Christmas - and beyond

"Many leaders of the Celtic church, who chose to spend so much time as solitaries, came together with their families, friends and fellow Christians for a short while at this time of year. It is a tradition that the most secular of us still follow, as we observe or run away from the family gatherings of Christmas and New Year. For this time of the return of the light, and the promise of the rebirth of the sun, soon became associated with the nativity of Christ. That festival was less central to the early church than the Resurrection of Easter, but in northern latitudes especially it was linked with the celebrations that greeted the intimations of returning light and warmth, although winter still had so much of its course to run. In the Eastern Orthodox church, Christmas is celebrated on 6 January, when we, in the West, are keeping Epiphany. It seems possible that this was the time for the Celtic Christmas, for it marks the end of the plateau of the solstice and the time when the days perceptibly begin to lengthen."

Shirley Toulson wrote this passage in her book celebrating the celtic Christian festivals and in 183 words included the Eastern and Western Christian churches, the pagan festivals that preceded their adoption of winter festivals and the calendar differences that still pertain to make it possible for us to start seasonal celebrations in mid December and not end them until mid January.

In the South West it is not unusual to kick off these prolonged celebrations with feasting in memory of Fingar and Piala on the 14 th of December as, sometime in the middle of the fifth century, this brother and sister, were killed at Hayle in Cornwall on the orders of the pagan king of the tribe of Dumnonia. Fingar and Piala had been converted to Christianity by Patrick and were banished from their native Ireland by their royal father who would not accept them taking up the new religion. They went first to Brittany , where Fingar's feast is still celebrated, before leaving there for that part of Dumnonia that is now known as Cornwall to fall foul of the king.

By December 14 th in these 24 hour drinking days it is quite possible to find self-styled wassailers spreading the festive spirit while claiming to preserve the old festivities but, in reality, burying them.

The now almost forgotten custom with its Christian origins, often confused with Wassailing, though its origin seems to have been different, was that of the Vessel Cup. Until well into the 19 th century, entertainers accompanied the 'transformed' man, and as custom varied the confusion over wassailing began

During Advent women and children used to go round with a decorated box known as the Vessel cup, that contained two dolls (or sometimes only one), surrounded by silver paper stars, apples, oranges, evergreens and flowers. The box was covered by a clean white cloth which hid the dolls from view until the moment came to display them. The carriers went from house to house, singing carols like The Seven Joys of Mary, or God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, or one of the Wassail songs, especially

'here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green'.

They were rewarded with gifts of food or money, and when these had been received, the white cloth was removed, and the little figures, which represented the Infant Jesus and His Mother, were shown to the giver.

The Yule Log, burning in the grate, was also a reminder of the winter fire festivals and solstice celebrations of pre-Christian times, concerned continuing life, and protection from evil.

In some rural areas it was believed that the log provided warmth to the dead who returned at Christmas time, to visit their old homes. The log had to be hewn, not bought, and once brought down it was covered in evergreen and dragged home. In parts of the county, the figure of a man was etched into the wood to slowly blacken and fade as the log burned; with sacrificial overtones.

Ashes and charcoal recovered from a Yule Log were said to hold healing properties, if gathered from one that had burned continuously throughout the twelve festive days.

The log is likely to still be found in many homes today, brought to the table instead of the fireplace, chocolate covered or coated in a favoured icing.

Yule Babes, cakes or pastries cut accordingly were once a feature of Christmas fare to be sacrificed to appetite and not some spirit of a pagan past.

Christmas was a twelve day festival with joyous activities throughout the period taking place alongside normal work but, at Newton Abbot, the curfew was not rung for the twelve nights of Christmas so as to allow for seasonal merry-making.

Towards the end of the 19th century apprentices were excused working by candlelight during the twelve festive days and enjoyed a shorter working day of perhaps only a mere ten hours duration.

At some time during the festivities, often, but not necessarily on Christmas Day, neighbours were visited, to wish them well. The Anglo-Saxon greeting, wes-hal , meaning 'be whole', or 'be of good health', included an implied pledge of peace and protection exchanged when people met. Applied later at Christmas gatherings, toasts to 'health and prosperity' were proposed with ceremonial and singing while a 'wassail bowl', filled with hot spicy drink, was passed around the company like a loving cup, to be shared by all.

Filled with a mixture of hot ale, spices, sugar, and roasted apples to which whipped eggs and cream were often added, the wassail bowl circulated the company in approved, and traditional order, commencing with the master of the house, and then the mistress. A large gathering called for a bigger wassail bowl, which could not be carried, and cups were called for but the older, smaller, bowls still had a use. They were beribboned and decorated by children who then took them around, empty, hoping to fill the bowl with gifts by singing their goodwill song. In turn, this gave rise to the tradition of visiting others and singing carols outside their doors; and the wassail bowl became the punch-bowl, complete with cups, for later generations.

In addition to serving family gatherings, the wassail bowl by kindred custom was carried around to tour the town, or village, with regular refills supervised by the King, or Captain, of the Wassailers.

Wassail, Wassail, all over the town,

Our toast it is white, and our ale is brown

Our bowl it doth come from the white maple tree

From the wassailing bowl we all drink to thee.

Since ancient days, wassailing of a festive kind was indeed always carried out throughout the Christmas period but, here there must be regard given to what that period was.

The oft quoted calendar changes are useful to remember when spreading the seasonal goodwill to cover both the Christian and pagan festivities but, if you have fruit trees or bees it is wise to ensure that you wassail them all according the old calendar.

So here's wishing one and all , wes-hal . Be of good health.

© Roy & Ursula Radford