DE CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS. ECEMBER, originally the tenth of the Roman months, is notable for the occurrence of the greatest festival of the year, Christmas, which takes place on the 25th. The merry-making with which this festival is associated, however, is not limited to a single day, but continues over a considerable portion of January also. Of course, we speak in reference to the manner in which Christmas was celebrated in former, more than in the present times, though the season is still observed with much feasting and conviviality. Christmas was wont to be hailed with an unusual degree of hilarity. The ancient halls of the barons, as well as the large kitchens of the yeomanry, were lighted up with a brilliancy on Christmas eve unknown to the rest of the year. The capacious fire-places of the houses of the olden time were filled with the Yuleclog, a huge block of wood, which enlivened everybody with its warmth; while the large Christmas candle was lighted, and shed its rays on the faces of the dancers. It was then that the laugh rang through the hall, and that the host shouted to his friends the merry distich : "Come, bring, with a noise, The Christmas clog to the firing; Bids ye all be free, And drink to your heart's desiring." If we have lost some halcyon festivities with the passing away of these old customs, we may congratulate ourselves that with them have gone also some sad dissipations. The Christmas-log having been lighted "with the last year's brand," and the board having been covered with viands, the reign of "good cheer" began. The members of every household used to sit up all night, or, at all events, till past twelve o'clock, when the tolling of the church-bells announced the ushering in of Christmas. It is interesting to observe how intimately practical maxims were blended with the superstitious observances of our forefathers. The Yule-fire having been lighted, it was held essential that the maidservant who ignited it should wash her hands after the operation, thereby inculcating cleanliness along with the Christmas rite. The following verse explains the popular notion on the subject : : "Wash your hands, or else the fire The "carol," or pious song, is peculiar to Christmas, and is of very old standing. Brand gives a translation of an AngloNorman carol of the thirteenth century, which is exceedingly spirited and highly poetical:: "Lordlings, grant not your protection To a base, unworthy crew, Men that are loyal, good, and true. Chase from your hospitable dwelling Swinish souls, that ever crave: Virtue they can ne'er excel inGluttons never can be brave! CHORUS. "Hail, Father Christmas! hail to thee! MUMMING. On Christmas day, in old times, when church service was over, it was a universal custom, in English families of wealth, to have a boar's head, usually ornamented with rosemary, at dinner, which was carried to table, with much ceremony, upon a silver platter, preceded by music. Holinshed states that, in the year 1170, on the day of the young prince's coronation, King Henry II. " served his son at the table as server, bringing up the boar's head with trumpets before it, according to the manner," or general custom of the times. With Christmas commenced the season of mumming, and the reign of the "Lord of Misrule," or "Abbot of Unreason," as he was called in Scotland, and which Sir W. Scott describes in the "Abbot." These pleasantries, which were carried frequently to great excess, were the remains of the ancient saturnalia which existed before the introduction of Christianity; and though they have been often condemned both by the church and state, they have been preserved to our own day in more or less perfection in parts of England, so difficult is it to root out inveterate customs. Mumming was indulged in by the great with much enthusiasm in former times. Stow records a remarkable mummery which took place in 1377, among the citizens of London, for the amusement of the young Prince Richard, son to the Black Prince. The old historian says: "On the Sunday before Candlemas, in the night, one hundred and thirty citizens, disguised and well horsed, in a mummerie, with sound of trumpets, sackbuts, cornets, and other minstrels, and innumerable torch-lights of waxe, rode to Kennington, beside Lambeth, where the young prince remayned with his mother. In the first rank did ride forty-eight, in likeness and habit of esquires, two and two together, clothed in red coats, and gowns of say, or sandall, with comely visors on their faces. After them came forty-eight knights in the same livery; then followed one richly arrayed, like an emperour: and, after him some distance, one stately tyred, like a pope, whom followed twenty-four cardinals: and, after them, eight or ten with black visors, not amiable, as if they had been legates from some forrain princes. These