Christmas broth and beef at Mains

25 December · Mains, Angus

No longer kept

In 1760 the people of Mains, outside Dundee, visited one another only once a year, at Christmas. The fare was broth and beef, the guests sent to the alehouse for five or six pints of ale, and all were merry over it without any ceremony. The minister of Mains set this against the more genteel habits of 1790 in a table contrasting the two years.

The people in this parish never visited each other, but at Christmas. The entertainment was broth and beef

From Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. 5, p. 227. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

The Glastonbury Thorn Still kept SomersetGlastonbury tradition said Joseph of Arimathea stuck his hawthorn staff into Wearyall Hill, where it grew and blossomed every Christmas Day.
The Cumnor Christmas feast No longer kept BerkshireAfter evening service on Christmas Day the tithe-paying parishioners of Cumnor went to the vicarage to be given bread, cheese and ale.
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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.
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Christmas Day in the Highlands No longer kept HighlandsGrant's Popular Superstitions of the Highlands described a Highland Christmas.
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A horse and a gig and a good fat pig No longer kept YorkshireAt Christmas the children of Woodhouse near Sheffield went from neighbour to neighbour to beg their Christmas box with a rhyme.
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.
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The Ashton faggot at Lydeard No longer kept SomersetAt Christmas, Lydeard St Lawrence in Somerset burned a hooped bundle of sticks called the Ashton faggot, and a quart of cider went to those who watched.
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The Culfer bells of Christmas No longer kept YorkshireIn Josiah Beckwith's parish near Leeds two church bells were rung alternately at seven every morning and evening through the twelve days of Christmas, and at no other time of year.
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Cornyshe’s reward for a Christmas carol No longer kept EnglandThe book of expenses of Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII, shows William Cornyshe, a favourite poet and composer of the court, paid thirteen shillings and fourpence for setting a carol on Christmas Day.
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Laurel in the college windows No longer kept Cambridgeshire, OxfordshireAt Christmas the windows of houses were dressed with bay and laurel, a custom Bourne said was seldom seen in the North but very common in the South.
Carols from Christmas dawn to Twelfth Day No longer kept EnglandAs soon as it grew light on Christmas morning the common people began to sing a Christmas carol, and carols went on being sung until Twelfth Day, alongside the New Year's songs and the one with the burden Hagmena.
Stanging the scholars at Cambridge No longer kept CambridgeshireAt Christmas-time in some Cambridge colleges a scholar who missed chapel was made to ride a colt-staff or pole as his punishment, which was called stanging.
Ale for as long as the Christmas block burns No longer kept Northern EnglandIn northern farmhouses the servants laid by a large knotty block of wood for the Christmas fire, and for as long as it lasted they were entitled by custom to ale with their meals.
Is it not Christmas? No longer kept EnglandAt Christmas people gave themselves up to cards, dice, tables, masking, mumming and bowling, as if the season gave them a special licence to do as they liked.
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Shoeing the mare at Christmas No longer kept EnglandAmong the Christmas sports of the young men was shoeing the mare, a game of the twelve holidays kept alongside blind-man's-buff and the wassail bowl.
Choosing husbands and wives by streaks in the ashes Lore and belief EnglandIn the Christmas holidays young people read streaks in the ash-heap to learn who they would marry.
Plough and harrow hung up for the twelve days No longer kept EnglandOver Christmas the farm labourers hung up the plough and harrow and did no field work until the twelve holidays were over, spending the time in piping and merriment.
Post and pair at Christmas No longer kept EnglandChristmas was the season for card games played for money, such as post and pair and slam, and a man with empty pockets had to sit them out.
The holly and ivy carol before the King at Whitehall No longer kept LondonAt the court of Charles I a Christmas carol was sung before the King in the Presence Chamber at Whitehall, opening with a flourish of music before the song.
Christmas comes but once a year Still kept EnglandThe saying that Christmas comes but once a year is found in Tusser's verses on the farmer's diet, added in the edition of 1580, as the reason to play and make good cheer at Christmas.
Christmas husbandly fare No longer kept EnglandA farmer's Christmas table had brawn, pudding and souse with mustard, beef, mutton and pork, shred pies, pig, veal, goose, capon and turkey.
A yawning match for a Cheshire cheese No longer kept EnglandAmong the Christmas gambols Addison had seen was a yawning match for a Cheshire cheese, which began about midnight when everyone was drowsy.
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Christmas only in the red letters No longer kept EnglandBy 1740 Poor Robin was complaining that the old Christmas could only be found in the red letters of the almanacs.
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.
Christmas on a Sunday or a Saturday Lore and belief EnglandIt was thought very lucky when Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, and ill-omened when it fell on a Saturday.
Cards only at Christmas No longer kept EnglandPeople who never touched a card for the rest of the year felt bound to play a few games at Christmas.
The Bungay watchmen’s Christmas verses No longer kept SuffolkAt Christmas the night watchmen of Bungay printed a copy of verses for the townspeople in the hope of a Christmas gift.
Private heralds crying Largesse at Christmas No longer kept EnglandIn the old great households a nobleman or gentleman of fair estate kept his own herald, who wore his master's coat of arms at Christmas and other solemn times and cried Largesse three times.
Christmas, not Hogmanay, in Forfarshire No longer kept Angus, HighlandsIn Forfarshire and much of the Highlands the great merry-making of the year was held at Christmas, when most of Lowland Scotland kept it at New Year instead.
Yule and Pasch in the isles No longer kept Inner Hebrides, Inverness-shireProtestants on many of the Hebridean islands still kept Yule and Pasch, Christmas and Easter, as feasts.
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The Montrose burghers’ round of feasts No longer kept AngusAt Christmas and the New Year the well-off burghers of Montrose began feasting their friends and going round each other's houses, a round of visits that took up many weeks.
The young men’s Christmas begging for the poor at Grange No longer kept BanffshireIn the Christmas holidays the young men of Grange went round the parish in parties, begging on behalf of its neediest people.
Bloccyn gwilian, the festival block No longer kept WalesThe Welsh Christmas log was called bloccyn gwilian, the festival block, and it had to be big enough to burn right through the twelve days of Christmas.
A new carol every Christmas No longer kept WalesIn Wales a new Christmas carol was usually written each year by a local poet or rhymer and sung in church after the morning or evening service.
Twelve salted onions for the months Lore and belief WalesSome Welsh people foretold the coming year's weather with onions.
The Earl’s bearward at Christmas No longer kept EnglandThe fifth Earl of Northumberland kept a bearward, paid twenty shillings a year when he came to the Earl at Christmas with his beasts to make sport through the twelve days.

Christmas broth and beef at Mains

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