whereabouts of the Christmas Cactus, or can help us with the very few clues that Ernie managed to pass on to us before his cell phone went dead, maybe there is a chance to solve the mystery. Ernie said he was in a place called Clear Lake, somewhere around an office building that said "Boing". I can't find such a company, and this place called Clear Lake shows up on Google Maps as being brown in color, not clear, so it surely can't be the spot we are looking for. But armed with this info, there may still be hope this year. So, as always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting in this so-called "Clear Lake" area, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Latest Update! Sighting Confirmed!!!

Cactus fanatics, I bring you the greatest news since the 1954 Maplewood Township crisis! I am happy to report that Ernie, on his patrols of field unit van 2, has made a stealth pass of a house somewhere near Houston, TX, supposedly on the northeast side of the city. On this drive-by, Ernie spotted something mysterious, and sure enough, after glancing at the picture once again, he confirmed the reported sighting of the cactus in photograph form! Unfortunately, we have lots communication with van 2, perhaps due to the last phone that was cut short when our fearless driver made a wrong turn. Ernie has always been a little 'iffy,' but he was available and willing to go. We really need better field agents.

We hope to finally have the location pinned down before Christmas passes us by and the legendary Christmas Cactus is swept off into mystery for yet another year.

Fellow Cactus Hunters, I present to you the biggest break we've had in year, and the only known photo of the Christmas Cactus in its current form.

2007: Year of Anticipation

Greetings to all of our fellow cactus investigators! A new year has arrived, and it has brought with it a new opportunity to solve the age-old legend of holiday horror. Ladies and gentlemen, after the events of last year, I am more excited than I have been in years. I am gearing up with all of our new high-tech equipment, and will begin patrolling the Houston, TX area with cousin Ernie tomorrow morning at 4:00 AM, sharp. You will be the first to be updated as soon as any information relating to a cactus event is discovered. In the mean time, please consider supporting the CCIB this holiday season! Perhaps you could purchase a Christmas Cactus shirt for a loved one this Christmas to help fund our gas money this season and spread awareness of the great threat that lurks in the midst of everyday society.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Off-Season News - CCIB goes High Tech!

For those who check the CCIB Legend of the Christmas Cactus Blog in the non-Christmas Season, I bring you die-hard legend-seekers good news! The CCIB has just acquired a high tech night vision surveillance camera! Yes, now we can operate 24 hours a day from at least one of our field vans! This will come in handy when we get that inevitable lead that takes us to the Christmas Cactus, for our stake-out team will be prepared to observe from a distance to finally capture the culprits on tape! How wonderful a tool this will be to finally, once and for all, answer the age-old question "Who put this ghastly thing in my yard?"

Celebrate with us this balmy July day, for when the weather turns chilly and thoughts of sugar plums and cactus dance in our heads, we'll be ready!

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

-Mister E.

Sad News: Cactus has Vanished for 2006!

Friends and faithful followers of the Christmas Cactus Legend, I bear bad news today. Alas, after a long trek through icy conditions, our trusty field unit has arrived in Friendswood, TX and followed leads to the location where the Christmas Cactus was reported. The home owner's wife and three children (who's identities are on file) were not able to give us any information, saying only "we don't know who owns that thing, but it's gone now. Did you put it here?" I declined of course.

And yes, the bad news is that the Christmas Cactus in gone, vanished! It has eluded me once again, and by such a narrow margin! I could almost touch it, and now its gone, like the mysterious thing that it is. All I was able to find is the sign that was placed upon the cactus, a photo is included here. I'm sending it to the lab for analysis, perhaps we can learn the identity of the perpetrators of this ghastly mystery if we can find cactus residue on the sign. It's a last gasp effort, but may yield valuable clues. Never give up hope, I always say.

So my friends, we move into another year. Where will it turn up? Will it show up again in Wyoming? New Jersey? Utah? Louisiana? Or will it remain in the area as trends seem to suggest? Who will be the unfortunate next victim of the legendary Christmas Cactus?

When we hear of it, you'll be the first to know. For 2006, signing off, Mister E.

Latest Sighting of 2006 Confirmed!

