Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Nineteen

Hello Friends!

Here is today's Advent calendar picture and scripture.

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A week from today and the Christmas festivities will be winding down, it will be Boxing Day and we will be wondering why we ate so much on Christmas Day!

One of the things many of us may over~indulge in, and one of the most famous dishes to grace the British Christmas table, is the Christmas Pudding, sometimes called Plum Pudding {although it does not contain any plums}.

Traditionally Christmas Pudding arrives at the table spectacularly alight with flaming brandy.  It became the rich pudding we know today during Victorian times having evolved from a Medieval dish called Frumenty which was a thick, stodgy, porridge like pudding made from cracked wheat. Modern day Frumenty is a spicy wheat based dish made from cracked wheat, almond milk, eggs, beef stock, and saffron.

Here is a recipe written in the fifteenth century for Frumenty ~~~

Curye on Inglysch, 15th c.

To make frumente. Tak clene whete & braye yt wel in a morter tyl the holes gon of; sethe it til it breste in water. Nym it up & lat it cole. Tak good broth & sweet mylk of kyn or of almand & tempere it therwith. Nym yelkys of eyren rawe & saffroun & cast therto; salt it; lat it naught boyle after the eyren ben cast therinne. Messe if forth with venesoun or with fat motoun fresch.

It isn't easy to understand, but I can make out words that suggest cracking wheat using a mortar, soaking the wheat, cooling the mixture, then I can see broth, sweet milk of almonds, raw egg yolks, and saffron and salt. Following that I can make out venison and fresh mutton. Lots of familiar words with an unfamiliar feel, and lots of words that mean nothing at all!  I think a good knowledge of cooking and an understanding of what words meant six hundred years or so ago would help immensely! Did you notice there are no indications of measurements or times?

By the late 16th century, records indicate that the recipe now included a list of ingredients such as raisins, currants, prunes, breadcrumbs, spices and alcohol, as the recipe was evolving closer to the pudding we know today. However, in 1664, it was banned by the Puritans as a "bad custom" and was not seen again until revived by King George I in 1714.

There are many superstitions and traditions surrounding the Christmas Pudding, including:

• that it must be made with exactly thirteen ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples;
• that the pudding be stirred from east to west to honour the Three Wise Men;
• that every member of the family take a turn to stir the pudding {but this probably arose more from the desire to get help with the energy needed to thoroughly stir such a stodgy mixture by hand};
• that everyone stirring the pudding got to make a wish;
• it is topped with a sprig of holly to serve, often said to represent the Crown of Thorns;
• tokens were placed in the pudding and whoever got that token in their portion would receive the attribute in the coming year.  Some examples include: a wishbone {good luck}; a thimble {thrift}; an anchor {safe harbour}; a ring {will be married soon}; a silver sixpence {see below}.

Puddings are traditionally made on the Sunday before Advent which is known as “Stir Up Sunday”.  It is widely believed that it is called "Stir Up Sunday" because the Collect, from the Book of Common Prayer used in the Church of England in the 16th century, for that day includes the wording:

"Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The puddings are then left to mature until Christmas Day.  However, I remember my Grandmother making the puddings one year and allowing them to mature until the following year! This long maturing process is not uncommon, and the longer the maturation the better the pudding.

One tradition I remember from my childhood is finding a silver coin in the pudding. Traditionally, a silver sixpence is stirred into the pudding and is said to bring wealth for the coming year to the person who finds it ~ assuming they don’t choke on such a small object hidden in the dense pudding!  I always potched my pudding to see if I had the coin {and I now know this was often rigged so I would find it} before eating a mouthful!

Here are some silver sixpences that have spent time in Christmas Puddings. If you got the coin, you didn't spend it for if you did you would be giving your wealth away.  I can’t imagine doing any of this today because of health and safety, but it is what I grew up with and I don’t know of anyone who suffered because of the coin in the pudding.

Top row King George V 1921 and 1927; Bottom row King George VI 1943, 1945 {2} and 1948

Christmas Pudding is best eaten hot served with a brandy flavoured white sauce, or custard sauce, Brandy Butter, or any one of a variety of creams {plain or flavoured} that are now available to buy, or make yourself.

