Folklore of England

26 December

Folklore from the old calendars

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.

26 December, not tied to the day

27 December, not tied to the day

28 December

Folklore from the old calendars

Childermas Lore and belief Cornwall, EnglandHoly Innocents' Day, or Childermas, was reckoned the unluckiest day of the year, and no one who could help it began any work or undertaking on it.
Colet’s scholars and the child bishop’s sermon No longer kept LondonEvery Childermas the boys of St Paul's School went to the cathedral to hear a sermon preached by the boy bishop and gave him a penny each.
The King of Cockneys at Lincoln’s Inn No longer kept LondonDugdale printed an order of Lincoln's Inn from the ninth year of Henry VIII that the King of Cockneys should sit and have due service on Childermas Day.
The weekday of Childermas unlucky all year Lore and belief EnglandIt was thought very unlucky to begin any work on Childermas, Holy Innocents' Day, and whatever day of the week it fell on was held unlucky for starting anything for the whole of the following year.

28 December, not tied to the day

Folklore from the old calendars

Come, butter, come Lore and belief EssexAdy, in his Candle in the Dark of 1655, told of an old Essex woman who came into a house where the maid had churned a long time and could not make the butter come.
Houseleek against lightning Lore and belief EnglandOld writers held that the bay tree was never struck by lightning, and that whoever wore a bay leaf was safe from thunder.
Mary Dore, the witch of Beaulieu Lore and belief HampshireWarner's Topographical Remarks on south west Hampshire, of 1793, told of Mary Dore, the parish witch of Beaulieu, who had died about fifty years before.
Slunk calves and moonwort Lore and belief Devon, SuffolkGrose recorded the belief, commonly acted on in Suffolk, that a slunk or stillborn calf buried in a highway used by cattle would stop cows casting their calves.
The taman of Tipperary Lore and belief County Durham, Munster, NorthumberlandCunning men, sometimes called white witches, were consulted to cure diseases laid on by witches, to find thieves, recover stolen goods and tell of absent friends.

Folklore of England

26 December

26 December, not tied to the day

27 December, not tied to the day

28 December

28 December, not tied to the day

29 December

30 December, not tied to the day

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