Cacti fans, I bear good news! Yesterday, an anonymous caller phoned in a tip from Friendswood, Texas, stating that the lead in Texas was not a hoax. A Christmas Cactus has been reported planted in some poor soul's yard by multiple callers. In fact, the homeowner must have never heard of the Christmas Cactus legend and thought that the inflatable monstrosity was lost, for he had placed a sign around the neck saying "LOST, PLEASE TAKE ME HOME". Our field unit is in route to Friendswood, which is apparently a town south of Houston. Since he's having to drive through the winter weather of Nebraska after investigating a tip there, he should be in south Houston, Texas on the 26th, and hopefully the Christmas Cactus will still be there and we can solve the mystery for good.

What a great tip! Stay tuned!

New sightings reported

As the holiday season is in its prime, Christmas decorations are going up all over the nation. It is usually at this time we get a large increase in activity in our email in-box. Sightings have been steadily pouring in over the past week, and we have three high-probability leads to investigate this year.

Lead number 1 comes from Raleigh Durham, NC. A local tax assessor spotted what he believed to be the Christmas Cactus being planted in a yard known to belong to a family who rarely decorates for the holidays. From the assessor's description, this is a prime lead. Unit 3 is currently on the way to investigate.

Lead number two comes from a rocket-scientist of a local town called Friendswood, Texas. He claims to have spotted the legendary Cactus in his neighborhood, but cell phone static cut short our conversation. A second call, anonymously, reported the same incident, with details that lead us to believe we have an authentic Christmas Cactus sighting. We've dispatched field unit 2 to Friendswood, wherever that is.

Lead three comes from Lakeland, Florida. This one was emailed to us by a local potato farmer who claims the Christmas Cactus is in his yard as I type. We'll investigate based upon his excellent description. Though unit 1 has been dispatched to the scene and is confident in a positive identification, your host is doubtful. Last year's Florida sighting turned out to be a Mickey Mouse yard ornament with a bad case of mold. Besides, who ever heard of potato farmers in Florida?

These are the best leads since 1954's Maplewood Township leads, which gave my intrepid father and second cousin a wild goose chase ending in a few grainy photos of the Christmas Cactus. Unfortunately, the photos were lost in a move in 1963.

We will update you immediately here at the CCIB Legend of the Christmas Cactus Blog.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

-Mister E.

Long Awaited Conclusion of the Legend in 2006?

Welcome back to the Christmas Cactus Investigation Bureau Blog! As you can see from our post dates, we don't update often, but when we have news of the mysterious monstrosity of Cacti Noel's, we post immediately. As Christmas time roles near, it is time to start deploying our field unit vans for constant scanning and alert status in the Christmas season. Two of our field unit vans will be patrolling different sides of Houston, TX throughout the month of December. Patterns have led us to believe that the most likely location for a cactus event to occur this year is Houston, TX, however, one field unit van will remain at the headquarters, ready for an emergency pursuit of any high priority leads anywhere else in the nation, in case Cacti Noel decides to pull a fast one on us.

I have confidence this year, that we will not be foiled in our attempt to better the world by solving the Legend of the Christmas Cactus. All mankind depends upon our success!

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Christmas Cactus FAQ

We here at the CCIB receive many questions in the email inbox all year round, so we decided to answer some of the most common questions in a FAQ here on the website. Please help keep your eyes out for any mysterious green cactus in your area!

Christmas Cactus Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Legend of the Christmas Cactus?
This legend has been passed down from generation to generation. As the legend goes, the Christmas Cactus appears mysteriously around the Christmas holidays, carried no doubt by characters of certain dubious intent who claim to be called "Noel Cacti." (Also known as "Cacti Noel.") The motive is unconfirmed, but records of the legend dating back to medieval times have been discovered, leading us to believe that this "Noel Cacti" is a shady person or group that passes on its secrets to a new generation of sinister ne'er-do-wells.

Today's Christmas Cactus takes the form of a hideous inflatable thing, occasionally seen with a Santa Claus hat and held in place by wires. In decades past the Christmas Cactus has been photographed, showing it to have been a hard plastic monstrosity illuminated with a light bulb. Prior to the advent of photography, the Christmas Cactus was described as a paper mache statue painted green with a large Santa Hat according to period newspaper reports. In the pre-colonial era, Puritan minister Ronald Wilkerdean preached on the evils of the "Cacti Noel", described as a 'wood and clothe contraption' that was 'lyklie from the devil'.

So the legend continues. No one knows who the mysterious and timeless cadre of shady characters who perpetrate this tacky and unwelcomed affliction. Few people since the DeMoines Incident in 1948 has seen a Christmas Cactus planter. No one has apprehended these shady workers of hooliganism. But we are closer than ever.

