Kitchen Witch Doll Opalina red Kitchen Witch Doll Opalina red: A kitchen witch, sometimes called a cottage witch is a homemade poppet or doll resembling a stereotypical witch or crone displayed in residential kitchens as a good luck charm and to ward off bad spirits. History of Kitchen Witches There is some debate over where the kitchen witch originated, some claiming Scandinavia and others Germany, but consensus points to older Northern European customs, as it seems to have been more widespread earlier. The poppet is supposed to depict a "good” witch who inspires productivity and safety in a kitchen, but also counteracts any ill-will directed to the home. It is considered good luck to give a kitchen witch to a friend or family member. So that those unfamiliar with the kitchen witch can understand its meaning, sometimes a note will be hung around the witch's neck stating something similar to: The Legendary Secret of Goof-Proof Cooking: The Famous Kitchen Witch.