Into another year; but when?

Christmas is Christmas and anyone of a politically correct nature expecting it to be called anything else by us should save himself or herself the search because folklore writers will not be ending the Christmas festivities by 5th January, 12th night. Instead, we will ready to start celebrating Christmas all over again by the old calendar and will combine 12th night celebrations with those of Old Christmas Eve.

First, before extend our celebration, let's consider when most people's Christmas period ends and decorations should be removed.

December 25th is Christmas Day, the first day of Christmas, and is recognised as such by peoples of many religions. It is also recognised that there are twelve days to Christmas and, therefore, the night of the 25th must be the first night of Christmas. Those of a mathematical disposition will already have worked out, or checked a calendar to confirm, that the 12th day and night arrive as January 5th. In past centuries Christmas ended on 12th Night with a final feast. Halls decked with boughs of holly and greenery naturally remained decorated until the 12th Night foods, including special pies and cake, had been reduced to a few crumbs on a dish or plate. The last cider barrel would be drained and the last ale cask emptied as the midnight bells proclaimed the end of Christmas. Are we to believe that those enjoying the last lingering minutes of Christmas stopped their festivities to take down those boughs of holly and greenery, cart it outside and clean the place up before midnight?

On new year's eve nowadays, would anyone stop the party and clean the place up as the midnight hour approached?

It's very unlikely we suggest; just as unlikely as our ancestors interrupting 12th Night celebrations to do it; especially as there is every indication that they may have left the decorations up until Candlemas. (2nd February; more of which next month).

January 6th would have been their earliest clean-up day so, modern decorations come down on that day also; unless, of course you are starting Christmas again by the old calendar and that makes January 6th , Old Christmas Day.

Those of a mathematical disposition will already have worked out, or checked a calendar to confirm, that Old 12th day and night arrive as January 17th.

However, do not expect to be celebrating your second New Year a few days later.

Until the 18th century, 25th March was New Year's day but, not to increase confusion, we will leave that alone for a few months.

One of the modern Christmas conundrums is ‘when do we go wassailing?'
Before, during, or after the few days of Christmas we celebrate?

The folklore answer to this question depends on what is meant by wassailing.

The word is derived from the anglo-saxon, ‘wes hál,' which means to ‘be whole' or ‘be of good health' and is a term that could be used throughout the year when drinking a toast to a friend. ‘Good health,' its present day counterpart, is certainly not restricted in use and is undoubtedly in use every day.

Wassailing the fruit trees, particularly the apple, was never set by our ancestors to relate to Christmas. Their pagan, pre-Christian, ceremony of appealing to the Gods of Nature considerably precedes the 5th century adoption by the church of Christmas as the birthday of Christ.

Some attribute this tree wassailing with a connection to the week-long Roman festival of Saturnalia in December or to their Kalends of January when Roman homes were adorned with laurels and bay.

Do they really believe that our ancestors couldn't think for themselves ?

Historian are beginning to realise that the ancient Britons, BC, were not the as dumb as they've previously made them out to be.

Farmers and breeders of livestock then, as now, respected nature and lived with it. Seasons, marked by the passing of the short days of winter to long days of summer is as natural today as it ever was.

Only its place in the calendar has taken our attention away from the time our ancestors would have noted the shortest day of winter, the solstice.

Before twelve days were removed to ‘correct' the calendar, with eleven shorn off at a stroke 1752, they would have witnessed the shortest day on what to us would be the 3rd or 4th of January, remarkably close to Old Christmas Eve celebrated in later centuries on January 5th .

A period of celebration to mark the coming of better weather in the spring was certainly the time to remind the Gods to waken the fruit trees to ensure a good crop.

Seven hundred years BC the Romans had a ten-month calendar and people here that were trading with lands across the channel had apple trees long before the Romans invaded these shores.

Remove our fixation with the control of people by dates and days and it becomes easier to see that all our ancestors had, or needed, was a recognition of the solstice to give them a reason to celebrate the coming of spring and a need to communicate with trees that would provide good fruit for them; if, perhaps, asked kindly to do so.

When ‘Old' Christmas Day, which was always regarded as a normal working day until the latter part of the 19th century, was celebrated on what is now January 6th we know that ‘Old' Twelfth Night arrived on the 17th .

Dates and celebrations on dates are what we make them. If, however, we want to tune in on what our ancestors celebrated, as far as wassailing is concerned just take a drink from anyone sincerely wishing you good health, at any time, but wait for wassailing until the 17th of January at least.

Keep the wassailing going until 21st when you can nip down to Cornwall to celebrate Sty Agnes Day to celebrate the amorous adventure of Bolster, the giant who fell head over heels in love with Agnes. His ability to cover six miles in one stride caused the diminutive Agnes to think twice about their compatibility and she encouraged Bolster to prove his love for her by filling a hole in ground at Chapel Porth, near Truro, with his blood. When he was near death, Agnes kicked him off the cliff. At Wrath's Hole at Chapel Porth the rocks stained with Bolster's blood are still to be seen.

With our Christmas celebration extending through January, to keep faith with folklore you understand, there has been no space to write of all the other celebrations that folklore decrees we should enjoy, including Burns Night on the 25th and Australia Day next day; mentioned to maintain good relationships with foreign friends

It may be too late to wassail Bolster, to wish him good health but it's not too late for us to wassail you.

Be of good health.

Happy New Year, whenever you decide to celebrate it after Christmas.

© Roy & Ursula Radford