Folklore of England

25 December

Folklore from the old calendars

The husbandman’s great log and Christmas cheese No longer kept EnglandAt Christmas the countryman laid a great log behind the fire and gathered his neighbours round it.
The kissing bush at York and Newcastle No longer kept Northumberland, YorkshireAt York and Newcastle upon Tyne a kissing bush was hung up at Christmas, made of mistletoe, evergreens, ribbons and oranges.
The Middle Temple Lord of Misrule’s court No longer kept LondonAt the Middle Temple Christmas of 1632 the Lord of Misrule kept a full mock court, with his own Lord Keeper, Lord Treasurer, eight white staves, a band of pensioners with their captain, and two chaplains.
The Play of the Nativity in the Percy chapel No longer kept EnglandThe gentlemen and children of the Earl of Northumberland's chapel acted the Play of the Nativity before him in his chapel on Christmas morning, for which he gave them twenty shillings.
The quintain on Cornhill at Christmas No longer kept LondonAt Christmas a quintain was set up on Cornhill by Leadenhall, and the Lords of Misrule's followers rode at it.
The sectary who loved Christmas pies No longer kept EnglandIn the Restoration years Poor Robin mocked the Puritans who had tried to put down Christmas.
The wassail bowl after fox-i’-th’-hole No longer kept EnglandAt Christmas the wassail bowl was tossed off after a round of the game fox-i'-th'-hole, and blind-man's-buff was played by the fire.
The wassail horn on the clog No longer kept StaffordshireOn the notched wooden clog almanacs, Christmas Day was marked with a drinking horn, the old vessel for wassailing and drinking healths.
The Yorkshire gooding carol No longer kept YorkshireOn Christmas morning children in Yorkshire went gooding from house to house, carrying a small Christmas tree as the badge of their errand.
West Country church carols Still kept Cornwall, DevonDavies Gilbert, who published the old carols of the West of England with their tunes, said that on Christmas Day they were sung in place of the psalms in all the churches, above all at the afternoon service, with the whole congregation joining in.
Wrestling for the boar’s head No longer kept EssexAt Hornchurch the lessee of the tithes, which belonged to New College, Oxford, provided a boar's head, dressed and garnished with bay leaves, every Christmas Day.
Yule doughs No longer kept County Durham, EnglandBakers once baked a little image of paste at Christmas, called a yule dough or dow, and gave one to each of their customers, just as chandlers gave their customers Christmas candles.

25 December, not tied to the day

26 December

Folklore from the old calendars

Beating the lapstone No longer kept WiltshireAt Nettleton, near Burton, the shoemakers kept up a practical joke on the day after Christmas called beating the lapstone.
Bleeding the horses No longer kept EnglandIt was an old belief that on St Stephen's Day horses should be galloped hard and then bled, to keep them free of disease for the coming year.
Christmas boxes Still kept England, LondonThe day after Christmas was called Boxing Day because tradesmen's boys, apprentices and servants went round the customers collecting money in their Christmas boxes.
Goose pies in the North Riding No longer kept YorkshireA memoir of Christmas in the North Riding of Yorkshire, printed in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1811, told how large goose pies were made on St Stephen's Day.
No fasting on St Stephen’s even Lore and belief Northern EnglandA rhyme blessed St Stephen because nobody fasted on the eve of his day, which was Christmas Day itself.
No game laws on St Stephen’s Day No longer kept Northern EnglandIn the North, St Stephen's Day was given over to hunting and shooting by almost everyone.
Stephening No longer kept BuckinghamshireOn St Stephen's Day the whole parish of Drayton Beauchamp went to the rectory and claimed the right to as much bread, cheese and ale as they liked at the rector's expense.
The Inner Temple Christmas No longer kept LondonThe lawyers of the Inner Temple kept Christmas with elaborate mock ceremony.
The Northumberland sword dancers Still kept NorthumberlandA correspondent of the Table Book, describing the miners of Northumberland, wrote that the old custom of sword dancing at Christmas was kept up there only by the pitmen.
The servants’ holiday at Chester No longer kept CheshireCheshire farm servants were hired from New Year's Eve to Christmas Day, and then took six or seven days off, leaving their masters to manage alone.

Folklore of England

25 December

25 December, not tied to the day

26 December

26 December, not tied to the day

27 December, not tied to the day

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