What is the CCIB?
CCIB stands for "Christmas Cactus Investigation Bureau". We here at the CCIB have been on the forefront of the mystery for the past decade. Based here in Daytona Beach, my quest to locate and solve the Christmas Cactus legend began in my childhood when my old Grandpa E told me the story of how he became a victim of the legend. Grandpa E. was so shocked by the sudden appearance of the Christmas Cactus in his front yard that he was struck speechless for three weeks! The following year he launched the Christmas Cactus Investigation Bureau International, and some time later, I took over the company to allow him to retire. Since then, myself, my brother in-law's third cousin, Great Uncle Derick, and my father before me have all been on the trail of the elusive mystery that preys upon unwary people and poses a great threat to Christmas cheer (not to mention health, safety, and property values).

What does the Christmas Cactus look like so I can keep alert?
The current form of the Christmas Cactus is an inflatable yard "ornament" of questionable taste. It is large and green and wears a Santa Claus hat. It glows with an eeries green light and if taken unawares, it will frighten people of lesser constitutions and small children. It has been known to change forms from year to year, but always is an ugly thing, of questionable taste. Descriptions from earlier decades confirm the hideous nature of this devious prank, and many have become light-headed, startled, or fainted upon seeing the Cactus appear in their yard.

What do I do if I see or hear of the Christmas Cactus?
Whatever you do, if you think you know someone who is the victim of a Christmas Cactus event, do not touch the apparition and contact us! Take many photos and if possible, monitor the thing to take pictures of whoever comes to pick it up. As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com. If you notice any suspicious characters, do not hesitate to snap a photo, record their appearance, and gather lots of information.

It's in MY yard!!! HELP!
The top priority is to contact the CCIB so that we can come and monitor your location and keep a look-out for any suspicious characters that may be the mysterious perpetrator. Make sure to take plenty of pictures, and most importantly: leave it in your yard! In many past incidents when the cactus was taken down by the victims themselves, Noel Cacti resorted to vandalistic acts including tee-pee, graffiti, and even window-busts! If the cactus appears in your yard, contact the CCIB immediately at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Where has the Christmas Cactus been sighted?
The Cactus has been internationally sighted. It is not known if there is just one or many of them. Patterns do emerge in locations from year to year. During the 1930s, it appeared from seven years straight in the same small neighborhood of Mantoshik, MA. Afterward, it appeared in California, then for three years straight in the on the same street in Washington, D.C. In the 1950s, it always appeared in a different state, but in the 1960s, spent nine years in one small village in Oklahoma. In the eighties, it was in Florida, Alabama and North Carolina. Since 1998, the Cactus has appeared mostly in Texas, and since 2002, always in the Houston area. We see patterns arise which lead us to believe that the perpetrator, Noel Cacti, is either an individual who remains close to a home region, or an organization that transfers the cactus to regions, parking the preposterous potted plant on homeowners in one area for multiple consecutive years, ranging even up to a decade. Because of the current trends, we will be focusing our attention mostly on the Houston, TX area until the pattern changes.

What are the historic references you refer to?
The Christmas Cactus legend has a long history; sometimes it is hard to uncover. Yet confirmed Cactus events have been discovered all the way back to medieval times. We do not know when it began, but frequent newspaper articles are common beginning in the 1800s. While the earliest true proof of the existence of the Christmas Cactus is dated back to the middle ages, it is still suspected that the sinister scoundrel(s), called "Cacti Noel," began causing calamity to Christmas cheer as early as the third century AD when the Christmas holiday was first introduced to the world. There is no true proof of this hectic holiday harassment so early in history, but legends have been passed down in a number of families with Germanic roots of a cacti plague around Christmas time dating back to the 200s.

Isn't this just a silly prank?
It might appear that way at first. But over the years, a pattern has developed that shows it to be much larger than just a simple prank. The intention of the "Noel Cacti" (whether it is a person or underground network of conspirators, we do not yet know) seems to be to startle, frighten and harm people. The overall effect of this dastardly blight upon society is to lessen the Christmas spirit and to cast derision upon all that is good and festive. Therefore, we here at the CCIB take this seriously. For the sake of all those who have been victimized, traumatized and inconvenienced by the Noel Cacti and their holiday terror, we will continue to investigate.