maskers, after they had entered the manor of Kennington, alighted from their horses, and entered the hall on foot; which done, the prince, his mother, and the lords, came out of the chamber into the hall, whom the mummers did salute, showing, by a paire of dice upon the table, their desire to play with the young prince, which they so handled that the prince did alwaies winne when he cast them. Then the mummers set to the prince three jewels, one after another: which were, a bowle of gold, a cup of gold, and a ring of gold, which the prince wanne at three casts. Then they set to the prince's mother, the duke, the earles, and other lords, to every one a ring of gold, which they did also win. After which they were feasted, and the musick sounded, the prince and lords danced on the one part with the mummers, which did also dance; which jollitie being also ended, they were again made to drink, and then departed in order, as they came. The like," continues Holinshed, "was done to King Henry IV. in the second year of his reign, he then keeping his Christmas at Eltham; twelve aldermen of London, and their sonnes, rode a mumming, and had great thanks." These mummings were practiced not only by courtiers, but they formed the chief pleasures of the squire and yeoman's families. "Then comes mumming, or masquerading," says an old tract on "Christmas Entertainments," "when the squire's wardrobe is ransacked for dresses of all kinds. Corks are burnt to black the faces of the fair, or make deputy mustaches; and every one in the family, except the squire himself, must be transformed." Dancing and blindman's-buff were also included in the amusements of this festive period. The sovereignty of the "Lord of Misrule” lasted during the twelve days of the festival of Christmas. He was appointed "master of the merry disports," and held unchallenged sway throughout the period of his authority. In the king's palace, the houses of the nobility, the towns, and certain of the incorporations, a "Lord of Misrule" was invariably appointed. In London, the societies of the law performed the shows of Christmas within their own refectories. At a Christmas celebrated in the Hall of the Middle Temple in the year 1635, the jurisdiction, privileges, and parade of this mock monarch are thus circumstantially described : : The "He was attended by his lord-keeper, lordtreasurer, with eight white staves, a captain of his band of pensioners, and of his guard; and with two chaplains, who were so seriously impressed with an idea of his regal dignity, that when they preached before him on the preceding Sunday in the Temple Church, on ascending the pulpit, they saluted him with three low bows. He dined, both in the hall and in his privy chamber, under a cloth of estate. pole-axes for his gentlemen pensioners were borrowed of Lord Salisbury. Lord Holland, his temporary justice, supplied him with venison on demand; and the lord mayor, and sheriffs of London, with wine. On Twelfth day, at going to church, he received many petitions, which he gave to his Master of Requests; and, like other kings, he had a favorite, whom, with others, gentlemen of high quality, he knighted at returning from church. His expenses, all from his own purse, amounted to two thousand pounds. After he was deposed, the king knighted him at Whitehall." The "Lord of Misrule," however, of the towns or rural parishes, was of grosser material than the "Master of Ceremonies" of the law courts, or of the palace. Philip Stubs, in his curious and very rare pamphlet, "Anatomie of Abuses," (London, 1585,) gives an amusing, though a depreciatory account of the doings of the "master of merry disports :" "Firste, all the wilde heades of the parishe, conventynge together, chuse them a grand capitaine, (of mischeef,) whom they ennoble with the title of my Lorde of Misserule, and hym they crown with great solemnitie, and adopt for their kyng. This kyng anoynted, chuseth for hym twentie, fourtie, threescore, or a hundred lustie Unreason, so that the " The Sword-dance, a custom totally unknown in modern times, also formed part of the Christmas festivities. As performed by the northern nations, we have an account by the historian, Olaus Magnus. He describes it as follows: in their hands, they dance in a triple round; then "First, with their swords sheathed, and erect with their drawn swords, held erect as before; afterward, extending them from hand to hand, they lay hold of each other's hilts and points, and, while they are wheeling more moderately selves into the figure of a hexagon, which they call a rose; but, presently raising and drawing back their swords, they undo that figure, in order to form with them a four-square rose, that they may rebound over the head of each other. Lastly, they dance rapidly backward, and, vehemently rattling the sides of their swords together, conclude