The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-01-01
"OLD CHRISTMAS"
CELEBRATION AT
RODANTHE JAN. 5
Only Place in Country Still
Honoring Old Custom
In Coastland

Rodanthe. - Christmas comes
twice each year to Rodanthe and
Waves, here on Hatteras Island,
and the second observance of
January 5, is one that has been
celebrated through the centuries,
or since the Outer Banks of
North Carolina was first settled
more than three hundred and
fifty years ago. There are other
places in the world where an
"Old Christmas" is celebrated on
January 6 or Twelfth Night and
the Epiphany, but nowhere else
is the second observance follow
ing the modern Yuletide on jan
uary s.
The Rodanthe citizens who adj
here to the custom are not sure
why January 5 is their "Old
Christmas" although present gen.
crations observe that date, just
as their ancestors through the
years celebrated the occasion on
the fifth day of the New Year.
They will agree that the date of
their Old Christmas celebration
falls on the Eve of Epiphany and
they will also accept the Twelfth
Night theory as a reason for the
custom - but the more logical
and generally accepted explana-
ton of why January 5 is their
old Christmas date goes back to
the 18th Century and the days of
Pope Gregory XIII who revised
the old Julian Calendar in use for
centuries prior to that time.
1t was not until the mid-17th
Century that England and her
colonies adopted the Gregorian
Calendar, and then from the Eng
disappearing people there was
much dissention. 1t meant the
loss of II days when the New
Style Calendar was adopted.
Thus Christmas which had been
universally observed by English
peoples came II days earlier or
the December 25th of our present
| day. 1t was years before the New
Christmas was universally OBJ
served. In recent years, during
the current Century as matter
of fact, the people of Rodanthe
and Waves began observing New
Christmas, but they also cele-
brate on January 5, the tradi-
tional Yultide of their ancestors.
Neurological Angle
There is one phase of Old
Christmas Celebration here
which has a NEUROLOGICAL aspect.
That is the traditional "Old
Buck" the mad bull of Trent
Woods which shows up at every
celebration. There is always an
"Old Buck" attending the Ro-
danthe-Waves Old Christmas
party, parties which include re-
ligious phases, a Christmas tree
and gift-giving, dancing and carol
singing.
Some believe that "Old Buck"
was injected into Old Christmas
celebrations here by ship
wrecked Scandinavian, because
the Morse in their mythology had
bovine beast at the celebrations.
Here the "Old Buck" is not a live
bull, but one crudely and comic
ally constructed from the skull
of Banker "cattle-beaste" and
body of cow hide beneath
which one would upon examina-
ton find human propellation.
Already plans are underway to
make the Old Christmas celebra-
ton of 1854 the greatest in the
history of the community. This
will be made possible because
paved roads now connect the
communities of Hatteras Island
and where is used to take hours
of travel over roadless beaches
to reach the community, the trip
today from any village on Hat
teras Island can be made in
matter of minutes.
Responsible for the celebration
this year which will include the
Christmas tree, religious services,
carol singing and Old Buck will
be the NUGGETS, the Herberts, the
O'Neals and all other families of
the community. After this phase
of the celebration there will be
square dance in R. D. Oken's new
motel, The Chicamacomico, half
way between Rodanthe and
Waves.