Why is this important at all?
First, victims of the Christmas Cactus are forever changed. They enter into a life of anxiety and fear because the sanctity of their holiday revelry has been violated. Second, the Christmas Cactus is an offense to all who love and value Christmas. Third, the Christmas Cactus is a health hazard to all who have feeble hearts, small children, pets and weak constitutions. Finally, it lowers property values and blights neighborhoods wherever Cacti Noel strikes.

What is the motive of the Cacti Noel?
The true motive of Cacti Noel is not fully clear. We know that in the past, it has usually been placed in the yards of those who refuse to decorate for the holiday season. On many occasions, though, it has also appeared in the yards of those who over-decorate. It is rare, but has happened, that the dark delinquent of dubious decisiveness have planted the cactus in a yard moderately decorated for the holidays. We at the CCIB agree, that his motives seem to be to destroy Christmas cheer for those unfortunate victims of the incident.

Where can I get the book "Legend of the Christmas Cactus: A Detective's Manual"?
To buy the Investigator's Handbook, click "Merchandise" at the top of the page. You can purchase the book for a small payment of $29.95 when the manual is released (coming soon!). The funds will go towards supporting the CCIB.

Who currently staffs the CCIB?
We are a loose network of family who have been seeking the perpetrators of this heinous crime for decades. I, E., am the chief researcher and investigator. I have enlisted my brother in-law's third cousin, we call him Great Uncle Derick, as a field investigator and mechanic. My faithful assistant is cousin Ernie, who runs field operations and does our high-tech work. We also have occasional volunteer investigators, and have become the chief source of all Christmas Cactus Legend information. We were recently interviewed on KTUI's morning show about the Cactus sightings in Delaware (which turned out to be a dead end), and have an investigation guide coming out soon for all amateur investigators.

Christmas Cactus Hoax in the news

A man in Stockton thought he had been a victim of the Christmas Cactus in 1972, but the local newspaper clearly had this one debaunked. Mr. Barber's son sent us this clipping recently, and since I am devoted to the mystery whether its a hoax or legitimate sighting, it is my duty as your faithful Investigator to share.

2005 - Year of Disappointment

So my friends, I have the uncomfortable task of bringing you sad news....again.

The Christmas Cactus has given us the slip once again. We arrived in Katy, Tx following our leads to find the I-10 under construction, filled with traffic, and horribly congested. With our map, purchased at some place called "Buckee's" somewhere in backwoods Texas, we located this place called Katy, and assumed it would be a small town west of the city of Houston. Simple, right? Wrong. This place is enormous. We drove for hours on end, sacrificing our own Christmas day while trying to faithfully follow the mystery.

We didn't locate the place until today when we spotted a yard displaying the sure signs of a Christmas Cactus plant (these signs will soon be published in my upcoming book, "The Legend of The Christmas Cactus: A Detective's Manual"). I tried to interview the home owner, a pastor of a local church. Unfortunately, he was loading his very large family into a van and heading out someplace. He said to call him and gave me a number, but I must have written it down wrong, because when I called, it turned out to be "Wok Bo Number 7 Buffet". Now I am at a loss.

I KNOW it was there! I saw the unmistakable signs in the yard, and was THIS CLOSE! Unfortunately, we have had to leave Katy due to pressing schedules and lack of funds. Maybe YOU can help me. Do you know of any Katy Texas area churches that fit the description "family inter-graded"? That's what I believe the pastor said to me. I didn't catch his name, so that's the only clue I have to go on.

So folks, unless we can locate the whereabouts of this pastor, we will be out of hope yet again.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Christmas Cactus confirmed in Katy, Texas

Another big break has come our way! The Christmas Cactus has been spotted in a yard in Katy, Texas! We are hoping to send our field unit to investigate, but it may take a few days to get there: While inspecting our previous lead in Austin, the water pump in the CCIB van went out, so we're in the shop, out of comission, and delayed. I hope we can be running in a few days or we will once again miss the opportunity of a lifetime to solve the mystery of just WHO is behind this Christmas Cactus legend!

Does anyone know where Katy, Texas is?

Christmas Cactus sighted in Texas

Word came through the Christmas Cactus alert network that there has been a sighting in Austin, Texas. On the 20th of December, a maroon Chevy pickup was seen speeding away from a home on Dakota Avenue off Carson Way, apparently on a botched planting mission.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

-Mister E.

