Evening star., 1914-12-13
CHRISTMAS is essentially the sea-
son of merrymaking. the home

(HRISTMAS is essentially the sea-
son of merrymaking, the 'home-
coming week." when the prodfgal
returns to the paternal roof, the spend
thrift forsakes his boon companions,
and the convivialist deserts the wine
cup.
For this reason. if for no other, it's
observance has been characterized by
many peculiar and varied forms of
celebration. More odd customs have
grown up around the commemoration
of this festival, perhaps. than around
any other feast on the Christians cal
endar. Every land where Christianity
has taken foothold has it's own idio-
, cratic notions of observing the day.
England, however. is particularly rich
in the variety and oddity of the Gus
toms that mark a Christmas on that
island. Some of these can be traced
directly to the old pagan ceremonies
Britain, who held their festivals of re-
joicing at the winter solstice. with
many mystic rites under the mistle-
toe; others are lost in obscurity, with
being a creative people have their own
peculiar ways of observing Christmas,
and because of their conservatism have
clung to what they have found.
Within England itself, the customs
vary with the locality. From the time
when the memory of man runneth not
to the contrary" twelve days have been
given over to- the Christmas festivities,
with special emphasis on the final day,
that has made "twelfth-night" a red
letter" day on the English calendar
a fnr ri l,.I.
1t was then that the fun grew fast and
furious, for the real demonstrations"
were reserved for that gala night.
The barrister of the Temple in Lon
don. according to all accounts that
have come down to us, had a fun-lov-
ing disposition, which was particularly
active on twelfth night. Their idea of
fitting wind-up for the Christmas
gayeties was to demoliSh the doors of
their fellow citizens. 1t sometimes hap
pened that when these merry men,
headed by their elected lord of mis-
rule went forth, they got into trou-
BILE. On one particular night-twelfth
night, 1627-the gentlemen of the Tenn
pie. having chosen their lord of mis-
rule" started out at a late hour to
seek adventure. The lord of misrule
thought he would take this opportunity
to collect a few rents in Ram alley and
Fleet street.
At each door they winded the tenn
PIE uolA eao IL O. eiio 'oSoiio oAe.'S
they within opened not the door. the
lord of misrule cried, Give. fire, gun
ner!" The gunner was a robust Vul-
can, and the gun proportionately
large smiths sledge The lord mayor,
having been apprised of the proceed
ings, came to the rescue with band
of armed followers, and a fracas en-
sued, which resulted in misrule spend
ing two nights in jail. The time would
probably have been extended, it is said,
if his majesty, Charles /, had not ef-
fected a reconciliation.
An equally noisy but less malicious
rite was the one known as "wassailing
the apple trees" a ceremony peculiar
to the western counties. particularly
Devonshire, and one that prevails to
this day. on twelfth night, the farmer.
accompanied by a band of his constitu-
ents armed with shotguns, leaves his
warm freside and proceeds to a neigh
boring orchard. where they mobilize
around one of the most fruitful and
aged apple trees. They offer UP the
following quaint invocation:
Here's to thee,
Old Apple tree.
Whence thou mayst bud
And whence thou mayst blow
And whence thou mayst pear
Apples enOw:
Hats full,
Bushels bushels, sacks full,
And my pockets full. too!
HuZZa! Huzza!
The ever-present cider jug is then