The history of hazelnuts is as rich as the nut itself. Apicius' first century gourmet cookbook includes a recipe for hazelnut candy. 

The authors Roman contemporaries burned hazelnut torches at weddings as tokens of fertility.

The British traditionally celebrated All's Hallow's Eve (Halloween) by cracking hazelnuts so that October 31 was called "Nutcracker Night".

From ancient times to the present, forked hazelnut branches have been considered the finest divining rods for finding water.

It is even said that Moses wielded a hazelnut rod when he smote the rocks to make water come forth. Magicians wands were also supposed to be of  Hazelnut.

The Scandinavians dedicated the hazelnut tree to their god, Thor, and fashioned the  king's staff from hazelnut wood.

The Chinese considered the hazelnut one of "the five sacred nourishments bestowed on mankind by the gods".