Down with the Christmas Greens

Candlemas Eve was the night the last of the Christmas decorations had to come down. Herrick describes the rosemary, bays, mistletoe and holly being taken out and box put up in their place, to be followed by yew, birch and the flowers of Whitsun. He warns the maids to leave no branch behind, for the old belief was that every leaf left hanging would bring a goblin into the house. He also tells of keeping part of the Christmas brand to light next year’s log, since where it was kept the fiend could do no mischief.