I recently read that an estimated five million puddings {equivalent of} are thrown out every Christmas. This is disgraceful and there is no excuse for throwing out your leftover pudding. You can reheat it successfully for Boxing Day, it keeps well and can be eaten cold like a rich fruit cake, you can freeze it, or you can make something else, such as a Christmas Pudding Trifle, or something fun to give to guests or as sweet treat gifts to your neighbours are Nigella Lawson's Christmas Puddini Bonbons.  No reason to waste pudding at all!

I shall depart this subject with one of the most famous literary quotes about the Christmas Pudding from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" ~~~

"Mrs Cratchit left the room alone – too nervous to bear witnesses – to take the pudding up and bring it in... Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper which smells like a washing-day. That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and a pastrycook's next door to each other, with a laundress's next door to that. That was the pudding. In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit entered – flushed, but smiling proudly – with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quarter of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top."

~~~~~

Tonight's Yuletide Lad is Skyr Gobbler and he will be leaving on the 1st of January after he has sneaked into the pantry to gobble up any bowls of Skyr that have been left lying around.  Some of his other names are Skyrgámur,  Skyr Glutton, and Curd Glutton.

Skyr is quite delicious and I can understand why a hungry Yuletide Lad would seek out as much as he can eat!

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Eighteen

Hello Friends!

We're on the home straight now, a week from today it's Christmas Day. It is hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by ~~~

Here is today's Advent calendar picture and scripture ~~~

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We have a lovely tradition in the cathedral at Christmas called Lilies for Remembrance.  Displays of pure white lilies are arranged on the altars, the font, at the bases of pillars, and in the small chapels and annexes throughout the cathedral.  For a small sum you may dedicate a lily to a loved one who has gone before.  I have seven names that I dedicate lilies to, and here are some of the images I've taken over the years of the displays ~~~

Here is a photo of the organ loft decorated for Christmas. I often feel the presence of my Grandparents when I look at the organ loft, for my Grandfather was Verger at the cathedral for 35 years, and my Grandmother was Housekeeper at the Deanery, which is just up the hill from the south door. I often sense they are standing there looking down on the building that played such an important part in both their lives, and which meant so much to them ~~~

   ~~~~~

Tonight's Yuletide Lad, number seven to come down from the mountains, is Door Slammer, also called Hurðaskellir or Door Banger. He enjoys nothing better than disturbing you while you sleep by making plenty of noise during the night by banging doors.  He leaves on December 31st.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Sixteen and Seventeen

Hello Friends!

Christmas took over yesterday and I had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak, so I am a little behind and rather than play catch up with two separate posts, I shall combine the two days. There's just over a week to go now and here is yesterday's and today's Advent calendar pictures and scripture ~~~