their sport. Pipes or songs (sometimes both) direct the measure, which at first is slow, but, increasing afterward, becomes a very quick one toward the conclusion." guttes, like to hymself, to waite uppon his lordely majestie, and to guarde his noble persone. Then every one of these his menne he investeth with his liveries of greene, yellowe, or some other light wanton colour. And as though that were not gaudy enough, I should saie, they be decke themselves with scarfes, ribons, and laces, hanged all over with golde rynges, precious stones, and other jewelles: this doen, they tye about either legge twentie or fourtie belles, with rich handekercheefes in their handes, and sometymes laied acrosse over their shoulders and neckes. Thus thinges sette in order, they have their hobbie-horses, dragons, and other antiques, together with their pipers and thunderyng drommers, to strike up the deville's daunce withall; then marche these heathen companie towardes the churche and churcheyarde, their pipes pipyng, drommers thunder-round, and changing their order, throw themyng, their stumppes dauncyng, their belles iynglyng, their handekercheefes swynging about their heades like madmen, their hobbie-horses, and other monsters, skirmishyng amongst the throng and, in this sorte, they goe to the churche (though the minister bee at praier or preachyng,) dauncyng and swingyng their handekercheefes over their heades in the churche, like devilles incarnate, with such a confused noise that no man can heare his own voice. Then the foolishe people, they looke, they stare, they laugh, they fleere, and mount upon formes and pewes, to see these pageauntes solemnised in this sort. Then, after this, aboute the churche they goe againe and againe, and so forthe into the churcheyarde, where they have commonly their sommer haulls, their bowers, arbours, and banquettyng-houses set up, wherein they feaste, banquet, and daunce all that daie, and (peradventure) all that night too. And thus these terrestrial furies spend their Sabbaoth day. Then, for the further ennoblyng of this honourable lurdane, (lorde, I should saye,) they have also certaine papers, wherein is paynted some babblerie or other of imagerie worke, and these they call my Lord of Misrule's badges: these thei giue to every one that will geve money for them to maintaine them in this their heathenrie, divelrie, dronkennesse, pride, and what not. And who will not showe himself buxome to them, and geve them money for these the deville's cognizaunces, they shall be mocked, and flouted at shamefully. And so assotted are some, that they not onely give them money to maintaine their abbomination withall, but also weare their badges and cognizances in their hattes, or cappes, openly. An other sorte of fantasticall fooles bring to these helhoundes (the Lord of Misrule and his complices) some bread, some good ale, some newe cheese, some olde cheese, some custardes, some cakes, some flaunes, some tartes, some creame, some meate, some one thing, some another; but if they knewe that as often as they bring any to the maintenance of these execrable pastymes they offer sacrifice to the Deville and Sathanas, they would repent, and withdrawe their handes, which God graunt they maie." Sword-dances are still popular in Northumberland, England, and in the Highlands of Scotland. In the latter, the Sworddance, which is called "Gillie-callum," bears not the most distant affinity to that of the Scandinavians. The swords are crossed on the ground, and one dancer only trips over them, into the angles thus formed, to the music of the Highland bagpipe. The great feat is, not to touch the claymores with the feet while so engaged. The "Christmas-box," equivalent to the Scottish" Hansel," is another observance of this convivial season which is not yet wholly extinct. The practice, originating in the pagan custom of New-year's gifts, appears to have been improved upon by the priesthood. In a book entitled the "Athenian Oracle," it is said : "The Romish priests had masses said for almost everything: if a ship went out to the Indies, the priest had a box in her under the protection of some saint; and for masses, as their cant was, to be said for them to that saint, &c., the poor people must put something in the priest's box, which was not opened till the ship's return. The mass at that time was called Christmas; the box called Christmas-box, or money gathered against that time, that masses might be made by the priests to the saints, to forgive the people the debaucheries of that time; and from this servants had the liberty to get The Puritans in England, and the Pres-box-money, that they, too, might be enabled byterians in Scotland, succeeded in putting down the Lord of Misrule, or Abbot of to pay the priest for his masses, knowing well the truth of the proverb, 'No penny, no pater nosters.'" * |