Research Lead - 1909 San Delmar Article

Here's a great article that I discovered with the help of a tipster in Phoenix, AZ. He sent in this scan of an article that can only help to clarify the legend of the Christmas Cactus. A request has been mailed to the San Delmar Post-Gazette, who took over the Inspector in 1948, seeking more information.

I'll keep you posted as the holiday season comes, but never fear, even in May the CCIB is hard at work.

As always, if you have any information leading to the discovery of the Christmas Cactus, or to report a sighting, please email us at legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com.

Sighting in Canton, AR

The Christmas Cactus has been seen once again in Arkansas. Mr. Dale P. of Canton, AR (true identity on file) phoned in a tip that the Christmas Cactus has mysteriously appeared in a home's yard behind Booker T. Washington Jr. High School. When CCIB field investigators arrived, the Christmas Cactus was no where to be found.

Investigators did recover a guy line stake and an extension cord, and local deputy Oliver Jackson, Jr. has reviewed local security camera footage but has declined our request for an interview.

Please email legendofthechristmascactus@gmail.com is you have any leads to the whereabouts of the elusive Christmas Cactus.

A New Year and a New Tool in the Search for the Elusive Christmas Cactus

Welcome to all of our friends and co-investigators who have over the years sought to solve the age-old mystery of the elusive Christmas Cactus. This legend has been passed down from generation to generation, and as long-time Cactus hunters know, we here at the Christmas Cactus Investigation Bureau have been on the forefront of the mystery for the past decade. Based here in beautiful Carnegiea (a town of doubters and naysayers if I do say so myself), my quest to locate and solve the Christmas Cactus legend began in my childhood when Grandpa E told me the story of how he became yet another victim of the legend back in 1930. Poor old Grandpa E, he was so shocked by the sudden appearance of the Christmas Cactus in his front yard that he was struck speechless for three weeks! The following year, Grandpa E. officially launched the Christmas Cactus Investigation Bureau International, which I later took over to allow Grandpa E. to rest in the peace of retirement, knowing that he had dedicated his life to serving the world by seeking to solve the legend.

Since then, myself, my brother in-law's third cousin, Great Uncle Derick, and my father before me have all been on the trail of the elusive mystery that preys upon unwary people and poses a great threat to Christmas cheer (not to mention health, safety, and property values).

As the legend goes, the Christmas Cactus appears mysteriously around the Christmas holidays, carried no doubt by characters of certain dubious intent, apparently to 'beautify' unfortunate homes who have failed to decorate. This motive is unconfirmed, but records of the legend dating back to medieval times seem to bear this out.

Today's Christmas Cactus takes the form of a hideous inflatable thing, occasionally seen with a Santa Claus hat and held in place by wires. In decades past the Christmas Cactus has been photographed, showing it to have been a hard plastic monstrosity illuminated with a light bulb. Prior to the advent of photography, the Christmas Cactus was described as a paper mache statue painted green with a large Santa Hat according to period newspaper reports. In the pre-colonial era, Puritan minister Ronald Wilkerdean preached on the evils of the "Cacti Noel", described as a 'wood and clothe contraption' that was 'lyklie from the devil'. Unfortunately for Minister Wilkerdean, the Cacti Noel was discovered in his root cellar and his ruse was exposed. Despite pleas for leniency, citing the village's statute regarding 'goode natured pranking', Rev. Wilkerdean was sentenced to be run out of town on a rail.

So the legend continues. No one knows who the mysterious and timeless cadre of shady characters who perpetrate this tacky and unwelcomed affliction. No one since the DeMoines Incident in 1948 has seen a Christmas Cactus planter. No one has apprehended these shady workers of hooliganism. But we are closer than ever.

Now, in 2004, with the advent of this thing called a "Blog", the Christmas Cactus Investigation Bureau now has a new tool! We hope to uncover this mystery once and for all. With the broad audience of blogging, we now move from a fax network, ads in local Greensheet newspapers, and notices on grocery store cork-boards into the Computer Age! We will also be discontinuing our monthly newsletter, since all of our mailing list members in the CCIB Alert Network should have access to this interweb thing. Besides, my cousin and faithful assistant, Ernie, broke the copy machine down at the corner store last month, so we can't make more newsletters anyhow.

We will get to the bottom of the mystery, or at least make substantial dents in the mystery for those who follow in our footsteps. For the season of 2004, we will be posting any sightings, leads and info right here, so check back often!