oh, dear, they seem a little out of focus. I dropped my camera two days ago, I hope I haven't broken it.

~~~~~

Something no Christmas seems complete without are the omnipresent Christmas cards that drop through our letter boxes by the dozen at this time of year. From humble beginnings to a multi million GB pound and US dollar industry, post offices across the world go into overdrive to process countless millions of cards every year. They come in every shape and size, any Christmas theme you can think off and more, and every colour of the rainbow in addition to traditional Christmas colours, and in every quality to suit every pocket, but do you know when Christmas cards were invented and why?

It comes down to two gentlemen, Sir Henry Cole and John Hallcott Horsley, in 1843.  Sir Henry, a civil servant, worked for the Public Record Office which was later to become the Post Office, and which he had helped set up. He was looking for ways to encourage people to use this new service and with his illustrator friend, John Hallcott Horsley, came up with the idea to make an illustrated greeting for people to purchase and send through the postal system to send Christmas greetings to their family and friends.  So, the first Christmas cards came into being. The first card showed a scene of family gathered around a table full of food as they celebrated Christmas, controversially raising a glass of wine in a toast.  Cards with religious scenes and other traditional seasonal images did not come until much later.

You can read more about the development of the Christmas card, and how it evolved into the cards we now post across the globe in their countless millions here or here.  It is quite fascinating, including information on official Christmas cards, charity cards, commercialisation of Christmas cards and more.  You will also find some charming illustrations of early cards ~~~

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Last night the fifth Yuletide Lad, Pot Licker, came down from the mountains. He is also called Pottaskefill or Pot Scraper and will be here between 16th and 29th December.  Pot Licker will break into the house and steal any unwashed cooking pots, to lick any remnants of food from the insides.

Tonight, the 17th, sees the sixth Yuletide Lad, Bowl Licker arrive and he is considered to be the ugliest. He will break into the house and hide under the bed waiting for bowls of pet food to be put down for the dog or cat, which he will then eat, and lick clean.  "Askur" is a particular type of Icelandic pot with a lid. Also known as Askasleikir, he will return to the mountains on 30th December.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Fifteen

Hello Friends!

Over half way now, and here is today's Advent calendar picture and scripture ~~~

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I thought today I'd tell you about the history of Christmas Crackers.

When I was a child, these fun novelites were pulled at every Christmas meal and we sat around the table wearing the obigatory paper hat and reading silly jokes and mottoes that came from the crackers.  In those days in the middle of the 20th century crackers were not particularly expensive things, containing cheap paper hats and a silly, cheap novelty gift.  Over the years, however, even every day Christmas crackers have taken on a more designer quality with more elaborate gifts from a few luxury chocolates, miniature bottles of alcohol, travel sizes of toiletries, to jewellery and silk scarves. Making your own crackers and customising the contents to match your table decor and your guests preferences is also popular.

So how did the Christmas cracker come into being?  They were invented by an English gentleman named Tom Smith who had worked from an early age in a bakery and confectioner's shop in London. In 1840 he travelled to Paris, France where he came across the "bon bon" ~ small almond confections wrapped in tissue paper. From this simple beginning, the Christmas cracker evolved and developed into the elaborate and decorated novelty we know today.

If you would like to read more about the fascinating development and history of this tradtional novelty, you can do so here tracing the changes from Victorian love mottoes to corny jokes and riddles, and how the familiar 'snap' was developed, and connections to the Ministry of Defence.  There is even a rather sad tale of a gentleman who wrote to the factory in 1927 enclosing a diamond ring, a 10/- {ten shilling} note and a request for a special cracker to surprise his {future} fiance. Sadly, the gentleman overlooked to include his return address and the ring and money are still in the company's safe!

Tom Smith is still a leading name in the world of Christmas crackers and the company he founded is still run by family members, and is in posession of many Royal Warrants, including one granted in 1964 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and this is still held today.

~~~~~

The Yuletide Lad who arrives tonight is called Spoon Licker, or Þvörusleikir. He will be here until the 28th December.  Spoon Licker is extremely thin and malnourished and will try to steal dirty Þvörur, a type of wooden ladle, and lick any food found on them.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Fourteen

Hello Friends!

Just eleven more sleeps, as they say, until Christmas Morning! Here is today's Advent picture and scripture ~~~

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Today I'm sharing with you the unique Icelandic tradition of Laufabrauð, or Leaf Bread {call me a romantic, but I'd really like to think that this may be where JRR Tolkien got his inspiration for the Elven waybread of Lembas Bread} and also sometimes called Snowflake Bread ~~~

Laufabrauð is a traditional Icelandic bread eaten at Christmas consisting of very thin "cakes" about 7 inches in diameter with intricate leaf~like patterns cut into the dough before they are deep fried in fat {or oil}.  Originally eaten only in the north of Iceland, it is now the custom across most of the country to make and eat Laufabrauð at Christmas.  It is usually a pre~Christmas family activity with several generations sitting around the kitchen table cutting their own patterns into the dough. Sometimes, a special cutting iron called a laufabrauðsjárn is used.

You can watch a clip of still images with dialogue from Icelandic Review here.

I was privileged to see this happening, some thirty years ago when I lived in Iceland, at the Árbær Open Air Museum in Árbæjarsafn near Reykjavik. I bought the paper ornament, below, as a memento of seeing real Laufabrauð being made ~~~

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Tonight's Yuletide Lad, the third, is Stubby, or Stúfur, and is also the shortest Lad. He is also known as Pan Scraper and he will try to steal small bits of food left in the fat at the bottom of a dirty pan.  He joins his two brothers who are already here and will leave for his mountain home on December 27th.

