The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-01-03

dlcrous reward such as gallon OF moonlight, pro-
ceeded to shoe the unframed colt, by striking the per
son in error the sole of the foot.
In the north of England, they still have their ''fools
play'' and in Cornwall their "goose dancers" The
latter still exhibit old crooked man, called the
Father or King of Christmas '-corresponding,
perhaps, with the Santa Claus of the Dutch. The
wassa bowl was regularly carried from door to door,
until within forty or fifty years ago. And even now
measure of flip, ale porter and sugar. or some such
beverage, is sent cheery round, while the Yue log Is
burning. The cGsSaI bopl is of Saxon origin, and
merits notice. perhaps, an historical account Vor
tigern northern Prince, fell in love with Rowena,
the niece of Iengist, the Saxon warrior. She pre-
scented the Prince with bowl of spced wine, saying
in Saxon " Waes Heal Hldforn Cynng,' which sig
nifed, /" Be of Health Lord King" Nortigern mar
red her, and the kingdom fell to the Saxons. Waes
He'll thus became the of the drinking cup of the
Anglo-Saxons, and those cups were afterwards con-
stany used at public entertainments Tie word Yule,
from whence the Yule Logs the name of Pagan
festival, which has passed into most European Ian
guagcs, to denomlnate Christmas.
In many parts Of England, the singing of Christ
mas carols yet usher in the morning. After breakfast
the busy housewife prepares her plum pudding, nincc
PIES and confectionery, which she decoratos with the
emblems OF the times IA scratch in tie dough in the
shape of hay rack, denoting the manager of the in
FAINT Saviour, is one of those emblems in the most
common use. The younger part Of the youth hunt
the garden for evergreens to decorate the interior of
the apartments, and the woods are sought to bring
home the mistletoe which is to be suspended in tie
where the pleasures of tile evening to take
place. and beneath which the assigning lips" Moore
calls them, Of many lovely girl still continue to be
pressed despite Of that coy resistance, and bushes,
which so much heghten the charms of beauty They
also paint candles of different colors, to be lighted up
in the evening; CUSTOM perhaps, borrowed from the
ancient Romish practice; though some imagine that
lighting up houses formed part of the worship Of
the Teutonic God Thor being one of the ceremonies
observed at Inutde, the feast of that heather di
viny, from which it was introduced into the Chris
tan feast of Christmas Thus if some part of the
English Christmas ceremonies derived from Sa-
tIrnala, another was evidently of Northern origin
In the evening, the Yule log, Christmas stock. was
burnt in the principal apartment, the company gather
ed round the fire, and the cheerful cup was passed
round
What remains to modern times of Christmas gam
bols then commenced and ancient Christian plays
are still to be traced among them. Blind mans buff,
hunt the Slipper the game of the goose, snap dragon
push pm robins alive, &c. &c, together with for
feits, dancing, &c. form the amrsemens of the youn
ger part of the assembage. Amusements like these
are still practiced very generally among the country
people in our own interior towns. We not aware
that any thing is known among our country people of
the yule-log, yue-song; but we can look back
with pleasure upon many Christmas festive scene,
when the largest log, and the best maple and hickory
were selected for the Christmas fire. which, when even
ing came,
IL