Evening star., 1914-12-13
G CHRISTMAS MARKED BY MANY
ODD CUSTOMS I'm ENGLAND

passed around, and with hearty shouts
the guns are fired at the old tree. On
door bolted, and are refused admit
tance until some lucky wight guesses
the kind of roast that the woman-folk
are preparing for the feast: The lucky
evening and the joviaI glass goes
round The origin of this custom is not
known, but it is said to be one OF great
antiquity.
has never been fathomed, is that prac-
ticed in the household of certain
baronet of Aston, near Birmingham. So
far as is known, 1t is peculiar to this
per on Twelfth Night the table in the
hall is set and on It is placed brown
loaf. with twenty silver threepences
stuck in the top of it. Copious quanti-
for the occasion. The two Oldest ser
wants act as judges. One by one the
servants are brought into the room by
the steward, each covered with sheet
judges lays his or her hand on the
loaf. The older Judge has two guesses
as to the identity of the person be-
longing to the hand and the younger
only one. If the right name is guessed
the steward leads the servant back.
but, if not, the sheet is taken on and
the servant receives a threepence, and
leaves the room after making a low
obeisance to the judges A servant
who has not slept in the house the
night before forfeits his right to the
money. When the money is all gone
the servants are at liberty to diSport
themselves as they please.
The rural districts of England seem
to catch. the true merrymaking spirit
of Christmas and have preserved the
traditional customs prevalent in their
own particular locality for. centuries
without apparent change.
The West Riding is the home of the
Yorkshire sword actors. usually nine
or ten youths, who, with false boards
and costumes appropriate to their part,
present a short play. either the Peace
Egg or the Seven Champions of
Christendom." Among the characters
presented are the King of Egypt, his
daughter. a fool or Jester. St George.
St. Andrew, st. Patrick, st. David, St.
Denys, St. James and ST. Tewlis. whose
identity is somewhat obscure. st.
Peter of Rome is usually included in
the seven champions. From the melee
in which all the champions participate
for the hand of the daughter of the
King of Egypt, St. George comes out
triumphant. But just as he is about to
claim the fair lady the fool or jester
steps forward. and winds up the per-
OF a knight of Nottinghamshire who
lived in the seventeenth century it is
related that his Christmas began at
Halloween and continued on through
Candlemas, during which time his
house was kept in great splendor and
hospitality. During his celebration of
Christmas any one could stay three
days at his house without being asked
who he was or whence he had come
Until a few years ago it was the GUS
tom at Cumnor for the parishioners
who paid vicarial tithes to be entertain
ed at the vicarage Christmas day. For
their entertainment four bushels Of
NAL. brewed into ale and beer, two
bushels of wheat made into bread and
half hundredweight of cheese. What
was left was given to the poor.
Sword dancing at Christmas is an an
cient custom kept alive exclusively by
the people of Northumberland These
companied by their fddlers are a ia
miliar sight in that district of Eng
land during the Christmastide.
Closely associated with these per-
formances, but vastly more elaborate,
were the plays and masks which for
centuries were the chief diversion of
the royal families and the nobility dur
ing the twelve days of Christmas. Some
of these masks were. produced on a
most stupendous scale and represented
an outlay of money that almost takes
ones breath. 1t is said that the Duke
of Norfolk once expended a sum equal
to $125.000 on staging a popular mask
of the time. 1t was so elaborate that
the king took offense, considering it an
affront to himself.