Until next time ~~~
~~~ Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Thirteen

Hello Friends!

We're over half way to Christmas now ~ half way through December, that is. Here is today's Advent picture and scripture ~~~

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For today's Traditions and Trivia I will turn it over to you. I've been asked by a few of you if I'll share some images of some of my ornaments, so I'm doing this today instead of research ~~~ so if you'd like to, why not tell me some of your traditions in the comments box? I'd love to read what you do too!

I used to decorate all out for Christmas and have quite a collection of ornaments, some vintage, some new {or they were new 30 years ago which makes them almost vintage now} and many handmade ones. I used to decorate one large, two medium, and several miniature trees each year, but have pared it all back since Mum can't cope with it all. So, this year I have just decorated my mantel and a shelf or two {I'm still decorating, by the way} to give a little Christmas cheer to the living room only.  Here are a few of my particular favourite ornaments ~~~

Let's start with the Crib. This is almost as old as I am, and I know many of us have one. Inexpensive, mine came from the long~gone traditional newsagent that stood on the bottom of the village square for decades. It was bought for me by my dear Nanna, and it has travelled the world with me in my hand luggage because if I only have one decoration at Christmas, this is it ~~~

Now on to some of my David Winter Cottages and Shoemaker Cottages which I bring out at Christmas ~~~

and some Cherished Teddies, which I used to collect at one time ~~~

some miscellaneous Santas ~~~

I made this from cotton paper pressed into a cookie mold

and the few of my snow globes that I have found {the box with the remainder is still waiting to be found, maybe one of the Yuletide Lads took it as he left last year!} ~~~

My Corn Angel tree topper ~~~

A Thomas Kincaide Tree ~~~ large enough for my small cottage ~~~

and a small stack of Christmas books {and a few that aren't Christmas but have Christmas things in them}

It isn't much this year, but it does bring an air of festiveness to the cottage for my visitors and guests.

~~~~~

Tonight's Yuletide Lad is Gully Gawk, or Giljagaur.  This Lad lurks in dark corners around Icelandic farms waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and skim froth from the pails of milk.  So, tonight, two of the Yuletide Lads are abroad in the villages and farmsteads!

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

p.s. don't forget to share some of your traditions, will you?

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Twelve

Hello Friends!

Here is today's Advent calendar image and scripture ~~~

~~~

A peculiarly British Christmas tradition is that of Pantomime, or affectionately called 'panto'. It is a centuries old form of entertainment having evolved over time from the Mummers play of the Middle Ages by way of the Commedia dell arte but is now a genre of entertainment all of it's own. It is a stage production of humorous family entertainment based on fairy tales and stories performed in dialogue along with plenty of slapstick comedy, gags, music, song and dance.  The stories are based on fairy tales and are written to include topical material of the day, cross dressing characters, with plenty of humour and audience participation with singalongs, and interaction with the characters through use of well known phrases.

Some popular panto productions include:
Aladdin; Jack and the Beanstalk; Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; Cinderella; Dick Whittington; Puss in Boots; Mother Goose; and Babes in the Wood.

The conventions of panto include:
Cross dressing ~the male lead is played by a woman
                       ~the pantomime dame is played by a man in gaudy drag.
Audience participation phrases~ such as "he's behind you!" or "oh! no he isn't ~ oh! yes he is!" and the audience is encouraged to hiss and boo at the villain.
Lyrics to popular songs rewritten and adapted to the script and to include references to topical anecdotes and news.
The Good Fairy should always enter stage right and the Villain from stage left.
An animal, usually a panto horse played by two people in costume, one at the front one at the back.
Slapstick comedy routines
Risqué jokes and double entendre which, in theory, is aimed at the adults and not comprehended by children in the audience.

Many famous celebrities appear in panto in towns and cities all over the UK and it is a popular event for many local amateur dramatic troupes too.
Call me a spoil sport or a Grumpy Old Woman, but I have never cared much for panto.

~~~~~

As I shared with you yesterday, the first of the Icelandic Yuletide Lads arrives in the villages and farmsteads across Iceland tonight and is called "Sheep-Cote Clod" also known as "Stekkjastaur" in Icelandic.  He has wooden legs, so is also called "Peg Leg".  He sneaks into the sheepfolds where he harasses the sheep and drinks the ewes' milk.  Arriving tonight, the 12th December, he is also the first Lad to return to the mountains on December 25th.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown, Traditions and Trivia Day Eleven

Hello Friends!

Today I am adding in another little twist to the Traditions and Trivia, but first here is the Advent picture and scripture for today ~~~

When I lived in Iceland I learned about their Christmas tradition of the Yuletide Lads or Swains. There is quite a lot to say about this, so now would be a good time to go and put the kettle on, make a cup of tea, and settle into your comfy arm chair to learn about the background of this tradition.

Unlike most other countries who celebrate Christmas with a single Father Christmas figure, Iceland does not.  Instead, they have the Yuletide Lads, each with a different trait or personality, who visit each house in the days running up to December 25th.  The Yuletide Lads are steeped in tradition and folklore and I will do my best to share some of this with you as a background to what will follow from tomorrow.

First, we have to understand that Christianity is a relatively new religion in Iceland, and a quite complicated issue which I will not address here. Briefly, it was adopted for political reasons in the year 1,000 but it took many more centuries to be fully practiced, so it follows that many pagan and pre~Christian traditions remain strongly rooted in today's culture.  As with many European countries, the Christian Christmas period begins on December 23 and ends on Epiphany {January 6} but the tradition of the Yuletide Lads starts on December 12 and finishes on January 6.

In bygone days, the Yuletide Lads were called Trolls and were very evil characters. Their numbers have varied over the years but today there are 13 of these now harmless fellows to contend with.  Their mother is an ogress by the name of Grýla and the earliest records of her appear in the thirteenth century work known as the Edda {Snorri Sturluson}.  Tales of the evil Grýla include that, somewhat as Father Christmas does, she knows who the naughty children are. That is the only similarity, for when Grýla senses a naughty child she comes down, out from her mountain home and devours the naughty child.  Naughty children are her favourite snack and this forms the basis of some very scary tales told to Icelandic children from an early age!  {it is possible that these frightening tales were told to prevent children from misbehaving and wandering away from the homesteads in what is a very dangerous and hostile land for a small child to become lost}.

To add to children's fear of Grýla and her sons prowling about in the landscape looking for naughty children to eat, her enormous black cat also stalked and ate children who did not receive clothing as part of their Christmas gifts! By 1746 children were so terrified that the Icelandic government intervened and put a ban on the tales being used as intimidation tactics and that is possibly when the Trolls became the Yuletide Lads and rather than devouring naught children the tradition with which I am most familiar came into being. This is the tradition I will be sharing with you each day between now and December 25th.

Without giving too much away, today there are thirteen Yuletide Lads, mischievous fellows who visit villages and homesteads across Iceland from December 12 to December 25. Each night brings a new Lad with a peculiar trait, sometimes playing tricks, and these will be revealed to you from tomorrow onwards. Icelandic children today place a shoe on their windowsill and, because the Lads all know how each child has behaved, on the following morning the shoes are filled with sweets and small gifts if the child has been good, or a potato or lump of coal if they have misbehaved. This is a much better, kinder way of treating children than threatening them with an evil ogress, don't you agree?

As each Lad arrives, they gather together and then when they are all here on December 25, the begin to depart, one each day in the order in which they arrived, back into their mountain home for another year.

I remember, fondly and with great amusement, a friend's child {when I lived in Iceland} turning the whole thing around on her poor, bemused mother who had placed a potato in the impish child's shoe; she got all excited, a beaming smile on her face as she exclaimed, "Look Mommy, a potato! I can have hash browns for breakfast!" ~~~

Because of my great love of Iceland, I will drop in some extra snippets about their other Christmas customs too ~~~ that is if you've been good, of course!

Until next time ~~~
~~~ Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown and Traditions Day Ten

Hello Friends!

Here is today's Advent calendar window ~~~

Today's tradition is a more modern one, that of television and all the special films and cartoons that we only get to see this time of year, unless, of course, we own copies on dvd ~~~

Probably the  most famous British television tradition is the Queen's Speech which is recorded at Buckingham Palace well in advance of Christmas Day and then broadcast at 3:00 p.m., probably to coincide with most people just finishing the Christmas Dinner Feast.  She offers a summary of her year and words of gratitude and encouragement to her loyal subjects across the Commonwealth. I think this year's speech will be very interesting indeed.

Growing up in Britain Christmas was a time to look forward to seeing a lot of "new" films on television, albeit in the 1960's and 70's most of them were three years old, it was the first time they were broadcast to the general population through the ever increasingly popular medium of television.  Over the years, one or two became stalwarts, such as "White Christmas", "The Sound of Music" and "Ben Hur" and at one time I joked that it can't possibly be Christmas because Ben Hur isn't on!  As the years progressed so the number of Christmas programmes increased, and many are the remakes of "A Christmas Carol" by both serious actors and The Muppets, as well as musical adaptations. Then Raymond Briggs's "The Snowman" came into our lives and Christmas viewing seemed changed forever.

Nowadays, there are many films that put in a seasonal appearance and Christmas has a new tradition of films and cartoons we all want to see, maybe because they remind us of our youth, or maybe just because most of them have a feel good factor we love. I know, for me, although I'm not a huge fan of Christmas I do tend to make an effort to watch a few special things, partly for old times's sake and partly because it gives me a forced break from all the hubbub of the season!

It's the one time of the year I also buy the Radio Times. I remember as a child we always had a Radio Times at Christmas so that we'd know when our favourites were coming to air ~~~

{other tv guides are available, but this one is the best!}

So, these are my 'must watch' programmes at Christmas {and into the New Year} ~~~

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings {radio or televised}
The Queen's Speech
The Snowman
The Sound of Music
It's a Wonderful Life
The Bishop's Wife {my favourite}
White Christmas
The Bells of St Mary's
Miracle on 34th Street {the 1947 version}
Any number of old Hollywood musicals that are aired
Other classic Hollywood films {they don't make them like that anymore!}
I always hope "Little Women" will be on {any version}
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
and this year, there is a Harry Potter~fest, showing each of the eight films over eight days; if I can squeeze those in I will!

So, what are your favourite Christmas films and shows that you don't like to miss? Please share, I'd love to know, and maybe I can find your favourites and check them out this year.

Tomorrow I have a special treat from Iceland which will mean extra trivia daily between now and Christmas Day ~~~ do come back to find out, won't you?

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown and Traditions Day Nine

Hello Friends!

It is December 9th, so here is the image and scripture from the Advent calendar for today ~~~

and here is how the calendar looks so far, with the first nine doors opened ~~~

Today's tradition I will share is the observance of Boxing Day.

Christmas Day in the United Kingdom is followed by Boxing Day on December 26th.  It is a secular holiday so called because it is the day when servants or tradesmen would receive their 'Christmas Box', a cash gratuity, from their masters, customers, or employers.

A Christmas Box was, and often still is, a gift of money in recognition of work throughout the year. In bygone days the Christmas Box was an important source of extra income.  Even today, when we give a tip to postmen, refuse collectors, hairdressers and beauticians, etc. it is called their "Christmas Box" {although this is no longer given on December 26th} in recognition of the distant origins.

Boxing Day is a holiday tradtion I grew up with, and frankly I never understood what it was about until I was much older. During my research for this I came across another interesting related snippet which is that servants and workers kept sealed stoneware boxes in their rooms or cottages in which they kept the tips they received throughout the year. On December 26 they traditionally broke open the boxes to access the money accrued through the year, hence the name 'Boxing Day' ~ I had not heard of this before, but it adds another layer of interest to the interpretation.

Christmas Boxes were often spent on little luxuries that otherwise were not affordable, and also on sweet treats sold by the numerous street vendors of the day. This goes a long way to explaining why, at Christmas time, I always felt my mother was stocking up the home for a ten day siege! Although we were not in reciept of a Christmas Box, I know she kept a little box in the sideboard in the parlour so she could save regularly throughout the year to provide a sumptuous feast for the family between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day when we ate like the kings and queens of old!

The gifting of Christmas Boxes was not an insignificant gesture. Considering the average well~to~do household over the course of twelve months might employ, in addition to their own staff and servants, the following tradesmen: butcher, green grocer, brewer, fishmonger, poulterer, dustman, watchman, lamplighter, seamstress, carpenter, glazier, blacksmity, tallow chandler, grain chandler, baker, and so on and so forth, not forgetting the person who sells brick dust to your footman for the polishing of knives, and not to mention that every apprentice who works for all of your main suppliers and tradesmen would be sure to make themselves known to you on Boxing Day too then the giving of a Christmas Box was an expensive thing to do.

We do not like to be done out of an extra day off work, so if Boxing Day falls on a weekend, then a Bank Holiday is taken on the first working day that follows {to complicate matters, if Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, and Boxing Day on a Sunday then the next two working days being Monday and Tuesday are taken in the form of Bank Holidays, so it can be a four day weekend}.

Across much of Europe, the 26th December is known as St Stephen's Day, or the Second Day of Christmastide and is observed as such with different traditions or customs pertinent to each country.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown and Traditions Day Eight

Hello Friends!

It is hard to believe we've been doing this for a week now and Christmas is just two and a half weeks away ~~~ how time flies ~~~ and here is the eighth image on the Advent Calendar ~~~

Today's Christmas Tradition is about the Welsh tradition of Mari Lwyd or Grey Mare/Mary. It is quite scary and not particularly Christmassy in my opinion, but I believe in looking at all manner of traditions to share with you.

This tradition is primarily found in South Wales and is a wassailing folk tradition involving the use of an eponymous "hobby horse" which is made from the skull of a real horse and a sheet which covers an individual responsible for carrying the pole~mounted skull while remaining hidden beneath the sheet.

The Mari Lwyd is accompanied by a group {of men} who take the mare around the village trying to gain entry to various households through the medium of song.  They will be repeatedly refused entry by the householders who will come up with excuses why the Mari Lwyd cannot gain entry, the men will try again and again, only to be refused each time. This is called pwnco and continues until the householders finally run out of excuses and entry is gained, whereupon the party receives food and drink and the merriment continues.

As you might guess, with a tradition such as this {which is ancient and has many ties to other celebrations and traditions} much has been written and if you would like to read more, and see some images of the {quite frightening, in my opinion} Mari Lwyd you can do so here.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown Traditions and Trivia Day Seven

Hello Friends!

I think you know the drill by now ~~~

Here's today's Advent calendar ~~~

It's getting busy now as the 25th approaches, so thought I'd share some quick Christmas Trivia today and ask you a quick question:

 what's in a name? 

Many babies born around the time of Christmas are given names associated with the time of year, so for fun today I looked some up online and here are just a few of the suggestions ~~~

For a boy you could have:

Casper    Christian      Claus      Gabriel      Joseph    Nicholas     Noel   Rudolph

For a girl you could have:

Carol   Gabrielle   Holly    Ivy   Mary   Joy   Noelle   Virginia   Gloria  Belle   Natalie   Natasha    Angela

Some more unusual suggestions include:

Cookie    Candy    Giftson    Gifty  Star   Peace  Melchior   Balthazar  

Do you know someone born in December who has been given a Christmas name?

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown and Traditions Day Six

Hello Friends!

As the weather outside turns back to the usual weather for this time of year, it is warm inside the cottage as we open door six ~~~

The Christmas tradition I share with you today is a most beautiful and moving one, that of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.  This service takes place in Christian churches and cathedrals across the land and is probably the most popular and most well loved of all the Christmas services. I recommend anyone attendting a live service, or even listening in by radio, to be well armed with handkerchiefs or tissues.

You can find a history of this service here if you would like to read more about it.

If you are ever fortunate enough to be able to attend the world reknowned service at King's College, then you can learn all about how to obtain, or queue on the day for, your tickets here where you can also download a booklet of the Order of Service. Alternatively, you can listen to the service broadcast live on the BBC World Service {which I highly recommend ~ and I will be listening in too}

Here is a link to part of the service at King's Collage, Cambridge and begins with the traditional processional carol, Once In Royal David's City, which happens to be my most favourite carol too. It is beautiful beyond words, so I will leave you to take a moment to enjoy it for yourself.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown and Traditions Day Five

Hello Friends!

Here is today's Advent calendar picture as we progress towards Christmas ~~~

Today's tradition is one of my own personal Christmas traditions, which I would like to share with you, and maybe encourage you to bring this little piece of Welsh literature into your own traditions. It is to read {several times over the days leading up to Christmas} a most favourite tale "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by one of Wales's most notable poets, the genius that was Dylan Thomas.

I just love this gentle, humorous tale, a nostalgic image of a Christmas from a simpler time, told in Thomas's own inimitable style. I especially love the passages about the "useful presents" and "useless presents"

"There were the Useful Presents: engulfing mufflers of the old coach days, and mittens made for giant sloths; zebra scarfs of a substance like silky gum that could be tug-o'-warred down to the galoshes; blinding tam-o'-shanters like patchwork tea cozies and bunny-suited busbies and balaclavas for victims of head-shrinking tribes ~~~ "

"Bags of moist and many-colored jelly babies and a folded flag and a false nose and a tram-conductor's cap and a machine that punched tickets and rang a bell; never a catapult; once, by a mistake that no one could explain, a little hatchet ~~~ "

 ~~~ I always wonder about the little hatchet!

If you have not read it, please do, it isn't long, it won't take up much time, for I'm sure you will love it as much as I do and will want to read it over and over as you are transported to that very special world. Copies are readily available, to buy, or to borrow from your local library, and can even be found to read online, although if you can find a sweetly illustrated hardcover copy then that is the best. You can even listen to it on audio CD if you want, read by Dylan Thomas himself, recorded in 1952 and let yourself drift with the words, falling snowflakes into his imaginary world. Curl up in a comfy arm chair with your book, light some candles, wear Fair Isle socks and snuggle under a quilt to escape to the small Welsh village of Thomas's imagination on a snowy Christmas tide ~~~

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

Christmas Countdown and Traditions Day Four

Hello Friends!

Here is this morning's Advent calendar door, December 4th ~~~

Today's Christmas Traditions and Trivia is about the omni~present Christmas Tree.

We all know that the Victorians, more specifically Prince Albert, are generally considered responsible for the popularity of the decorated indoor Christmas tree, but here are a couple of things about Christmas trees you might not know ~~~

Although the Germans are widely credited with the first Christmas trees, it is known that people across Europe decorated their homes at this time of year with evergreen foliage such as holly, ivy, and pine boughs for centuries. Some of the earliest trees are thought to be branches of fir trees tied together in a triangular shape. Records from the sixteenth century indicate that decorated trees in Latvia and Estonia were burned after people had danced around them; in the early 1600's there is evidence from Strasbourg of trees decorated with paper roses {the Virgin}, wafers {the Eucharist}, pretzels {arms folded in prayer} apples and sweets.

Today, brightly lit and decorated Christmas trees pop up in public spaces in every city, town and village across the land, providing a focal point that reminds us of the Christmas season. The sites of these trees often become the scene of gatherings as each tree is lit during a special ceremony where villagers or townsfolk gather, singing carols, listening to local choirs and musicians, or local school children reading scripture, while drinking hot chocolate or mulled apple cider and eating mince pies or other seasonal confections.  These events often culminate with the arrival of Father Christmas who gives a small gift to each child.

I love to walk through my own village in that early hour just before dawn to see the tree which stands in the centre of the village in all it's glory, brightly lit in the darkness, a shining beacon of hope as the sun starts to rise, slowly, from the east.  I am often alone as the village lies sleeping, or just stirring from slumber, and there is a stillness and certain beauty in the moment that cannot be put into words. I like to believe it is the stirring of my ancient ancestors who did not understand the shortening and darkening of the days as the year slowly turned, but who welcomed the return of the light at this time of year in jubilant celebration of the lengthening days.

One British Christmas tree in particular is a very special tree indeed, and that is the tree which proudly stands in Trafalgar Square in London.

The Trafalgar Square tree is gifted every year to the people of Great Britain by the city of Oslo in Norway in gratitude for assistance to Norway during World War II. It bears a plaque which reads:

This tree is given by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the years 1940-45.

A tree has been given annually since 1947.

You can read more about this special tree here.

Do you decorate a tree in your home? I've seen images of some really lovely trees being shared across social media along with the history and heritage of ornaments that are handed down from generation to generation across the years ~~~

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo