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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/37216-8.txt b/37216-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a78e6cb --- /dev/null +++ b/37216-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1842 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Holidays & Happy-Days, by Hamish Hendry + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Holidays & Happy-Days + +Author: Hamish Hendry + +Illustrator: E. Florence Mason + +Release Date: August 26, 2011 [EBook #37216] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLIDAYS & HAPPY-DAYS *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY DAYS + + H. HENDRY AND E. F. MASON + + + The Larger Dumpy Books for Children + + II. HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY DAYS + + + Holidays & Happy-Days + + BY + + HAMISH HENDRY + + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY + + E. FLORENCE MASON + + + LONDON + GRANT RICHARDS + 1901 + + + + + CONTENTS. + + + 1. NEW YEAR'S DAY + 2. TWELFTH DAY + 3. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY + 4. PANCAKE TUESDAY + 5. ST. DAVID'S DAY + 6. ST. PATRICK'S DAY + 7. ALL FOOLS' DAY + 8. PALM SUNDAY + 9. MAUNDY THURSDAY + 10. GOOD FRIDAY + 11. EASTER SUNDAY + 12. ST. GEORGE'S DAY + 13. MAY DAY + 14. ROYAL OAK DAY + 15. MIDSUMMER'S EVE + 16. ST. SWITHIN'S DAY + 17. MICHAELMAS DAY + 18. ALL HALLOW'S EVE + 19. GUY FAWKES' DAY + 20. LORD MAYOR'S DAY + 21. ST. ANDREW'S DAY + 22. CHRISTMAS EVE + 23. CHRISTMAS DAY + 24. BOXING DAY + + + London + Engraved & Printed + at the + _RACQUET COURT PRESS_ + _by_ + _EDMUND EVANS_. + + + + +NEW YEAR'S DAY. + + +Little children are usually snug in bed when the first holiday of the +year arrives. It comes at midnight when all is dark out of doors. +Sometimes the weather is very cold, here in England, with snow upon the +ground; and as it nears midnight on the 31st December there is a great +silence beneath the stars. The children are in bed; but in most homes +there are grown-up people--fathers, mothers, uncles or aunts--who sit +late and watch the clock. They watch; and when the clock strikes twelve +they know that the first day of the New Year has arrived. + +Then it is no longer silent out of doors. The bells are ringing loudly, +and ringing merrily; they are ringing a welcome to the Stranger. So the +grown-up people, who have been watching the clock, rise up smiling and +wish each other a Happy New Year. The father says to the mother: "I wish +you a Happy New Year, my dear," and in saying this they shake hands, +and kiss each other. Then the mother, if she has children in bed, goes +upstairs. They are all asleep; so she does not waken them. She simply +kisses them, each one, and smiles as she whispers: "A Happy New Year to +all of you, my dears." That is how the New Year arrives in England. In +Scotland there is more ceremony. There it used to be the custom for the +whole household to sit up till twelve o'clock and bring in the New Year +with singing and frolic. But that custom is dying out. + +You children, I hope, get to know about the New Year in the morning. You +find that everybody is looking happy, and wishing happiness to other +people. Even although the sun is not shining there is brightness in the +house and in the street. People when they meet shake hands and joke and +laugh. Your aunt will give you a good hug, and more than likely your +uncle will put his hand into his pocket and give you something; +something round and bright; something that will make you smile. Then you +learn that the New Year brings gifts as well as gladness. + +But nowadays the giving of presents is not so common as it used to be. +Far back in English history the grown-up people gave each other gifts on +New Year's Day, and some of these gifts were very beautiful and very +costly. Diamond necklaces, gold caskets, jewelled swords, embroidered +mantles--these were the kind of gifts which rich people gave to each +other at the feast of the New Year. Our English Kings and Queens, in the +old days, received many such precious gifts. Queen Elizabeth got so many +valuable presents in this way that a list of them was kept upon +parchment, and in the history books it may still be read. + +This custom of giving rich presents to rich people on New Year's Day +exists no longer in England; and that is well. For in many cases these +costly gifts were given not from kindness but from selfishness; the +gift-givers wanted some favour in return. Now, it is an ill thing to +begin a New Year with a spirit of greediness. None of you children, I am +sure, will do so. Be thankful that you have got the gift of another New +Year's Day. It is the first clean page of a fine new book in which you +can write just what you please. Write something cheerful; and see to it +that there are no blots. + + + + +TWELFTH DAY. + + +The sixth day in each year is called Twelfth Day. That is a little odd +is it not? Well, the reason is this: In very ancient times there was a +great Christian Festival which began upon Christmas Day and lasted for +twelve days. It was called the Feast of the Nativity, because it was +held in honour of the coming of Christ to earth, and both the first day +of the feast and the last day were held very sacred. On the last, or +twelfth day, special honour was given to the Three Kings who are spoken +of in the New Testament as the Three Wise Men who came from the east to +Jerusalem, led by a star. The star guided these Three Kings to Bethlehem +where they saw the young child Jesus and offered gifts to him of gold, +frankincense and myrrh. + +At first this feast, which we call Epiphany, was of a very solemn +nature, but in the Middle Ages it lost a great deal of its sacred +character. The festival of the Three Kings became noisy and +frolicsome, and sometimes it was arranged in the form of a little play. +In this play three friars or monks were dressed up like Kings, with +crowns upon their heads, and a golden star was carried before them. +Within the church, near the altar, a manger would be arranged with an ox +and an ass, in imitation of the manger at Bethlehem. Here, also, was the +child Christ and his mother. To them would enter the Three Kings, +accompanied by a merry crowd, and gifts were offered to the Babe--gold, +frankincense and myrrh. It was a pretty sight, perhaps, but not at all +devout. + +In later times still, Twelfth Day was almost wholly given up to frolic +and feasting. Special plays were written to amuse the people, and it is +probably for that reason we have Shakspere's play called "Twelfth +Night." The chief custom of this merry day was the election of a King of +the Bean; sometimes there was also a Queen. No doubt this making of a +King had its connection with the honour done to the Three Kings in the +early festival; it may also be connected with an old Roman custom. Here +is how the King was elected on Twelfth Day. A large cake, called Twelfth +Cake, was baked for the day, and inside the cake a bean was placed. +When all the company were gathered to the feast the cake was cut up, and +the fortunate person who got the piece of cake with the bean in it was +made King of the Bean, and had charge of the revels. Sometimes the names +of the company were put in a bowl, and each one received a piece of the +cake as his or her name was drawn by lot. + +There was much fun and laughter, you may be sure, as the names were +being drawn, the cake cut up, and the bean discovered. It is the kind of +fun which you children would have enjoyed. For the Twelfth Cake, in the +old days, was usually very large, baked into very queer shapes, and +always very nice to eat. Nowadays, the cakes upon Twelfth Day have +become much smaller, and in some households this merry day is forgotten +altogether. You will agree with me, children, that this is a mistake. It +is a mistake to forget the good old customs; and it is doubly a mistake +when the custom is made cheerful with laughter and cake. + + + + +ST. VALENTINE'S DAY. + + +Not very much is known about St. Valentine. Indeed, there were several +saints of that name who were set down in the calendar for loving +remembrance on the Fourteenth day of February. One of them was a martyr, +and died for the Christian faith at Rome. But these saints have no +connection with the ceremonies of St. Valentine's Day except that the +priests of the early Christian Church set that particular day apart for +a special feast. This feast was meant to take the place of certain +ceremonies practised by the common people of the old world in their +worship of the Roman gods. But the people did not easily forget their +old customs, and some of these were, until recent times, practised on +St. Valentine's Day in a new form. + +One of these customs was for young men and maidens to cast lots in the +choice of partners. Upon the eve of St. Valentine's Day, in England, it +was usual for young people to meet together, each one writing his or +her name upon a piece of paper. When this was done the papers were +rolled up tightly and put into two bowls. Then each young man drew the +name of a girl and she was his _Valentine_, and each girl drew the name +of a young man and he was her _Valentine_. It was little more than a +merry mode of choosing partners for the festival of St. Valentine; but +sometimes the young folks took this choice by lot quite seriously, and +the partnership ended in marriage. + +With the English poets St. Valentine's Day has always been a favourite. +You will find it mentioned by Chaucer, Shakspere, and many another of +lesser note. At one time it was not uncommon for a young man to send a +set of verses to his _Valentine_ on the morning of the 14th of February. +Most of these were very poor verses, but sometimes a true poet sent a +greeting to his Valentine. As when Drayton sent these happy lines: + + Muse, bid the Morn awake, + Sad winter now declines, + Each bird doth choose a mate; + This day's St. Valentines + For that good Bishop's sake + Get up and let us see + What beauty it shall be + That fortune us assigns. + +Nowadays St. Valentine's Day has lost nearly all its popularity; +certainly, it has lost all its merry charm. The time is not so +distant--your fathers and mothers may remember it--when the postman's +bag was laden with valentines upon St. Valentine's Day. Some of them +were in large embossed envelopes and the valentines themselves were +glittering things. There was nearly always a little gilt Cupid with his +bow and arrows, and the mottoes and verses were always very very +sentimental. Some of the valentines, also, were strange and ugly as they +came from the postman's bag. These were what is called "mock" +valentines, and the people who received them were sometimes very angry. +Now the sending of valentines has fallen into disfavour, especially the +pretty ones. As for the others, the ugly mock valentines, they are very +ill-natured and foolish. Have nothing to do with them; they are not +worthy of happy St. Valentine's Day. + + + + +PANCAKE TUESDAY + + +Pancake Tuesday is quite a nice name is it not? But it is not the only +name for this holiday. It is also called Shrove Tuesday, Shrovetide, +Fasting-tide, and Fasten-e'en or Fastern's-e'en. I shall try to explain +to you why it has all these names. There is, as you must know, a great +festival of the Christian Church called Easter. It is the festival of +the resurrection of Christ, and to prepare for this solemn festival the +ancient Church set apart a period of fasting which we call Lent. This +fasting-time begins upon Ash Wednesday, and on the morning of the +previous day, in the old times, people went to the priests to confess +their sins and get shriven. Hence it was called Shrove or Shriven +Tuesday; hence, also, it was called Fasten-e'en, because it was upon the +eve of the Great Fast. + +After attending church in the morning the people were permitted to enjoy +themselves to their heart's desire all the rest of Shrove Tuesday, and +before the rigorous fasting-time of Lent began. During the Middle Ages, +indeed, this merry-tide lasted for several days, and some idea of the +jollity of Shrovetide can be gathered from the way in which the Carnival +is held upon the Continent, even now. In England, during the old times +before the Reformation, there were great feasts during Shrovetide, and +all the old English games and pastimes went right merrily. Some of these +pastimes were very rough and cruel--such as cock-fighting and +bull-baiting--and would not be permitted to-day. But there were also +such games as football and hand-ball; and in certain towns in Scotland +the game of hand-ball is still played, sometimes very roughly, upon +Fastern's-e'en. + +Of all the jollity and junketting of that festive time very little +remains to us; almost nothing except the practice of baking and eating +pancakes upon Shrove Tuesday. But nowadays the ceremonies connected with +Pancake Tuesday are not so important and picturesque as they used to be. +In the old days--the days when Shakspere lived--a bell was rung in the +morning called the Pancake Bell. At the sound of the bell the +preparation of the pancakes began. Wheaten flour mixed with water, +spices, eggs and other nice things were dropped into the frying-pan as +it sizzled over the fire. Then followed the tossing of the pancakes. +This was a time of great fun, because it required a good deal of skill +to toss the pancakes and catch them in the pan. In giving them a quick +twirl round the pancakes sometimes dropped into the fire. But that did +not greatly matter, because there were always plenty of pancakes for +everybody; and also plenty of fun in the eating of them. + +There was only one person in the company who did not enjoy the fun. For +the first pancake tossed in the pan was given to that member of the +party who was considered the most lazy. It was seldom eaten, you may be +sure, as the Lazy One found it the best plan to run away and hide. But +it was a merry day, especially for young people at school and college. +At Westminster School, for instance, the cook used to bring his +frying-pan with a pancake in it right into the schoolroom and toss it +among the boys. In the scramble that followed the boy who captured the +pancake unbroken and carried it to the Dean received a guinea for his +cleverness. That was a jolly game and it is only one of many that used +to be popular on Pancake Tuesday. 'Tis a pity that much of this +merry-making has disappeared. + + + + +ST. DAVID'S DAY. + + +There is a little corner of Wales which is very dear to all true Welsh +folk. It is very close to the sea, near St. David's Head, and its +interest gathers round an ancient cathedral of red stone and the holy +man who is buried in this cathedral. This old building, with others, +stands beside a little stream called the Alan, and here also is the city +of St. David's, now a small village. It is all very lonely nowadays, +this peaceful shrine near the restless sea, but in the Middle Ages it +was a busy place. There were the comings and goings of great Kings and +Queens with their followers, and many pilgrims of lesser name visited +this shrine to do homage to the memory of the Welsh Saint. There are +still many people who visit St. David's, the ancient Menevia, and the +cathedral founded by the patron saint of Wales. + +A great number of legends--stories of marvel and miracle--have been told +about St. David. An angel is said to have been his constant attendant +in his youth, and to have ministered to all his wants. In later years he +began to preach, making long journeys through Wales and England, and +visiting Jerusalem. When he preached to the people, so the old legends +tell us, a snow-white dove sat upon the shoulder of the saint. The power +to work miracles also was ascribed to St. David; he is said to have +healed all diseases, and even raised up the dead. Many other strange and +marvellous things are set down in the old chronicles as having been +accomplished by the saint. + +It is impossible to believe all these tales, and what we actually know +to be true regarding St. David can be told in a few words. What is +certain is that he was a great preacher and organiser in the early +church, and his powers were so much approved that he was made Archbishop +of Wales, taking up his residence at St. David's. We have also been told +by the old chroniclers that he was a very good man, and this we can well +believe. One of his biographers says of him that he was a guide to the +religious, a life to the poor, a support to orphans, a protection to +widows, a father to the fatherless. He is said to have died in A.D. +601. + +Having been such a noble and good man the Welsh people have chosen to +make St. David their patron saint. On the first day of March, in every +year, they hold in remembrance the old preacher and teacher who lived so +long ago beside the little stream in Menevia. They also keep in +remembrance, by so doing, all that is good and noble in the history of +the Welsh race. That is surely a right thing to do. For although Wales +is now a part of Great Britain it has a history of its own, a language +of its own, and a literature of its own. It is well that these things +should be held in remembrance, both by the Welsh folk at home and those +who have travelled into far lands, and they set apart St. David's Day as +a special day for doing honour to all that is best in the ancient +history of their country. It is a happy custom, alike for old and +young. + + + + +ST. PATRICK'S DAY. + + +The national emblem of Ireland is a plant, the leaf of which has three +small leaflets. This is called the Shamrock. It is beloved by Irish +folks at all times, but most of them wear it conspicuously upon the 17th +day of March. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and that is +St. Patrick's Day. There are very good reasons why the Saint should be +honoured by Irishmen, yet it is a curious fact that he was not born in +Ireland. Indeed, there is some doubt regarding both the time and place +of his birth. Some people think that the Saint was born in France, while +others hold that his birthplace was at Kilpatrick, near Dunbarton, in +Scotland. + +But this we know for certain that St. Patrick, when he was a lad of +sixteen years of age, was captured by pirates on his father's farm and +carried by them to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. The Irish +Chief who bought the lad lived in County Antrim, near Sleamish +Mountain, and he employed Patrick in herding swine. All the people who +lived in that part of Ireland at this time--about the end of the 4th +century--were heathen. Now, young Patrick had been trained by his father +and grandfather in the Christian religion, and it made him very unhappy +to think that his master, and the people of Ireland, were ignorant of +the true faith; he was also unhappy when he thought of his home and his +friends. But after six years he escaped from slavery, and sailed away +from Ireland. + +He went to another country, either Scotland or France, and there became +a priest and a preacher of the Christian religion. Patrick was very +successful, and after many years he was made a Bishop. But all this time +he kept in remembrance the people of Ireland who had never heard the +Gospel, and at last he determined to go and preach the good news in the +country where he had been a slave and a swineherd. He was sixty years of +age when he landed in Wicklow as the apostle of Christianity to Ireland, +but Patrick was a strong old man and he had great faith in his message. +Up and down the country he travelled converting the heathen Chiefs and +their followers. As many as 12,000 people were baptised with his own +hands, and by his efforts the Christian religion was firmly planted in +Ireland. A great many marvellous stories are told about the Saint. It is +said, for instance, that on one occasion he made a heap of snow-balls +blaze up into a fire by simply breathing upon them; and there is also +the well-known legend that he drove all the snakes from Ireland by the +beating of a drum. The year of his death is uncertain, but we know that +he must have been a very old man, and that he was buried at Downpatrick. + +This is the man who is held in honour by Irishmen in all parts of the +world. On St. Patrick's Day they give themselves a holiday, and make +merry,--those of them, at least, who still remain in the old Catholic +Church. Surely that is well. For in honouring St. Patrick the Irish +people do honour to themselves, and to all that is noble and brave in +their long sad history. + + + + +ALL FOOLS' DAY. + + +He must have been a merry person who invented All Fools' Day, but no one +can tell when he lived, where he lived, or what was his name. All we +know about the matter is that the custom of fool-making upon the First +of April is very old, and that it prevails over nearly the whole of +Europe. Some people have tried to guess how this odd custom began, and +they have found its origin in one of the old Miracle Plays that used to +be played by the Monks in the Middle Ages at the Easter Festival. In +this play Christ was represented as being sent hither and thither from +one judge to another, from Annas to Caiaphas, and then from Pilate to +Herod. This explanation is doubtful; it is more likely that the custom +of fool-making had its origin in heathen times. In any case, it is a +merry custom; and as the joker and the fool have many sons and daughters +it is a custom that shall endure yet a while. + +The great thing on the First of April is to have a good memory. Most +people know about April fooling, but many people forget about it when +the special day arrives. Some of you children, no doubt, have forgotten; +with the result that the joker with a good memory has made of you an +April Fool. In coming down to breakfast you have been asked quite +solemnly, let us say, why your hair is brushed to the wrong side. If you +have gone and peeped into a looking-glass there was an instant burst of +laughter, and then you have become aware that All Fools' Day has come +round again. Some boys and girls get angry when they have been thus +fooled; but that only adds to their foolishness. A good plan is to laugh +with those who are laughing; and you can better this plan by catching +the joker off his guard. By so doing you may, if you are clever at +keeping a solemn face, make a fool of the joker in his turn. Then the +laugh is with you, and you can feel quite pleased with yourself until +the next All Fools' Day. + +This is the great festival of the Practical Joker, and all is well when +his jokes are simple and amusing. To pin a piece of paper on someone's +back, or to send the school Dunce into a bookseller's shop for a +"History of Adam's Grandfather," is quite good fun. But there are some +jokes which are carefully prepared in order to give pain to the persons +upon whom they are played; they are not amusing, but merely cruel. It is +not a good joke, for instance, to balance a bowl of water upon the top +of a door, so that the first person to enter the room gets drenched. +Neither is it nice fun to send an innocent boy upon an errand with a +letter containing the instruction: "Send the fool another mile." This +used to be a common form of April joke in Scotland, and it was not +unusual to keep the poor boy trudging long distances for the greater +part of the day. This is not fun, but a stupid form of cruelty; and of +much the same character as the hoax that is played upon tradesmen who +are asked to send goods to a particular house upon a particular morning. +It is only when the vans choke up the street from end to end that +someone remembers it is the First of April, and that the Practical +Joker--a stupid and heartless person in this case--has again been +exhibiting his foolishness. + + + + +PALM SUNDAY. + + +In the New Testament you have it written that Jesus entered Jerusalem +for the last time riding on a colt, the foal of an ass. Two of his +disciples, acting upon the instructions of their Master, had entered a +village near the Mount of Olives, and there they found the colt by the +door without, in a place where two ways met. They unloosed the animal, +telling those that stood by and questioned them, that the Master had +need of him. Then they brought the colt to Jesus, who mounted upon its +back, after some of the disciples had spread their garments thereon. It +was thus that Jesus rode into Jerusalem to his death. And when the great +multitude of people who were gathered to the Passover saw him coming +they cut branches from the palm trees by the side of the way, and spread +them on the ground before Jesus, while they cried with joyful voices: +"Hosanna; blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord." + +In this incident you have the origin of Palm Sunday. It is the first day +of Holy Week, the week which is dedicated by the Catholic Church to the +commemoration of the sufferings and death of Jesus. With the early +church throughout Europe it was the custom to lay the branches of a tree +upon the altar on this day, and as the palm tree does not grow in +Europe, the box, the yew, and especially the willow tree, were used +instead. The branches were blessed by the priest, sprinkled with holy +water, and then carried in procession through the town. As part of this +procession it was sometimes arranged to have a figure representing Jesus +sitting upon an ass--either a living figure or one made of wood, sitting +upon a wooden animal. This wooden effigy was drawn along upon wheels, +and the people in the street scattered the consecrated branches before +it. Flowers were sometimes used as well as the branches of trees. + +It is a beautiful ceremony, this blessing of flowers and tree-branches +upon Palm Sunday in memory of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, and it is +one to interest all you children. But in the Middle Ages a great many +unworthy things, such as the selling of palm-branches in order to avert +diseases, became associated with Palm Sunday. Indeed, that whole week, +the week that should have been so solemn and sacred, was turned into an +occasion of feasting and frivolity. At the Reformation many of these +unworthy things were abolished, and the ceremonies in connection with +Palm Sunday were considerably modified here in England. Yet in some +parts of the country it is still a custom to go a-palming--that is to +say, to gather willow-branches--on the day before Palm Sunday. + +With the Roman Catholic Church, however, and especially in the +ceremonies at Rome during Holy Week, an important place is given to Palm +Sunday. The officiating priest blesses the branches, which are then +distributed. In the solemn mass that follows, the people in the +congregation hold the branches in their hands to the end of the service. +In most cases these consecrated branches are taken home and preserved +during the year; then they are burned and the ashes used upon Ash +Wednesday. + + + + +MAUNDY THURSDAY. + + +There is another day in Holy Week that has old and interesting +ceremonies connected with it. This is Maundy Thursday, which always +falls, of course, on the day before Good Friday. It is the day which is +set apart to commemorate the humility and tender loving-kindness of +Jesus during that week of his suffering and death. You remember that, +after the Master with his disciples, had partaken of supper in that +upper room in Jerusalem, He rose up and laid aside his garments. Then He +took a towel and girded himself. After that He poured water into a +basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the +towel wherewith He was girded. In this beautiful act of humility you +have the origin of Maundy Thursday; and its odd name is derived from the +circumstance that, in the Ancient Church, the anthem _Maudatum novum_ +was sung at the ceremony. + +For the Early Church consecrated this day to acts of lowliness in +imitation of Christ. The washing in public of the feet of the poor +became the outward sign of humility in the whole church. In later times +this washing was accompanied by gifts, and the ceremony was performed by +Kings and Queens. Thus we find, here in England, that Queen Elizabeth +performed the ceremony at her palace of Greenwich. The age of Her +Majesty being thirty-nine, there were thirty-nine poor people chosen to +assemble in her presence on Maundy Thursday. Then the yeomen of the +laundry, the sub-almoner, and finally the Queen herself, washed each +foot of the poor people in water mixed with sweet herbs, marked the sign +of the cross above the toes, and then kissed it. Afterwards various +gifts were distributed to these poor people in clothes, food, and money. +Since James II. no English monarch has performed this ceremony, but in +Spain and Austria the yearly foot-washing upon Holy Thursday is still +performed by the Head of the State. + +In England the giving of gifts on Maundy Thursday has taken the place of +foot-washing. During the reign of George II. the old men and women who +gathered in the Banqueting House, at Whitehall, received half-quartern +loaves, boiled beef and mutton, herrings red and white, with small +bowls of ale. They were also given shoes and stockings, cloth to make +dresses, and a leathern bag filled with money. The money was in +silver-pieces, of the value of a penny and upwards; and these coins +being made at the Mint for this special purpose were called Maundy +Money. During the Reign of Queen Victoria the giving of meat and clothes +was discontinued, but the poor people still received their dole or +maund. + +It is to be hoped that King Edward VII. will continue this practice +for--unlike some of the old customs--it is well worthy of being +continued. Most people are inclined to be proud, and when people are +proud they are usually greedy and selfish. Therefore, it is a good thing +to have at least one day in the year set apart to help us to remember +that true greatness, the greatness which Jesus Christ expects from his +disciples, is only to be attained by lowliness and unselfishness. + + + + +GOOD FRIDAY. + + +Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, and by the Christian Church it +is regarded as one of the most sacred days in the whole year. From a +very early time it was regarded, in a special degree, as a day of +fasting and mourning, because upon this Holy Friday the crucifixion of +Jesus is commemorated. In the Church of England before the Reformation, +and in the Roman Catholic Church still, the church service upon Good +Friday is peculiar. Everything is made to appear mournful. The priests +are dressed in black, at the elevation of the Host a wooden clapper is +used instead of a bell, all the glittering ornaments are removed from +the altar, and the music is more than usually sad. + +But even more strange than that is the chief ceremony. In old times, it +used to be that the priests had a figure of Christ fixed to a crucifix +which they carried round the church, treated with great reverence, and +ultimately buried solemnly by torchlight. Nowadays, this ceremony has +been somewhat changed. On Good Friday the crucifix, in the Roman +Catholic Church, is placed before the altar. Then the priests, followed +by the whole congregation, approach the figure upon the crucifix +creeping upon their knees, and reverently kiss its feet. This ceremony, +and the chanting of the _Miserere_, have a very solemnizing effect upon +all who are present. + +Long ago, here in England, there was an odd ceremony performed by the +King upon Good Friday. This was called Blessing the Cramp-rings. The +ceremony is said to have originated in a wonderful ring, presented by a +pilgrim to Edward the Confessor, and long used in Westminster Abbey as a +cure for falling-sickness and cramp. On Good Friday the King of England +used to go in state to his private chapel, and creep humbly upon his +knees towards the crucifix. Following him came the King's Almoner with a +silver basin in which were a number of gold or silver rings, and these +rings the King blessed. Thereafter, they were given away to be used as +an unfailing cure for cramp and epilepsy. In those days everybody +believed that cramp-rings had the power to cure cramp, and in England +to-day there are still a few people who so believe. + +You children, however, do not think of rings upon Good Friday; it is +much better to think of hot cross buns. If you ask how it is that buns +came to be eaten on this day I cannot answer. All that can be said is +that bread, in one or another form, has always formed part of religious +observances; and it may be that the spicy buns which you eat on Good +Friday are connected with a religion that is older than Christianity. +All things change, you know, and even the desire for hot cross buns is +not so great as it used to be when people struggled in crowds at the +doors of the famous Chelsea bun-houses. On Good Friday we do not so +often hear the cry: + + One a penny, buns, + Two a penny, buns, + One a penny, two a penny, + Hot cross buns! + + + + +EASTER SUNDAY. + + +On Good Friday the death of Jesus is commemorated, and that being so it +is a day of gloom and sadness. On Easter Sunday the rising of Jesus from +the dead is commemorated, and that being so it is regarded by the +Christian Church as a day of great joy. In the old times, indeed, it was +called the Sunday of Joy, and in the Eastern world it is still called +the Bright Day. When friends met each other upon Easter Sunday the +favourite salutation used to be: "He is risen," and to this was given +the reply: "Verily he is risen." Everywhere there was happiness, and +this happiness was shown in many ways. At Easter slaves used to receive +their freedom, while at the present day, in Russia, birds that have been +shut up in a cage have their cage-doors opened, and are permitted to fly +away. That is a beautiful custom; an emblem of the freedom that Jesus +brought to the world when he broke the power of Death in rising from the +grave. In England this happiness is expressed in a practical manner by +many marriages at Eastertide. + +Easter Sunday is what is called a movable feast; it is not held each +year upon the same day of the month. The rule is, that Easter Sunday is +always the first Sunday after the full moon that happens upon, or next +after, the 21st of March; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, +Easter Day is the Sunday after. As regards the name "Easter," it is very +likely derived from an old Saxon deity called Eastre; for when the +Christian religion was first preached to the heathen the missionaries +often took an old heathen festival and turned it into a new Christian +festival. Now, in the ancient heathen world there was always great joy +and feasting in the spring-time when the sun began to rise higher and +higher in the heavens, and there is little doubt that the early +missionaries, when they converted the heathen, gave a new meaning to the +old joy. Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, had risen from the dead; that +was the new gladness. + +But Christianity did not quite remove all the rites and ceremonies of +the heathen worship; some of them, indeed, linger to this day. The +ceremonies connected with fire, for instance, were very prominent in +the heathen ritual, and in some parts of Europe bonfires are lit at +Easter, while in the Roman Catholic Church great importance is given to +the lighting of candles and tapers. Then again, there are the Pasch or +Easter eggs--boiled hard and dyed in various colours--which are so +interesting to children. This name of Pasch is derived from the Jewish +festival of the Passover, and the egg we now regard as an emblem of the +resurrection; but all the old peoples of the world looked upon the egg +as a symbol of new life coming forth with blessing. It was, in some +respects, a sacred thing in the old heathen world of the Egyptians and +Persians; while here in this country the Easter eggs used to be blessed +by the priests at the altar, and kept all the year as a charm against +various ailments. Is it not curious to think, children, how races and +religions have come to be linked together by small things? These +coloured eggs which please you so much at Easter link you with strange +old peoples and their strange old customs. + + + + +ST. GEORGE'S DAY. + + +On the back of some old English coins you will find the figure of a +warrior on horseback, and in his hand a long spear with which he is +slaying a dragon. That figure with the helmet and spear is St. George, +the patron saint of England, and the patron saint of all that is +chivalrous in Christianity. Regarding this hero and martyr we know very +little; and indeed there are two men who have claims to be regarded as +St. George. The most noble of these, and probably the true saint, was +born of Christian parents in Cappadocia, became a warrior prince, and +having testified for the Christian faith, was put to death at Nicomedia +on April 23rd, 303 A.D., by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. From this +time, and for that reason, he was venerated by all the Christian +Churches, until about the year 494 A.D. George of Cappadocia was +formally made a saint by Pope Gelasius. + +A great many legends have gathered round the name of St. George. The +most famous of these, of course, is the story of how this Christian +warrior slew a dragon that was about to kill and devour a young girl. +With heavy labour, and at great risk to himself St. George is said to +have rescued the maiden and destroyed the dragon. It is a very +interesting adventure, but unfortunately it cannot be accepted as +literally true. In these old days it was quite common to attribute to +brave men the slaying of a dragon, and that St. George was the bravest +of the brave we need not doubt. There is also no doubt that, as a +Christian warrior, he fought against all that was sly, cruel and +ravenous--these being the evil characteristics of a dragon. + +Several nations adopted St. George as their patron saint, for his +bravery was known all over Christendom, and he was specially honoured +during the Crusades. It was in England, however, that the saint was held +in highest esteem. In 1222 A.D. the 23rd April became a great national +festival by order of the Council of Oxford; while in the reign of Edward +III. the famous Order of St. George, or the Blue Garter, was instituted. +This is an Order of Knighthood, and when it was formed there was a great +tournament in which forty of the stoutest and bravest of England's +knights held the field against all the foreign knights who had been +summoned to enter the contest. This Order of St. George, better known as +the Order of the Garter, still exists, and its motto is still the same: +_Honi soit qui mal y pense_. + +In recent times St. George's Day has not been generously honoured by the +English people. This is, indeed, a very great pity, because the saint is +closely linked with English history; because his emblem--the red cross +on a white ground--is to be seen wherever the British flag flies; and +because he represents all that is best and bravest in the English +character. "God and St. George"; "Saint George and Merrie +England"--these were the stout battle cries which led on to victory when +the foundations of the British Empire were laid. He is a good patriot, +therefore, who remembers St. George's Day. + + + + +MAY DAY. + + +If there is one month in the year that is more joyful than another it is +the month of May--the merry month of May. And it is not difficult to +understand why it should be so. In Europe it is the month when nature +out-of-doors awakens into life; when leaves appear upon the trees; when +flowers in profusion peep from among the grass; when the little birds in +lane and woodland sing their sweetest. Nature is joyously astir; and in +the sunshine of the open sky all people, especially young people, find +it good to be alive. That is the reason why May is the merry month. It +is Nature's holiday time; the time when she calls upon all folk who are +weary of winter and rough weather, to come out of their stuffy houses +and enjoy themselves for a little in green places, under the blue tent +of the sky. + +It is the sun that brings all this new life and gladness as it goes +higher in the heavens and shines brighter. So it happened that the +ancient inhabitants of these islands, not knowing any better, held a +great festival on the First of May to the praise and glory of the +sun-god. A relic of this worship lingered until recently in the Beltane +fires that were lit on the high hills of Scotland and Ireland. It was +the same with the old Romans. They had a goddess of flowers called +Flora, and about the beginning of May they held a festival in her +honour. The houses were decked with garlands, there was much feasting +and dancing out-of-doors, and at these feasts the goddess herself was +represented by a beautiful maiden crowned with flowers. + +There is reason to think that some of our May Day customs were derived +from these ancient peoples. In any case, it has always been a joyful day +in England, especially in the ancient times before the Puritans +abolished May-poles and merry-making. Not only the citizens of London, +but also the lords and ladies of the Court, used to go out to the woods +around the city--it was a very much smaller city then--and gather +hawthorn blossom. This they called going a-Maying, and the flower of the +hawthorn came to be called May-blossom. It was brought into hamlet, +town, and city with great rejoicing, and to the sound of music. + +Then the whole day thereafter was spent in merry-making. In every town +and village there was a tall pole fixed, called a May-pole; and on May +Day this pole, the centre of all the frolic, was made gay with great +garlands of flowers. Every town and village, also, had a Queen of the +May, a maiden who was chosen for her beauty, and who sat apart crowned +with flowers, an object of envy and admiration. The lads and lassies +sang carols, played at such games as kiss-in-the-ring, and danced the +morris dance. Not many of these customs now remain; the May-poles have +disappeared; and very few of you children, I suppose, go a-Maying. Do +you not think that is a mistake? I do; the work-a-day world is not such +a mirthful place that we can afford to forget the cheery old customs, +and there are surely many worse ways of spending a day than in dancing +round a May-pole. I am sure that you children would like to have the +merry-making of May Day brought back again. + + + + +ROYAL OAK DAY. + + +In your English history-book you will find some account of Oliver +Cromwell and the many battles he fought against the royal house of +Stuart and the cavaliers. One of the most famous of these was the battle +of Worcester, fought near the town of that name on the 3rd September, +1651, in which the army of King Charles II. was utterly defeated. As the +result of this defeat by Cromwell, all the followers of the King were +placed in danger, and the King's life was in great jeopardy. The only +thing he could do was to flee out of England, but that was no easy +matter because his enemies were numerous, and they searched for him with +great diligence. His first plan was to try to reach London before the +news of his defeat, and by proceeding from there in disguise he hoped to +get a ship on the south coast that would carry him to France. This plan +was in part successful, but before he embarked at Shoreham, near +Brighton, the fugitive king had many strange adventures and hair-breadth +escapes. + +One of the most notable of these was connected with a large country +house called Boscobel, situated in Shropshire, and about thirty-seven +miles from Worcester, where the great battle was fought. In fleeing +northward after the fight Charles was accompanied by many of his +followers, but in order to give him a better chance to escape the king +was advised to leave all the others and make his way to Boscobel where +the folk were all friendly. This he did, with trusty Richard Penderel +for his guide; and as the house was a lonely place set among woods, the +king hoped that he would not be disturbed. But the pursuit after him was +very hot, and the soldiers of Cromwell arrived in the neighbourhood. So +the king had to seek a hiding-place somewhere out of doors, and one of +his friends, Colonel William Careless, suggested that they should +conceal themselves among the branches of a large bushy oak-tree that +stood near the house. There the two remained for a whole day, with +little to eat except bread and cheese, and with the constant fear of +being discovered. From where they sat among the branches they could peep +through the leaves and see the soldiers searching the woods around. But +they were not discovered, and at length the king escaped from that +neighbourhood dressed like a countryman in leathern doublet and green +jerkin. + +After many years, as you all know, the man who hid in the oak-tree was +invited to return to England, where he reigned as Charles II. It was on +the 29th May, 1660, and the king's thirtieth birthday, that he entered +London in triumph. The story of his adventure in the oak-tree having +become known, garlands of oak-branches, and the Royal Oak used as a +symbol, were prominent in the coronation ceremonies; while from +thenceforth the 29th May was established as Royal Oak Day, or Oak-Apple +Day. During the Restoration Period, and for long afterwards, it was the +custom to go forth into the woods on the morning of that day and gather +branches of oak. In town and village the houses were decorated with the +woodland spoil, and thus did the people of England exhibit their loyalty +to the House of Stuart. Even now the old custom lingers in +out-of-the-way hamlets, and the sign of the Royal Oak may still be seen +on many an old inn, but the oak-leaf and the acorn have lost all their +significance in the world of politics. Oak-Apple Day, I fear, will never +again become a general holiday. + + + + +MIDSUMMER'S EVE. + + +Midsummer Day is the 24th June; this is also the day upon which the +birth of St. John the Baptist is celebrated by the Christian Church. +During the Middle Ages it was a joyous time of feast and merry-making, +for in these old times, as you must have gathered from this little book, +people did not work and worry so much as they do nowadays. But here is a +curious thing: nearly all the ceremonies connected with this holiday +were performed the night previous--variously called Midsummer's Eve, or +St. John's Eve. These customs and ceremonies were observed in various +forms throughout Christendom, and some of them were very strange. I have +often had to tell you that many of our holiday practices and usages were +founded upon ancient heathen rites and ceremonies; this is perhaps more +observable in connection with Midsummer Eve than upon any other holiday +occasion. + +Flowers and fire were two things that became of great importance on +Midsummer's Eve. Nearly every town and village had its bonfire lit in +the market-place, and at one time these fires were formally blessed by +the priests of the church. One practice connected with these fires, a +practice that carries us far back into heathen times, was the way in +which the boys and girls leaped through and over the flames. It was also +customary to fling flowers and garlands into the fires, while the +people, young and old, circled round the blaze with merry antics and +gleeful songs. Great processions were also formed to visit the woods and +bring back green boughs wherewith to decorate the houses on St. John's +Eve. The boughs were hung round doors and windows with joyful shoutings, +in recognition of the prophecy that many would rejoice at the birth of +John the Baptist. + +Midsummer's Eve was regarded as a time when the strangest things might +easily happen. That is probably the reason why Shakspere called his play +"A Midsummer Day's Dream," and make Puck and the other fairies play such +pranks with the mortals that they found wandering out-of-doors. It used +to be a common belief in Ireland, and the superstition still lingers, +that on this night the souls of all sleeping people left their bodies, +and went wandering into strange places, sometimes never to return. To +avoid this dangerous possibility it was usual to keep awake during that +night. But to keep watch did not always prevent the watcher from having +gruesome experiences. In England it was quite a prevalent opinion that +if you sat in the church porch all St. John's Eve you would see the +spirits of those who were soon to die in the parish come and knock at +the church door. + +There were various other superstitious practices and beliefs associated +with Midsummer's Eve--most of them weird and heathenish--which you will +read about when you grow older. They belong to a time when people were +very ignorant, and therefore very credulous. Happily, we are forgetting +all these foolish beliefs; and for my part I find Midsummer's Eve +interesting and beautiful because the light is slow to fade from the +sky, because the wild roses make a pleasant scent in the lanes, and +because the nightingale from the copsewood brims the darkness with +melodious joy. + + + + +ST. SWITHIN'S DAY. + + +In Europe there are various saints who are supposed to have had some +influence upon the weather; France has its St. Médard, and England has +its St. Swithin. Our actual knowledge of this old English saint is very +scanty, and the grounds upon which he has been associated with dry and +wet weather are of dubious origin. We are told that St. Swithin was a +monk in the Old Abbey of Winchester, and that because of his zeal he +became prior and then bishop of that See. We are told, also, that he +erected numerous churches, while his piety and learning were such that +Egbert, King of Wessex, gave him his son and successor to educate. As +was usual with good men in those days, many miraculous deeds were +attributed to St. Swithin, and finally he died in the year 862 A.D. He +was buried in the churchyard at Winchester, in a humble spot of his own +selection. + +More than a hundred years afterwards the clergy of the diocese of +Winchester thought that the Saint deserved more honour than a grave +under the dripping eaves of the Cathedral. Accordingly, they arranged to +remove the body inside with great ceremony, and the date selected for +this event was the 15th July. Thereafter this day was regarded as St. +Swithin's Day because, if we are to believe popular legend, he objected +to have his body removed from the humble place in the graveyard chosen +by himself. In order to give outward and visible sign of his displeasure +violent rains descended on that 15th of July, and the torrent continued +for forty days, so that the ceremony of removing the Saint's body was +delayed, while the clergy of the diocese were thus rebuked for their +presumption. Hence there grew up the popular belief which finds +expression in the old rhyme: + + St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain, + For forty days it will remain: + St. Swithin's Day, if thou be fair, + For forty days 'twill rain nae mair. + +There is, of course, no truth in this old adage, although there are some +people who still profess to believe in it. The men whose business it is +to watch the weather day by day and write down all they observe, will +tell you that it does not matter in the least, as far as the rain of the +following forty days is concerned, whether it is wet or dry on the 15th +July. It is even very doubtful whether the ceremony of removing the +Saint's body was marked by any special downpour of rain; the fact is not +mentioned by the chroniclers of that time. Like many other things +connected with holidays and holy days this legend regarding St. Swithin +has its origin, probably in the heathen times that preceded +Christianity. That would account, at least, for the curious fact that +there are several rainy Saints in Europe. + + + + +MICHAELMAS DAY. + + +The 29th September is dedicated as a feast day in the Christian Church +to St. Michael and All Angels. In the Bible the Angel Michael is +mentioned several times, and always as a fighter, especially against +Satan. Thus you find it stated in the Epistle of Jude that Michael the +Archangel contended with the Devil regarding the body of Moses. In the +book of the Revelation of St. John, again, you will find it written that +there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the +dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither +was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast +out, that old Serpent, called the Devil. He was cast out into the earth, +and his angels were cast out with him. + +You will gather from this that St. Michael always appears in the +character of a warrior; and as the Christian Church accomplished a great +deal of fighting, especially during the time of the crusades, it can +easily be understood that the warlike Archangel was popular. In old +pictures he is usually represented in a coat of mail, and with a short +spear in his hand, hurling Satan downwards to the earth. John Milton, in +his "Paradise Lost," makes full use of this conception of the Archangel, +only that he puts a great and marvellous sword into his hand: + + "The sword + Of Michael from the armoury of God + Was given him tempered so, that neither keen + Nor solid might resist that edge; it met + The sword of Satan, with steep force to smite + Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stayed, + But, with swift wheel reverse, deep entering shared + All his right side: Then Satan first knew pain." + +In old times it was usual to have a saint or an angel for one's +guardian, and as Michael, according to the Church, was both of these he +was popular as a heavenly protector. But an earthly protector was also +required, and thus it came about--whether by accident or intentionally I +cannot tell--that magistrates were chosen upon Michaelmas Day. Thus you +find that the Lord Mayor of London is elected on the 29th of September. +This day is also one of the four quarterly terms; the day upon which +many people pay their rent; and not always, therefore, a day of joy. In +old times when the farmer took his rent to the lord of the manor it was +usual for him to carry a fat goose in his hand as a present. From this +practice it has established itself as a custom to have a goose for +dinner on Michaelmas Day; another good reason is that geese, when fed +upon the chance grain of autumn's stubbled fields, are always at their +fattest and best. It is curious to note, how that, although a holy day +or a holiday may have begun with the adoration of saint or angel, it +usually survives for us in some form of eating. But you children, I am +sure, do not object. + + + + +ALL HALLOW'S EVE. + + +The night of the 31st October has a character peculiar to itself, and to +you children it has some ceremonies that possess special interest. In +England it is known as All Hallow's Eve; while in Scotland, where its +customs are most varied and remarkable, it is known as Halloween. It is +the Eve of All Saints' Day, but there is little or nothing connected +with the popular practices of that night that suggest Christianity. On +the contrary, they suggest some old pagan worship and a mysterious +impish world that holds high carnival for that one night. Many of the +customs and rites connected with this revel--described vividly and +amusingly by Robert Burns in "Halloween"--are not known to the Scots +people of the present day; but some few of them are still practised, +even in England. + +Nuts and apples become of great importance upon All Hallow's Eve. The +nuts are not for eating--although that were probably a wise use to +which to put them--but to play a mysterious part in deciding the fate of +lovers. For this purpose two nuts are dropped into a bright red fire, +side by side, and the name of the lad and lass, whose fates are to be +decided, is given to each nut. The nuts themselves give the decision. If +they burn quietly together then all is well; but on the other hand, if +the nuts (or one of them) jump out of the fire, then things will go ill +with the two lovers. Here is how Burns describes the practice: + + "The auld guidwife's weel-hoordet nits + Are round and round devided, + And mony lads and lasses fates + Are there that night decided: + Some kindle, couthie, side by side, + And burn together trimly; + Some start awa, with saucy pride, + And jump out ower the chimlie + Full high that night." + +Apples have a quite different use. On Halloween they are placed in large +quantities in a big tub nearly full of water. The apples are then +stirred round vigorously, while the boys and girls, each in turn, try to +snatch an apple from the water, not using their hands, but their teeth +alone. Sometimes one has to dip one's head right down to the bottom of +the tub in chase of a big apple, and that is rather a chilly experience, +as I am able to testify. The modern plan of dropping a fork into the +tub, over the back of a chair, may spoil, just a little, the apples that +are impaled, but it is a good preventitive of a cold in the head--the +usual result of ducking for apples. + +There are many other customs connected with Halloween, some of them +mysterious and uncanny, which you will learn by and bye. But these two, +the burning of nuts and the hunting of apples will do you no possible +harm. On the contrary, where there is a lot of you children present, +they will give much innocent fun and laughter. + + + + +GUY FAWKES' DAY. + + +There is another name for this day; it is sometimes called Gunpowder +Plot Day, and that name informs us how it happened that the 5th November +became famous in English history. That was the day upon which a few +Catholic gentlemen, over-zealous for their religion, determined to +destroy King James I., and the Houses of Lords and Commons, by means of +gunpowder. It was a gentleman named Catesby who conceived this murderous +plot, and he was joined by several other conspirators. The most famous +of these, although he can scarcely be regarded as the most guilty, was a +gentleman called Guy Fawkes who had fought bravely with the Spanish army +in Flanders. He was brought over to England in order to carry out the +plot, and like all the other conspirators he took a vow of secrecy. + +In itself the plot was very simple. The conspirators hired a house near +to the building where Parliament met, and their intention was to dig an +underground passage-way between the two buildings, and to prepare under +Parliament House a large mine charged with gunpowder. They found +difficulties, however, in carrying out this scheme, chief of these being +the thickness of the wall through which they had to pierce. Eventually, +the digging of this underground passage-way was abandoned, because the +conspirators found that they could hire a cellar right under the House +of Lords. This would be far more convenient, they thought; so they hired +it from a coal-dealer, and put thirty-six barrels of gunpowder into it. +The barrels were carefully covered with faggots, and in the month of +May, 1605, all was ready to blow the King and his Parliament into the +air. + +But Parliament did not meet until the 5th November, and by that time the +secret had leaked out. There have been great differences of opinion +regarding the manner in which the plot was revealed. It appears, +however, that a mysterious letter was sent by Mr. Francis Tresham, one +of the conspirators, to his brother-in-law Lord Monteagle, warning him +regarding the coming disaster. This letter is said to have led to a +search in the cellars under Parliament House, but it is quite probable +that the plot was revealed in a more direct manner. In any case, the +gunpowder was discovered in the cellar, and beside it was Guy Fawkes. He +was arrested on the early morning of the 5th November by a Westminster +magistrate and a party of soldiers. When the other conspirators heard +that the plot had failed they fled into the country, but the most of +them were captured, tried for high treason along with Guy Fawkes, and +with him were hanged as traitors in St. Paul's Churchyard. + +For many years after this plot was discovered the 5th day of November +was kept as a national holiday, and the people expressed their +patriotism and their Protestantism in huge bonfires, with shoutings and +the ringing of bells. Also, it was regarded as the proper thing on this +day to parade a scarecrow effigy of Guy Fawkes, which was finally burned +as a warning to traitors. Now the day is only remembered by boys who are +bent upon a frolic, for this old rhyme has lost much of its +significance: + + Remember, remember! + The fifth of November, + The Gunpowder treason and plot; + There is no reason + Why the Gunpowder treason + Should ever be forgot! + + + + +LORD MAYOR'S DAY. + + +In London the 9th of November has been regarded, for many centuries, as +a day of special importance. It is Lord Mayor's Day. That is to say, the +new Lord Mayor of the City of London, who was elected by the freemen of +the City Guilds on Michaelmas Day, goes in his state coach to the Law +Courts to be "sworn into" office by His Majesty's judges. Until recent +times the Law Courts were situated at Westminster, and in old +Westminster Hall some of the greatest trials in English history took +place,--such as the trials of Lord Cobham, Strafford, and Warren +Hastings. Now the Law Courts are situated in the Strand, near to the +spot where stood Temple Bar. + +The Lord Mayor of London has still a certain amount of authority within +the City bounds, but nothing like what he used to possess. At one time, +indeed, in his capacity of Head of all the great trade guilds, he was +more powerful than any of the king's nobles, and in London he +exercised almost as much authority as the king himself. From this you +will understand that when he, in the old times, journeyed from the City +of London to the City of Westminster it was a great occasion, because +the Lord Mayor was in truth a great man. The stately pageants wended to +Westminster on Lord Mayor's Day both by coach and water-barge; +glittering pageants that had a real significance. In many cases they +were devised by clever play-wrights, and their glories recorded in the +verses of the poet laureates. + +In the year 1616 Sir John Leman, of the Fishmongers' Company, was Lord +Mayor, and part of his pageant was a fishing-boat with fishermen drawing +up their nets laden with living fish which they distributed among the +people. This boat, set upon a wheeled stage, was followed by a dolphin +with a youth on its back; then the King of the Moors, with six tributary +kings on horseback; then a lemon-tree (the Mayor's name was Leman) laden +with fruit and flowers; then a bower adorned with the names and arms of +all members of the Fishmongers' Company; then an armed officer, with a +representation of the head of Wat Tyler; lastly there was a great car +drawn by mermen and mermaids, and on the top of it was a victorious +angel, with a representation of King Richard surrounded by figures that +symbolized all the royal virtues. + +Some of the Lord Mayor's pageants were even more splendid than this one. +Gilded chariots, giants, bowers wreathed with flowers, men in armour, +full-rigged ships, satyrs, bannermen--these things, and many other +fanciful contrivances, found a place in the Lord Mayor's procession. And +this procession still forms a part of London life, but it has lost all +its significance; and a great deal of its interest, even as a show. On +the 9th day of each November the Lord Mayor's gilded coach, with a few +mounted soldiers, the heralds, the aldermen in coaches, the City +firemen, and a few symbolical cars block the traffic of London from east +to west. It is not an occasion of great historical interest, yet it +still draws great crowds, for your true Londoner loves a procession that +goes to the sound of brazen music. The Lord Mayor's Show is also--just +like a circus procession--beloved of all boys and girls. + + + + +ST. ANDREW'S DAY. + + +In this little book you have already been presented to three patron +saints. There was St. David, the patron saint of Wales; St. Patrick, the +patron saint of Ireland; and St. George, the patron saint of England. +Now we come to St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, who is honoured +by Scotsmen on the 30th November in each year. The first mention of this +Saint is in the New Testament where he, with his brother Simon Peter, +became a disciple of Christ, after having been a disciple of John the +Baptist. After the death of Christ this first disciple of his became a +missionary in many lands. From tradition we learn that St. Andrew +travelled and preached the gospel in Scythia, Thrace and Asia Minor. +Finally, we are told that he suffered martyrdom for the Christian faith +at Patræ, in Achaia. The cross on which he died was in the form of an X, +and that is now known as the St. Andrew's cross. + +But how did this Saint come to be connected with Scotland? Well, the +story told is this: There was once a monk who lived in the fourth +century called Regulus, or Rule, who brought the bones of St. Andrew +from Constantinople--where they had been deposited in a church by the +Emperor Constantine--and buried them near the sea on the east coast of +Scotland. There he built a church, and round the church there gradually +gathered a little hamlet. In course of time, the hamlet became a City +with a cathedral and a university, and in your geography books you will +find it called St Andrews. I am not sure that I can ask you to believe +all this story, for it is only a monkish legend. But at least part of it +is true. If there was no such monk as Regulus, there is certainly a very +pleasant city called St. Andrews, in which there is a building called +St. Rule's Tower. + +Here is another sure thing that I can tell you. There is an Order of +Knighthood called the Order of St. Andrew, although it is more often +called the Order of the Thistle. It was created by James II. in 1687, +and it includes the King and sixteen knights. The insignia of the Order +consists of a gold collar composed of thistles interlaced with red; the +jewel is a figure of St. Andrew in the middle of a star of eight +pointed rays; and the motto of the Order is _Nemo me impune lacessit_. +This is a motto which Scotsmen carry with them all over the world. + +All over the world, also, Scotsmen keep in remembrance two days; and on +these days they meet together to express love of the old home. One of +these days is the 30th November--St. Andrew's Day. Curiously enough, it +is not a holiday in Scotland, nor do the people there hold it much in +remembrance. But when a Scotsman goes into a strange country--though it +be no further than London--he begins to think a very great deal of his +homeland, and all the ill things he said of it when he lived there are +quickly forgotten. Bleak and barren it may have been to them once, but +when Scotsmen meet on St. Andrew's Day, or on the birthday of Robert +Burns, they discover that Scotland is the most lovely country in the +world. This is just as it should be. I hope that all you children, +wherever you may travel, will keep a great love for the land where you +were born. + + + + +CHRISTMAS EVE. + + +Of all nights of the year there is not one that is more anxiously +awaited by young people than the night that precedes Christmas. Then +begins the great festival of the year; the festival in honour of the +birth of Christ; the festival that reminds us of the Child born in a +manger, of the shepherds near Bethlehem watching their flocks by night, +and of the angels that sang of peace and goodwill to men. It is the most +joyous of all holiday seasons; prepared for long before, and remembered +pleasantly long afterwards. This is true of England to-day, and it was +even more true of the England of the olden times--as you will find if +you read Sir Walter Scott's poem of _Marmion_: + + "England was merry England, when + Old Christmas brought his sports again. + 'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale; + 'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale; + A Christmas gambol oft would cheer + The poor man's heart through half the year." + +At midnight on Christmas Eve the bells are rung, and in Roman Catholic +churches the first of the three masses is celebrated,--Christ's masses. +But although this is a Christian festival there are curious customs +observed which take us back into the old heathen world. There is the +miseltoe bough, for instance, which you hang up in the hall; and there +is the Yule log. The old Druids had a feast at this season--the time of +the winter solstice--when the chief Druid cut the miseltoe from the +oak-tree, where it grew, and divided it among the people, who hung it up +over their doorways as a charm to bring good-fortune. Then, again, the +Yule log is a relic of the ceremony in which the Norsemen lighted great +bonfires in honour of their gods. To bring home the Yule log on +Christmas Eve is not so common as it used to be, but it deserves to be +remembered as one of the most joyous of old English customs. + +So, also, are the carols, the waits, the mummers, and the games of +Christmas time. Some of these games and mummeries were a little too +boisterous for our modern taste, probably because they had their origin +in the heathen Saturnalia of old Rome. But we still love to hear the +waits tuning up on a clear frosty night, the game of snap-dragon is +still a noisy joy, and the carol-singers are still welcome. I am sure +you like that old carol which begins: + + "God rest you merry, gentlemen, + Let nothing you dismay + For Jesus Christ our Saviour + Was born upon this day + To save us all from Satan's power + When we were gone astray." + +But probably the best thing you children like about Christmas Eve is the +ceremony of hanging up your stockings in expectation of all the things +that are to come to you from the wallet of Santa Claus. That is the +great event. Some of you, I believe, try to lie awake until Santa Claus +comes with the fruit and the toys. But that is never a success. All the +best gifts come to us when we do not peep and watch. + + + + +CHRISTMAS DAY. + + +On Christmas Day, in most households, the children are the first to make +themselves heard. There are shouts of wonder and glee from the nursery +bedrooms when it is discovered that Santa Claus has actually paid his +long-talked-about visit, and that he has brought in his wallet just the +things that were desired. The shouts of one awakens all the others, and +the chatter is great as the children rush about displaying their +new-found treasures to one another. This morning the nursery rules are +disregarded, because Christmas comes but once a year. Children are +permitted to run upstairs and downstairs in their night garments; to +skip about and laugh and chatter; and even to appear late at the +breakfast table. It is more than likely, indeed, that the breakfast +itself will be late, for the grown-ups in most households are usually as +excited as the children. But it is Christmas Day, a day of joy for +everybody. All the old stiff rules are relaxed for this happiest day of +all the year. + +Yet the church must not be neglected, nor must it be forgotten that +Christmas is a sacred festival. To do honour to the Babe Jesus that was +born in a manger at Bethlehem--that is the real meaning of the gladness +of Christmas Day. So all you children should love to go to the church in +the forenoon. It will be pleasant for you in many ways, especially if +the air is clear, with a touch of frost in it, and the winter sun +shining brightly. In any case you will find that the service in church, +like the church itself, is brighter on Christmas Day than at ordinary +times. You will like to see the old church trimmed up with holly and +holly-berries; you will join in the cheerful Christmas hymns with more +than your usual heartiness. It will be pleasant for you to think that +all over the world, men and women of every nation are doing honour to +One who was once a child like yourselves. + +Then it is home to dinner, a real Christmas Dinner. I do not suppose +that you will dine with a boar's head on the table, or that you will be +permitted to taste a peacock stuffed with spices and sweet herbs. These +were two of the dishes that figured in the good old times, but they +have long been discarded. Yet the Christmas goose is still popular, and +in almost equal favour is the roast beef of Old England. With you +children, however, the plum-pudding and the mince pies and the fruit +will be in most demand. How many helpings? I dare not say how many, for +Christmas Day brings its own appetite, but you must try--just a very +little--not to be greedy when the pudding comes in ablaze. + +Because greediness is ugly, and also because Christmas does not end with +dinner-time. There is the evening with its romps, its games, its dances +and its Christmas Tree. It is the Christmas Tree, probably, that will +give you most pleasure, with all its glittering ornaments, its coloured +flags, and its lighted candles. This is a pleasure which English +children, in the old times, did not share, because the Christmas Tree +for children was only introduced to this country in the reign of Queen +Victoria. Indeed, the whole tendency nowadays is to make of Christmas a +children's holiday. This is well; because by so doing--by making the +lives of all children, and especially all poor children, brighter at +this season--we shall give most honour and praise to the Babe that was +born in lowly Bethlehem. + + + + +BOXING DAY. + + +When people are in a good humour--and everybody is supposed to be in a +good humour at Christmas--they find it easy to give little gifts to +their relations, friends, children and servants. On Christmas Day these +gifts are given to friends and the children of the household, but on the +day after Christmas the servants and dependents obtain their share of +the gifts in what is called a Christmas Box. Hence the 26th December has +come to be recognized as Boxing Day. This is a very old custom, and +probably it has its origin in certain customs that were observed by the +Romans during the Saturnalia. At that season presents were distributed +to all, and for one day, at least, the Roman slaves received the gift of +freedom. That was a good custom. + +It was wise for the early Christian Church to adopt this method of +giving presents at Christmastide, but the custom has lost some of its +wisdom by use. The art of giving wisely is a very difficult art; +almost as difficult as the art of receiving wisely. At Christmas time +this becomes very plain to us, and it is especially obvious to us on +Boxing Day. Many of the gifts bestowed on that day are bestowed with a +grudge, and received as a matter of right. That is not as it should be, +for all pleasure is lost when a gift is bestowed in a stingy spirit, and +taken with a thankless hand. I feel sure that you children do not give +or receive your Christmas boxes in that manner. If you have any little +gift to bestow upon the people who do you a service throughout the year, +you will do it cheerfully. And if any one gives you a little gift, do +not turn it over and over looking at all sides, but accept it with +thankfulness and a cheerful countenance. By so doing you will find that +Boxing Day is one of the most pleasant days in all the year. + +For a London child there is an interesting event that always happens on +the 26th December. The pantomimes begin upon Boxing Day. Your old +friends the Harlequin, the Clown, the Pantaloon bounce upon the stage +with all their old antics and most of their old jokes. But the more +ancient the jokes are, I think you like them the better. When I was a +boy I liked to see the Clown play tricks upon the policeman, and startle +innocent people with a red-hot poker. I am sure that you feel just like +that to-day, and that you laugh as heartily as I did. There is nothing +better than laughter; and throughout England, in every playhouse, a +great tide of laughter begins upon Boxing Day. + +And now we have reached almost the last day of the year, and quite the +last page of this little book. Since New Year's Day we have travelled +together, and I have tried to explain to you the meaning of the various +Holy Days and Holidays. I have tried to make the explanations +interesting, and not exactly like the dull books that grown-ups read. +But I am not sure that I have succeeded; holidays are stupid things when +they are set down in print. It is far better to take them just as they +come along, and enjoy the good things they bring. Holidays are like the +pictures in a dry book. When I was a boy I sometimes skipped the reading +and enjoyed the pictures. You can skip the reading in this book if you +like. + + FINIS. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Holidays & Happy-Days, by Hamish Hendry + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLIDAYS & HAPPY-DAYS *** + +***** This file should be named 37216-8.txt or 37216-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/2/1/37216/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Holidays & Happy-Days + +Author: Hamish Hendry + +Illustrator: E. Florence Mason + +Release Date: August 26, 2011 [EBook #37216] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLIDAYS & HAPPY-DAYS *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + +<div> + +<br> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/z001.jpg" width="400" height="600" alt="Cover" title="Cover"> +</div> + +<p class="caption">Holidays and Happy Days<br> +H. Hendry and E. F. Mason</p> + +<p class="spacer"></p> + +<h1 id="booktitle">Holidays & Happy Days</h1> + +<p class="h3">BY</p> + +<p class="h2">HAMISH HENDRY</p> + +<p class="h3">WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY</p> + +<p class="h2">E. FLORENCE MASON</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h2">LONDON<br> +GRANT RICHARDS</p> + +<p class="h4">1901</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h3">CONTENTS</p> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents"> + <tr> + <td class="tdr"> </td> + <td class="tdl"> </td> + <td class="tdrfirst">PAGE</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">1.</td> + <td class="tdl">NEW YEAR'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#NEW_YEARS_DAY">2</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">2.</td> + <td class="tdl">TWELFTH DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#TWELFTH_DAY">6</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">3.</td> + <td class="tdl">ST. VALENTINE'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ST_VALENTINES_DAY">12</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">4.</td> + <td class="tdl">PANCAKE TUESDAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#PANCAKE_TUESDAY">16</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">5.</td> + <td class="tdl">ST. DAVID'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ST_DAVIDS_DAY">22</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">6.</td> + <td class="tdl">ST. PATRICK'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ST_PATRICKS_DAY">26</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">7.</td> + <td class="tdl">ALL FOOLS' DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ALL_FOOLS_DAY">32</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">8.</td> + <td class="tdl">PALM SUNDAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#PALM_SUNDAY">36</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">9.</td> + <td class="tdl">MAUNDY THURSDAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#MAUNDY_THURSDAY">42</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">10.</td> + <td class="tdl">GOOD FRIDAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#GOOD_FRIDAY">46</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">11.</td> + <td class="tdl">EASTER SUNDAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#EASTER_SUNDAY">52</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">12.</td> + <td class="tdl">ST. GEORGE'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ST_GEORGES_DAY">56</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">13.</td> + <td class="tdl">MAY DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#MAY_DAY">62</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">14.</td> + <td class="tdl">ROYAL OAK DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ROYAL_OAK_DAY">66</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">15.</td> + <td class="tdl">MIDSUMMER'S EVE</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#MIDSUMMERS_EVE">72</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">16.</td> + <td class="tdl">ST. SWITHIN'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ST_SWITHINS_DAY">76</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">17.</td> + <td class="tdl">MICHAELMAS DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#MICHAELMAS_DAY">82</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">18.</td> + <td class="tdl">ALL HALLOW'S EVE</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ALL_HALLOWS_EVE">86</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">19.</td> + <td class="tdl">GUY FAWKES' DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#GUY_FAWKES_DAY">92</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">20.</td> + <td class="tdl">LORD MAYOR'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#LORD_MAYORS_DAY">96</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">21.</td> + <td class="tdl">ST. ANDREW'S DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#ST_ANDREWS_DAY">102</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">22.</td> + <td class="tdl">CHRISTMAS EVE</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#CHRISTMAS_EVE">106</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">23.</td> + <td class="tdl">CHRISTMAS DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#CHRISTMAS_DAY">112</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdr">24.</td> + <td class="tdl">BOXING DAY</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#BOXING_DAY">116</a></td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h3">London<br> +Engraved & Printed<br> +at the<br> +<i><span class="smcap">Racquet Court Press</span></i><br> +<i>by</i><br> +<i><span class="smcap">Edmund Evans</span></i>.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[3]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="NEW_YEARS_DAY" id="NEW_YEARS_DAY"></a>NEW YEAR'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>Little children are usually snug in bed when the first +holiday of the year arrives. It comes at midnight +when all is dark out of doors. Sometimes the weather +is very cold, here in England, with snow upon the +ground; and as it nears midnight on the 31st +December there is a great silence beneath the stars. +The children are in bed; but in most homes there +are grown-up people—fathers, mothers, uncles or aunts—who +sit late and watch the clock. They watch; +and when the clock strikes twelve they know that the +first day of the New Year has arrived.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z009.jpg" width="600" height="430" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>Then it is no longer silent out of doors. The bells +are ringing loudly, and ringing merrily; they are +ringing a welcome to the Stranger. So the grown-up +people, who have been watching the clock, rise up +smiling and wish each other a Happy New Year. The +father says to the mother: "I wish you a Happy New +Year, my dear," and in saying this they shake hands,<span class="pagenum">[4]</span> +and kiss each other. Then the mother, if she has +children in bed, goes upstairs. They are all asleep; +so she does not waken them. She simply kisses +them, each one, and smiles as she whispers: "A +Happy New Year to all of you, my dears." That is +how the New Year arrives in England. In Scotland +there is more ceremony. There it used to be the +custom for the whole household to sit up till twelve +o'clock and bring in the New Year with singing and +frolic. But that custom is dying out.</p> + +<p>You children, I hope, get to know about the New +Year in the morning. You find that everybody is +looking happy, and wishing happiness to other people. +Even although the sun is not shining there is brightness +in the house and in the street. People when they +meet shake hands and joke and laugh. Your aunt +will give you a good hug, and more than likely your +uncle will put his hand into his pocket and give you +something; something round and bright; something +that will make you smile. Then you learn that the +New Year brings gifts as well as gladness.</p> + +<p>But nowadays the giving of presents is not so +common as it used to be. Far back in English history +the grown-up people gave each other gifts on New<span class="pagenum">[5]</span> +Year's Day, and some of these gifts were very beautiful +and very costly. Diamond necklaces, gold caskets, +jewelled swords, embroidered mantles—these were +the kind of gifts which rich people gave to each other +at the feast of the New Year. Our English Kings and +Queens, in the old days, received many such precious +gifts. Queen Elizabeth got so many valuable presents +in this way that a list of them was kept upon parchment, +and in the history books it may still be read.</p> + +<p>This custom of giving rich presents to rich people +on New Year's Day exists no longer in England; and +that is well. For in many cases these costly gifts were +given not from kindness but from selfishness; the +gift-givers wanted some favour in return. Now, it is +an ill thing to begin a New Year with a spirit of +greediness. None of you children, I am sure, will do +so. Be thankful that you have got the gift of another +New Year's Day. It is the first clean page of a fine +new book in which you can write just what you please. +Write something cheerful; and see to it that there are +no blots.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[6]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="TWELFTH_DAY" id="TWELFTH_DAY"></a>TWELFTH DAY.</h2> + +<p>The sixth day in each year is called Twelfth Day. +That is a little odd is it not? Well, the reason is +this: In very ancient times there was a great Christian +Festival which began upon Christmas Day and +lasted for twelve days. It was called the Feast of +the Nativity, because it was held in honour of the +coming of Christ to earth, and both the first day of +the feast and the last day were held very sacred. On +the last, or twelfth day, special honour was given to +the Three Kings who are spoken of in the New +Testament as the Three Wise Men who came from +the east to Jerusalem, led by a star. The star guided +these Three Kings to Bethlehem where they saw the +young child Jesus and offered gifts to him of gold, +frankincense and myrrh.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z014.jpg" width="600" height="497" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>At first this feast, which we call Epiphany, was of +a very solemn nature, but in the Middle Ages it lost a +great deal of its sacred character. The festival of the +<span class="pagenum">[9]</span> +Three Kings became noisy and frolicsome, and sometimes +it was arranged in the form of a little play. In +this play three friars or monks were dressed up like +Kings, with crowns upon their heads, and a golden +star was carried before them. Within the church, +near the altar, a manger would be arranged with an ox +and an ass, in imitation of the manger at Bethlehem. +Here, also, was the child Christ and his mother. To +them would enter the Three Kings, accompanied by +a merry crowd, and gifts were offered to the Babe—gold, +frankincense and myrrh. It was a pretty sight, +perhaps, but not at all devout.</p> + +<p>In later times still, Twelfth Day was almost wholly +given up to frolic and feasting. Special plays were +written to amuse the people, and it is probably for +that reason we have Shakspere's play called "Twelfth +Night." The chief custom of this merry day was the +election of a King of the Bean; sometimes there was +also a Queen. No doubt this making of a King had +its connection with the honour done to the Three +Kings in the early festival; it may also be connected +with an old Roman custom. Here is how the King +was elected on Twelfth Day. A large cake, called +Twelfth Cake, was baked for the day, and inside the<span class="pagenum">[10]</span> +cake a bean was placed. When all the company were +gathered to the feast the cake was cut up, and the +fortunate person who got the piece of cake with the +bean in it was made King of the Bean, and had +charge of the revels. Sometimes the names of the +company were put in a bowl, and each one received +a piece of the cake as his or her name was drawn by +lot.</p> + +<p>There was much fun and laughter, you may be sure, +as the names were being drawn, the cake cut up, and +the bean discovered. It is the kind of fun which you +children would have enjoyed. For the Twelfth Cake, +in the old days, was usually very large, baked into +very queer shapes, and always very nice to eat. Nowadays, +the cakes upon Twelfth Day have become +much smaller, and in some households this merry day +is forgotten altogether. You will agree with me, +children, that this is a mistake. It is a mistake to +forget the good old customs; and it is doubly a +mistake when the custom is made cheerful with +laughter and cake.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[13]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ST_VALENTINES_DAY" id="ST_VALENTINES_DAY"></a>ST. VALENTINE'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>Not very much is known about St. Valentine. +Indeed, there were several saints of that name who +were set down in the calendar for loving remembrance +on the Fourteenth day of February. One of them +was a martyr, and died for the Christian faith at Rome. +But these saints have no connection with the ceremonies +of St. Valentine's Day except that the priests +of the early Christian Church set that particular day +apart for a special feast. This feast was meant to take +the place of certain ceremonies practised by the +common people of the old world in their worship of +the Roman gods. But the people did not easily +forget their old customs, and some of these were, +until recent times, practised on St. Valentine's Day +in a new form.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z019.jpg" width="600" height="494" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>One of these customs was for young men and +maidens to cast lots in the choice of partners. Upon +the eve of St. Valentine's Day, in England, it was +<span class="pagenum">[14]</span> +usual for young people to meet together, each one +writing his or her name upon a piece of paper. +When this was done the papers were rolled up tightly +and put into two bowls. Then each young man drew +the name of a girl and she was his <i>Valentine</i>, and +each girl drew the name of a young man and he was +her <i>Valentine</i>. It was little more than a merry mode +of choosing partners for the festival of St. Valentine; +but sometimes the young folks took this choice by lot +quite seriously, and the partnership ended in marriage.</p> + +<p>With the English poets St. Valentine's Day has +always been a favourite. You will find it mentioned +by Chaucer, Shakspere, and many another of lesser +note. At one time it was not uncommon for a young +man to send a set of verses to his <i>Valentine</i> on the +morning of the 14th of February. Most of these were +very poor verses, but sometimes a true poet sent a +greeting to his Valentine. As when Drayton sent these +happy lines:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Muse, bid the Morn awake,<br></span> +<span class="i0">Sad winter now declines,<br></span> +<span class="i0">Each bird doth choose a mate;<br></span> +<span class="i0">This day's St. Valentines<br></span> +<span class="i0">For that good Bishop's sake<br></span> +<span class="i0">Get up and let us see<br></span> +<span class="i0">What beauty it shall be<br></span> +<span class="i0">That fortune us assigns.<br></span> +<span class="pagenum">[15]</span> +</div> +</div> + +<p>Nowadays St. Valentine's Day has lost nearly all its +popularity; certainly, it has lost all its merry charm. +The time is not so distant—your fathers and mothers +may remember it—when the postman's bag was laden +with valentines upon St. Valentine's Day. Some of +them were in large embossed envelopes and the +valentines themselves were glittering things. There +was nearly always a little gilt Cupid with his bow and +arrows, and the mottoes and verses were always very +very sentimental. Some of the valentines, also, were +strange and ugly as they came from the postman's bag. +These were what is called "mock" valentines, and +the people who received them were sometimes very +angry. Now the sending of valentines has fallen into +disfavour, especially the pretty ones. As for the +others, the ugly mock valentines, they are very ill-natured +and foolish. Have nothing to do with them; +they are not worthy of happy St. Valentine's Day.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[16]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="PANCAKE_TUESDAY" id="PANCAKE_TUESDAY"></a>PANCAKE TUESDAY</h2> + +<p>Pancake Tuesday is quite a nice name is it not? +But it is not the only name for this holiday. It is also +called Shrove Tuesday, Shrovetide, Fasting-tide, and +Fasten-e'en or Fastern's-e'en. I shall try to explain to +you why it has all these names. There is, as you +must know, a great festival of the Christian Church +called Easter. It is the festival of the resurrection of +Christ, and to prepare for this solemn festival the +ancient Church set apart a period of fasting which +we call Lent. This fasting-time begins upon Ash +Wednesday, and on the morning of the previous day, +in the old times, people went to the priests to confess +their sins and get shriven. Hence it was called +Shrove or Shriven Tuesday; hence, also, it was called +Fasten-e'en, because it was upon the eve of the Great +Fast.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z024.jpg" width="600" height="492" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>After attending church in the morning the people +were permitted to enjoy themselves to their heart's +desire all the rest of Shrove Tuesday, and before +the rigorous fasting-time of Lent began. During +the Middle Ages, indeed, this merry-tide lasted for +<span class="pagenum">[19]</span> +several days, and some idea of the jollity of +Shrovetide can be gathered from the way in which the +Carnival is held upon the Continent, even now. In +England, during the old times before the Reformation, +there were great feasts during Shrovetide, and all +the old English games and pastimes went right +merrily. Some of these pastimes were very rough +and cruel—such as cock-fighting and bull-baiting—and +would not be permitted to-day. But there +were also such games as football and hand-ball; and +in certain towns in Scotland the game of hand-ball is +still played, sometimes very roughly, upon Fastern's-e'en.</p> + +<p>Of all the jollity and junketting of that festive time +very little remains to us; almost nothing except the +practice of baking and eating pancakes upon Shrove +Tuesday. But nowadays the ceremonies connected +with Pancake Tuesday are not so important and +picturesque as they used to be. In the old days—the +days when Shakspere lived—a bell was rung in the +morning called the Pancake Bell. At the sound of +the bell the preparation of the pancakes began. +Wheaten flour mixed with water, spices, eggs and other +nice things were dropped into the frying-pan as it<span class="pagenum">[20]</span> +sizzled over the fire. Then followed the tossing of +the pancakes. This was a time of great fun, because +it required a good deal of skill to toss the pancakes +and catch them in the pan. In giving them a quick +twirl round the pancakes sometimes dropped into the +fire. But that did not greatly matter, because there +were always plenty of pancakes for everybody; and +also plenty of fun in the eating of them.</p> + +<p>There was only one person in the company who +did not enjoy the fun. For the first pancake tossed in +the pan was given to that member of the party who +was considered the most lazy. It was seldom eaten, you +may be sure, as the Lazy One found it the best plan +to run away and hide. But it was a merry day, +especially for young people at school and college. At +Westminster School, for instance, the cook used to +bring his frying-pan with a pancake in it right into the +schoolroom and toss it among the boys. In the +scramble that followed the boy who captured the +pancake unbroken and carried it to the Dean received +a guinea for his cleverness. That was a jolly game +and it is only one of many that used to be popular on +Pancake Tuesday. 'Tis a pity that much of this +merry-making has disappeared.>/p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[23]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ST_DAVIDS_DAY" id="ST_DAVIDS_DAY"></a>ST. DAVID'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>There is a little corner of Wales which is very dear +to all true Welsh folk. It is very close to the sea, +near St. David's Head, and its interest gathers round +an ancient cathedral of red stone and the holy man +who is buried in this cathedral. This old building, +with others, stands beside a little stream called the +Alan, and here also is the city of St. David's, now a +small village. It is all very lonely nowadays, this +peaceful shrine near the restless sea, but in the Middle +Ages it was a busy place. There were the comings +and goings of great Kings and Queens with their +followers, and many pilgrims of lesser name visited +this shrine to do homage to the memory of the Welsh +Saint. There are still many people who visit St. +David's, the ancient Menevia, and the cathedral +founded by the patron saint of Wales.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z029.jpg" width="600" height="499" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>A great number of legends—stories of marvel and +miracle—have been told about St. David. An angel<span class="pagenum">[24]</span> +is said to have been his constant attendant in his +youth, and to have ministered to all his wants. In +later years he began to preach, making long journeys +through Wales and England, and visiting Jerusalem. +When he preached to the people, so the old legends +tell us, a snow-white dove sat upon the shoulder of +the saint. The power to work miracles also was +ascribed to St. David; he is said to have healed all +diseases, and even raised up the dead. Many other +strange and marvellous things are set down in the old +chronicles as having been accomplished by the saint.</p> + +<p>It is impossible to believe all these tales, and +what we actually know to be true regarding St. David +can be told in a few words. What is certain is that +he was a great preacher and organiser in the early +church, and his powers were so much approved that +he was made Archbishop of Wales, taking up his +residence at St. David's. We have also been told by +the old chroniclers that he was a very good man, and +this we can well believe. One of his biographers says +of him that he was a guide to the religious, a life to +the poor, a support to orphans, a protection to widows, +a father to the fatherless. He is said to have died in +<span class="smcap">A.D.</span> 601.<span class="pagenum">[25]</span></p> + +<p>Having been such a noble and good man the Welsh +people have chosen to make St. David their patron +saint. On the first day of March, in every year, they +hold in remembrance the old preacher and teacher who +lived so long ago beside the little stream in Menevia. +They also keep in remembrance, by so doing, all that +is good and noble in the history of the Welsh race. +That is surely a right thing to do. For although +Wales is now a part of Great Britain it has a history +of its own, a language of its own, and a literature of +its own. It is well that these things should be held in +remembrance, both by the Welsh folk at home and +those who have travelled into far lands, and they +set apart St. David's Day as a special day for doing +honour to all that is best in the ancient history of their +country. It is a happy custom, alike for old and +young.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[26]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ST_PATRICKS_DAY" id="ST_PATRICKS_DAY"></a>ST. PATRICK'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>The national emblem of Ireland is a plant, the leaf of +which has three small leaflets. This is called the +Shamrock. It is beloved by Irish folks at all times, +but most of them wear it conspicuously upon the 17th +day of March. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, +and that is St. Patrick's Day. There are very good +reasons why the Saint should be honoured by Irishmen, +yet it is a curious fact that he was not born in Ireland. +Indeed, there is some doubt regarding both the time +and place of his birth. Some people think that the +Saint was born in France, while others hold that his +birthplace was at Kilpatrick, near Dunbarton, in +Scotland.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z034.jpg" width="600" height="494" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>But this we know for certain that St. Patrick, when +he was a lad of sixteen years of age, was captured by +pirates on his father's farm and carried by them to +Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. The Irish +Chief who bought the lad lived in County Antrim, +<span class="pagenum">[29]</span> +near Sleamish Mountain, and he employed Patrick in +herding swine. All the people who lived in that part +of Ireland at this time—about the end of the 4th +century—were heathen. Now, young Patrick had +been trained by his father and grandfather in the +Christian religion, and it made him very unhappy to +think that his master, and the people of Ireland, were +ignorant of the true faith; he was also unhappy when +he thought of his home and his friends. But after +six years he escaped from slavery, and sailed away +from Ireland.</p> + +<p>He went to another country, either Scotland or +France, and there became a priest and a preacher of +the Christian religion. Patrick was very successful, +and after many years he was made a Bishop. But all +this time he kept in remembrance the people of +Ireland who had never heard the Gospel, and at last he +determined to go and preach the good news in the +country where he had been a slave and a swineherd. +He was sixty years of age when he landed in Wicklow +as the apostle of Christianity to Ireland, but Patrick was +a strong old man and he had great faith in his +message. Up and down the country he travelled converting +the heathen Chiefs and their followers. As<span class="pagenum">[30]</span> +many as 12,000 people were baptised with his own +hands, and by his efforts the Christian religion was +firmly planted in Ireland. A great many marvellous +stories are told about the Saint. It is said, for +instance, that on one occasion he made a heap of +snow-balls blaze up into a fire by simply breathing +upon them; and there is also the well-known legend +that he drove all the snakes from Ireland by the +beating of a drum. The year of his death is uncertain, +but we know that he must have been a very +old man, and that he was buried at Downpatrick.</p> + +<p>This is the man who is held in honour by Irishmen +in all parts of the world. On St. Patrick's Day +they give themselves a holiday, and make merry,—those +of them, at least, who still remain in the old +Catholic Church. Surely that is well. For in +honouring St. Patrick the Irish people do honour to +themselves, and to all that is noble and brave in their +long sad history.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[33]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ALL_FOOLS_DAY" id="ALL_FOOLS_DAY"></a>ALL FOOLS' DAY.</h2> + +<p>He must have been a merry person who invented All +Fools' Day, but no one can tell when he lived, where +he lived, or what was his name. All we know about +the matter is that the custom of fool-making upon the +First of April is very old, and that it prevails over +nearly the whole of Europe. Some people have tried +to guess how this odd custom began, and they have +found its origin in one of the old Miracle Plays that +used to be played by the Monks in the Middle Ages +at the Easter Festival. In this play Christ was represented +as being sent hither and thither from one judge +to another, from Annas to Caiaphas, and then from +Pilate to Herod. This explanation is doubtful; it is +more likely that the custom of fool-making had its +origin in heathen times. In any case, it is a merry +custom; and as the joker and the fool have many +sons and daughters it is a custom that shall endure +yet a while.<span class="pagenum">[34]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z039.jpg" width="600" height="437" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>The great thing on the First of April is to have +a good memory. Most people know about April +fooling, but many people forget about it when the +special day arrives. Some of you children, no doubt, +have forgotten; with the result that the joker with a +good memory has made of you an April Fool. In +coming down to breakfast you have been asked quite +solemnly, let us say, why your hair is brushed to the +wrong side. If you have gone and peeped into a +looking-glass there was an instant burst of laughter, +and then you have become aware that All Fools' Day +has come round again. Some boys and girls get +angry when they have been thus fooled; but that only +adds to their foolishness. A good plan is to laugh +with those who are laughing; and you can better this +plan by catching the joker off his guard. By so +doing you may, if you are clever at keeping a solemn +face, make a fool of the joker in his turn. Then the +laugh is with you, and you can feel quite pleased with +yourself until the next All Fools' Day.</p> + +<p>This is the great festival of the Practical Joker, and +all is well when his jokes are simple and amusing. To +pin a piece of paper on someone's back, or to send +the school Dunce into a bookseller's shop for a<span class="pagenum">[35]</span> +"History of Adam's Grandfather," is quite good fun. +But there are some jokes which are carefully prepared +in order to give pain to the persons upon whom they +are played; they are not amusing, but merely cruel. +It is not a good joke, for instance, to balance a bowl +of water upon the top of a door, so that the first +person to enter the room gets drenched. Neither is +it nice fun to send an innocent boy upon an errand +with a letter containing the instruction: "Send the +fool another mile." This used to be a common form +of April joke in Scotland, and it was not unusual to +keep the poor boy trudging long distances for the +greater part of the day. This is not fun, but a +stupid form of cruelty; and of much the same +character as the hoax that is played upon tradesmen +who are asked to send goods to a particular house +upon a particular morning. It is only when the vans +choke up the street from end to end that someone +remembers it is the First of April, and that the Practical +Joker—a stupid and heartless person in this case—has +again been exhibiting his foolishness.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[36]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="PALM_SUNDAY" id="PALM_SUNDAY"></a>PALM SUNDAY.</h2> + +<p>In the New Testament you have it written that Jesus +entered Jerusalem for the last time riding on a colt, +the foal of an ass. Two of his disciples, acting upon +the instructions of their Master, had entered a village +near the Mount of Olives, and there they found the +colt by the door without, in a place where two ways +met. They unloosed the animal, telling those that +stood by and questioned them, that the Master had +need of him. Then they brought the colt to Jesus, +who mounted upon its back, after some of the +disciples had spread their garments thereon. It was +thus that Jesus rode into Jerusalem to his death. +And when the great multitude of people who were +gathered to the Passover saw him coming they cut +branches from the palm trees by the side of the way, +and spread them on the ground before Jesus, while +they cried with joyful voices: "Hosanna; blessed be +the King that cometh in the name of the Lord."<span class="pagenum">[37]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z044.jpg" width="600" height="427" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[39]</span></p> +<p>In this incident you have the origin of Palm Sunday. +It is the first day of Holy Week, the week which is +dedicated by the Catholic Church to the commemoration +of the sufferings and death of Jesus. With the +early church throughout Europe it was the custom to +lay the branches of a tree upon the altar on this day, +and as the palm tree does not grow in Europe, the +box, the yew, and especially the willow tree, were used +instead. The branches were blessed by the priest, +sprinkled with holy water, and then carried in procession +through the town. As part of this procession +it was sometimes arranged to have a figure representing +Jesus sitting upon an ass—either a living figure or one +made of wood, sitting upon a wooden animal. This +wooden effigy was drawn along upon wheels, and the +people in the street scattered the consecrated branches +before it. Flowers were sometimes used as well as the +branches of trees.</p> + +<p>It is a beautiful ceremony, this blessing of flowers +and tree-branches upon Palm Sunday in memory of +Christ's entry into Jerusalem, and it is one to interest +all you children. But in the Middle Ages a great +many unworthy things, such as the selling of palm-branches +in order to avert diseases, became associated<span class="pagenum">[40]</span> +with Palm Sunday. Indeed, that whole week, the +week that should have been so solemn and sacred, +was turned into an occasion of feasting and frivolity. +At the Reformation many of these unworthy things +were abolished, and the ceremonies in connection with +Palm Sunday were considerably modified here in +England. Yet in some parts of the country it is still +a custom to go a-palming—that is to say, to gather +willow-branches—on the day before Palm Sunday.</p> + +<p>With the Roman Catholic Church, however, and +especially in the ceremonies at Rome during Holy +Week, an important place is given to Palm Sunday. +The officiating priest blesses the branches, which are +then distributed. In the solemn mass that follows, the +people in the congregation hold the branches in their +hands to the end of the service. In most cases these +consecrated branches are taken home and preserved +during the year; then they are burned and the ashes +used upon Ash Wednesday.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[43]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="MAUNDY_THURSDAY" id="MAUNDY_THURSDAY"></a>MAUNDY THURSDAY.</h2> + +<p>There is another day in Holy Week that has old and +interesting ceremonies connected with it. This is +Maundy Thursday, which always falls, of course, on +the day before Good Friday. It is the day which is +set apart to commemorate the humility and tender +loving-kindness of Jesus during that week of his +suffering and death. You remember that, after the +Master with his disciples, had partaken of supper in +that upper room in Jerusalem, He rose up and laid +aside his garments. Then He took a towel and +girded himself. After that He poured water into a +basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to +wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. +In this beautiful act of humility you have the origin of +Maundy Thursday; and its odd name is derived from +the circumstance that, in the Ancient Church, the +anthem <i>Maudatum novum</i> was sung at the ceremony.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z049.jpg" width="600" height="436" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>For the Early Church consecrated this day to acts<span class="pagenum">[44]</span> +of lowliness in imitation of Christ. The washing in +public of the feet of the poor became the outward +sign of humility in the whole church. In later times +this washing was accompanied by gifts, and the +ceremony was performed by Kings and Queens. +Thus we find, here in England, that Queen Elizabeth +performed the ceremony at her palace of Greenwich. +The age of Her Majesty being thirty-nine, there were +thirty-nine poor people chosen to assemble in her +presence on Maundy Thursday. Then the yeomen of +the laundry, the sub-almoner, and finally the Queen +herself, washed each foot of the poor people in water +mixed with sweet herbs, marked the sign of the cross +above the toes, and then kissed it. Afterwards various +gifts were distributed to these poor people in clothes, +food, and money. Since James II. no English monarch +has performed this ceremony, but in Spain and Austria +the yearly foot-washing upon Holy Thursday is still +performed by the Head of the State.</p> + +<p>In England the giving of gifts on Maundy Thursday +has taken the place of foot-washing. During the +reign of George II. the old men and women who +gathered in the Banqueting House, at Whitehall, +received half-quartern loaves, boiled beef and mutton,<span class="pagenum">[45]</span> +herrings red and white, with small bowls of ale. They +were also given shoes and stockings, cloth to make +dresses, and a leathern bag filled with money. The +money was in silver-pieces, of the value of a penny +and upwards; and these coins being made at the Mint +for this special purpose were called Maundy Money. +During the Reign of Queen Victoria the giving of +meat and clothes was discontinued, but the poor +people still received their dole or maund.</p> + +<p>It is to be hoped that King Edward VII. will continue +this practice for—unlike some of the old customs—it +is well worthy of being continued. Most people +are inclined to be proud, and when people are proud +they are usually greedy and selfish. Therefore, it is a +good thing to have at least one day in the year set +apart to help us to remember that true greatness, the +greatness which Jesus Christ expects from his disciples, +is only to be attained by lowliness and unselfishness.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[46]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="GOOD_FRIDAY" id="GOOD_FRIDAY"></a>GOOD FRIDAY.</h2> + +<p>Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, and by the +Christian Church it is regarded as one of the most +sacred days in the whole year. From a very early +time it was regarded, in a special degree, as a day of +fasting and mourning, because upon this Holy Friday +the crucifixion of Jesus is commemorated. In the +Church of England before the Reformation, and in +the Roman Catholic Church still, the church service +upon Good Friday is peculiar. Everything is made to +appear mournful. The priests are dressed in black, +at the elevation of the Host a wooden clapper is used +instead of a bell, all the glittering ornaments are +removed from the altar, and the music is more than +usually sad.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z054.jpg" width="600" height="431" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>But even more strange than that is the chief ceremony. +In old times, it used to be that the priests had +a figure of Christ fixed to a crucifix which they carried +round the church, treated with great reverence, and +<span class="pagenum">[49]</span> +ultimately buried solemnly by torchlight. Nowadays, +this ceremony has been somewhat changed. On Good +Friday the crucifix, in the Roman Catholic Church, +is placed before the altar. Then the priests, followed +by the whole congregation, approach the figure upon +the crucifix creeping upon their knees, and reverently +kiss its feet. This ceremony, and the chanting of the +<i>Miserere</i>, have a very solemnizing effect upon all who +are present.</p> + +<p>Long ago, here in England, there was an odd ceremony +performed by the King upon Good Friday. +This was called Blessing the Cramp-rings. The ceremony +is said to have originated in a wonderful ring, +presented by a pilgrim to Edward the Confessor, and +long used in Westminster Abbey as a cure for falling-sickness +and cramp. On Good Friday the King of +England used to go in state to his private chapel, +and creep humbly upon his knees towards the crucifix. +Following him came the King's Almoner with a silver +basin in which were a number of gold or silver rings, +and these rings the King blessed. Thereafter, they +were given away to be used as an unfailing cure for +cramp and epilepsy. In those days everybody believed +that cramp-rings had the power to cure cramp, and in<span class="pagenum">[50]</span> +England to-day there are still a few people who so +believe.</p> + +<p>You children, however, do not think of rings upon +Good Friday; it is much better to think of hot cross +buns. If you ask how it is that buns came to be +eaten on this day I cannot answer. All that can be +said is that bread, in one or another form, has always +formed part of religious observances; and it may be +that the spicy buns which you eat on Good Friday are +connected with a religion that is older than Christianity. +All things change, you know, and even the +desire for hot cross buns is not so great as it used to +be when people struggled in crowds at the doors of +the famous Chelsea bun-houses. On Good Friday we +do not so often hear the cry:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">One a penny, buns,<br></span> +<span class="i0">Two a penny, buns,<br></span> +<span class="i0">One a penny, two a penny,<br></span> +<span class="i0">Hot cross buns!<br></span> +</div></div> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[53]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="EASTER_SUNDAY" id="EASTER_SUNDAY"></a>EASTER SUNDAY.</h2> + +<p>On Good Friday the death of Jesus is commemorated, +and that being so it is a day of gloom and sadness. +On Easter Sunday the rising of Jesus from the dead is +commemorated, and that being so it is regarded by +the Christian Church as a day of great joy. In the +old times, indeed, it was called the Sunday of Joy, and +in the Eastern world it is still called the Bright Day. +When friends met each other upon Easter Sunday the +favourite salutation used to be: "He is risen," and to +this was given the reply: "Verily he is risen." Everywhere +there was happiness, and this happiness was +shown in many ways. At Easter slaves used to receive +their freedom, while at the present day, in Russia, +birds that have been shut up in a cage have their +cage-doors opened, and are permitted to fly away. +That is a beautiful custom; an emblem of the freedom +that Jesus brought to the world when he broke +the power of Death in rising from the grave. In<span class="pagenum">[54]</span> +England this happiness is expressed in a practical +manner by many marriages at Eastertide.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z059.jpg" width="600" height="437" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>Easter Sunday is what is called a movable feast; it +is not held each year upon the same day of the month. +The rule is, that Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday +after the full moon that happens upon, or next +after, the 21st of March; and if the full moon +happens upon a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday +after. As regards the name "Easter," it is very likely +derived from an old Saxon deity called Eastre; for +when the Christian religion was first preached to the +heathen the missionaries often took an old heathen +festival and turned it into a new Christian festival. +Now, in the ancient heathen world there was always +great joy and feasting in the spring-time when the sun +began to rise higher and higher in the heavens, and +there is little doubt that the early missionaries, when +they converted the heathen, gave a new meaning to +the old joy. Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, had +risen from the dead; that was the new gladness.</p> + +<p>But Christianity did not quite remove all the rites +and ceremonies of the heathen worship; some of them, +indeed, linger to this day. The ceremonies connected +with fire, for instance, were very prominent in the<span class="pagenum">[55]</span> +heathen ritual, and in some parts of Europe bonfires +are lit at Easter, while in the Roman Catholic Church +great importance is given to the lighting of candles +and tapers. Then again, there are the Pasch or +Easter eggs—boiled hard and dyed in various colours—which +are so interesting to children. This name of +Pasch is derived from the Jewish festival of the Passover, +and the egg we now regard as an emblem of the +resurrection; but all the old peoples of the world +looked upon the egg as a symbol of new life coming +forth with blessing. It was, in some respects, a sacred +thing in the old heathen world of the Egyptians and +Persians; while here in this country the Easter eggs +used to be blessed by the priests at the altar, and kept +all the year as a charm against various ailments. Is it +not curious to think, children, how races and religions +have come to be linked together by small things? +These coloured eggs which please you so much at +Easter link you with strange old peoples and their +strange old customs.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[56]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ST_GEORGES_DAY" id="ST_GEORGES_DAY"></a>ST. GEORGE'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>On the back of some old English coins you will find +the figure of a warrior on horseback, and in his hand +a long spear with which he is slaying a dragon. That +figure with the helmet and spear is St. George, the +patron saint of England, and the patron saint of all +that is chivalrous in Christianity. Regarding this hero +and martyr we know very little; and indeed there are +two men who have claims to be regarded as St. George. +The most noble of these, and probably the true saint, +was born of Christian parents in Cappadocia, became +a warrior prince, and having testified for the Christian +faith, was put to death at Nicomedia on April 23rd, +303 <span class="smcap">A.D.</span>, by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. From +this time, and for that reason, he was venerated by all +the Christian Churches, until about the year 494 <span class="smcap">A.D.</span> +George of Cappadocia was formally made a saint by +Pope Gelasius.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z064.jpg" width="600" height="435" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>A great many legends have gathered round the +<span class="pagenum">[59]</span> +name of St. George. The most famous of these, of +course, is the story of how this Christian warrior slew +a dragon that was about to kill and devour a young +girl. With heavy labour, and at great risk to himself +St. George is said to have rescued the maiden and +destroyed the dragon. It is a very interesting adventure, +but unfortunately it cannot be accepted as literally +true. In these old days it was quite common to attribute +to brave men the slaying of a dragon, and that +St. George was the bravest of the brave we need not +doubt. There is also no doubt that, as a Christian +warrior, he fought against all that was sly, cruel and +ravenous—these being the evil characteristics of a +dragon.</p> + +<p>Several nations adopted St. George as their patron +saint, for his bravery was known all over Christendom, +and he was specially honoured during the Crusades. +It was in England, however, that the saint was held in +highest esteem. In 1222 <span class="smcap">A.D.</span> the 23rd April became +a great national festival by order of the Council of +Oxford; while in the reign of Edward III. the famous +Order of St. George, or the Blue Garter, was instituted. +This is an Order of Knighthood, and when it was +formed there was a great tournament in which forty of<span class="pagenum">[60]</span> +the stoutest and bravest of England's knights held the +field against all the foreign knights who had been +summoned to enter the contest. This Order of St. +George, better known as the Order of the Garter, still +exists, and its motto is still the same: <i>Honi soit qui +mal y pense</i>.</p> + +<p>In recent times St. George's Day has not been +generously honoured by the English people. This is, +indeed, a very great pity, because the saint is closely +linked with English history; because his emblem—the +red cross on a white ground—is to be seen wherever +the British flag flies; and because he represents all that +is best and bravest in the English character. "God +and St. George"; "Saint George and Merrie England"—these +were the stout battle cries which led on +to victory when the foundations of the British Empire +were laid. He is a good patriot, therefore, who remembers +St. George's Day.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[63]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="MAY_DAY" id="MAY_DAY"></a>MAY DAY.</h2> + +<p>If there is one month in the year that is more joyful +than another it is the month of May—the merry month +of May. And it is not difficult to understand why it +should be so. In Europe it is the month when nature +out-of-doors awakens into life; when leaves appear +upon the trees; when flowers in profusion peep from +among the grass; when the little birds in lane and +woodland sing their sweetest. Nature is joyously astir; +and in the sunshine of the open sky all people, especially +young people, find it good to be alive. That is +the reason why May is the merry month. It is Nature's +holiday time; the time when she calls upon all folk +who are weary of winter and rough weather, to come +out of their stuffy houses and enjoy themselves for a +little in green places, under the blue tent of the sky.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z069.jpg" width="600" height="434" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>It is the sun that brings all this new life and gladness +as it goes higher in the heavens and shines brighter. +So it happened that the ancient inhabitants of these<span class="pagenum">[64]</span> +islands, not knowing any better, held a great festival +on the First of May to the praise and glory of the +sun-god. A relic of this worship lingered until recently +in the Beltane fires that were lit on the high hills of +Scotland and Ireland. It was the same with the old +Romans. They had a goddess of flowers called Flora, +and about the beginning of May they held a festival +in her honour. The houses were decked with garlands, +there was much feasting and dancing out-of-doors, and +at these feasts the goddess herself was represented by +a beautiful maiden crowned with flowers.</p> + +<p>There is reason to think that some of our May Day +customs were derived from these ancient peoples. In +any case, it has always been a joyful day in England, +especially in the ancient times before the Puritans +abolished May-poles and merry-making. Not only the +citizens of London, but also the lords and ladies of +the Court, used to go out to the woods around the +city—it was a very much smaller city then—and gather +hawthorn blossom. This they called going a-Maying, +and the flower of the hawthorn came to be called +May-blossom. It was brought into hamlet, town, and +city with great rejoicing, and to the sound of music.</p> + +<p>Then the whole day thereafter was spent in merry-making<span class="pagenum">[65]</span>. +In every town and village there was a tall +pole fixed, called a May-pole; and on May Day this +pole, the centre of all the frolic, was made gay with +great garlands of flowers. Every town and village, +also, had a Queen of the May, a maiden who was +chosen for her beauty, and who sat apart crowned +with flowers, an object of envy and admiration. The +lads and lassies sang carols, played at such games as +kiss-in-the-ring, and danced the morris dance. Not +many of these customs now remain; the May-poles +have disappeared; and very few of you children, I +suppose, go a-Maying. Do you not think that is a +mistake? I do; the work-a-day world is not such a +mirthful place that we can afford to forget the cheery +old customs, and there are surely many worse ways of +spending a day than in dancing round a May-pole. +I am sure that you children would like to have the +merry-making of May Day brought back again.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[66]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ROYAL_OAK_DAY" id="ROYAL_OAK_DAY"></a>ROYAL OAK DAY.</h2> + +<p>In your English history-book you will find some +account of Oliver Cromwell and the many battles +he fought against the royal house of Stuart and the +cavaliers. One of the most famous of these was the +battle of Worcester, fought near the town of that name +on the 3rd September, 1651, in which the army of +King Charles II. was utterly defeated. As the result +of this defeat by Cromwell, all the followers of the +King were placed in danger, and the King's life was +in great jeopardy. The only thing he could do was +to flee out of England, but that was no easy matter +because his enemies were numerous, and they searched +for him with great diligence. His first plan was to +try to reach London before the news of his defeat, +and by proceeding from there in disguise he hoped to +get a ship on the south coast that would carry him to +France. This plan was in part successful, but before +he embarked at Shoreham, near Brighton, the fugitive +king had many strange adventures and hair-breadth +escapes.<span class="pagenum">[67]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z074.jpg" width="600" height="429" alt="" title=""> +</div> +<p><span class="pagenum">[69]</span></p> +<p>One of the most notable of these was connected +with a large country house called Boscobel, situated +in Shropshire, and about thirty-seven miles from +Worcester, where the great battle was fought. In +fleeing northward after the fight Charles was accompanied +by many of his followers, but in order to give +him a better chance to escape the king was advised to +leave all the others and make his way to Boscobel +where the folk were all friendly. This he did, with +trusty Richard Penderel for his guide; and as the +house was a lonely place set among woods, the king +hoped that he would not be disturbed. But the +pursuit after him was very hot, and the soldiers of +Cromwell arrived in the neighbourhood. So the king +had to seek a hiding-place somewhere out of doors, +and one of his friends, Colonel William Careless, +suggested that they should conceal themselves among +the branches of a large bushy oak-tree that stood +near the house. There the two remained for a whole +day, with little to eat except bread and cheese, and +with the constant fear of being discovered. From +where they sat among the branches they could peep +through the leaves and see the soldiers searching the +woods around. But they were not discovered, and at<span class="pagenum">[70]</span> +length the king escaped from that neighbourhood +dressed like a countryman in leathern doublet and +green jerkin.</p> + +<p>After many years, as you all know, the man who +hid in the oak-tree was invited to return to England, +where he reigned as Charles II. It was on the 29th +May, 1660, and the king's thirtieth birthday, that he +entered London in triumph. The story of his +adventure in the oak-tree having become known, +garlands of oak-branches, and the Royal Oak used as +a symbol, were prominent in the coronation ceremonies; +while from thenceforth the 29th May was established +as Royal Oak Day, or Oak-Apple Day. During the +Restoration Period, and for long afterwards, it was +the custom to go forth into the woods on the morning +of that day and gather branches of oak. In town +and village the houses were decorated with the woodland +spoil, and thus did the people of England exhibit +their loyalty to the House of Stuart. Even now the +old custom lingers in out-of-the-way hamlets, and the +sign of the Royal Oak may still be seen on many an +old inn, but the oak-leaf and the acorn have lost all +their significance in the world of politics. Oak-Apple +Day, I fear, will never again become a general holiday.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[73]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="MIDSUMMERS_EVE" id="MIDSUMMERS_EVE"></a>MIDSUMMER'S EVE.</h2> + +<p>Midsummer Day is the 24th June; this is also the +day upon which the birth of St. John the Baptist is +celebrated by the Christian Church. During the +Middle Ages it was a joyous time of feast and merry-making, +for in these old times, as you must have +gathered from this little book, people did not work +and worry so much as they do nowadays. But here +is a curious thing: nearly all the ceremonies connected +with this holiday were performed the night previous—variously +called Midsummer's Eve, or St. John's Eve. +These customs and ceremonies were observed in various +forms throughout Christendom, and some of them +were very strange. I have often had to tell you that +many of our holiday practices and usages were founded +upon ancient heathen rites and ceremonies; this is +perhaps more observable in connection with Midsummer +Eve than upon any other holiday occasion.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z079.jpg" width="600" height="434" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>Flowers and fire were two things that became<span class="pagenum">[74]</span> +of great importance on Midsummer's Eve. Nearly +every town and village had its bonfire lit in the market-place, +and at one time these fires were formally +blessed by the priests of the church. One practice +connected with these fires, a practice that carries us +far back into heathen times, was the way in which +the boys and girls leaped through and over the flames. +It was also customary to fling flowers and garlands +into the fires, while the people, young and old, circled +round the blaze with merry antics and gleeful songs. +Great processions were also formed to visit the woods +and bring back green boughs wherewith to decorate +the houses on St. John's Eve. The boughs were hung +round doors and windows with joyful shoutings, in +recognition of the prophecy that many would rejoice +at the birth of John the Baptist.</p> + +<p>Midsummer's Eve was regarded as a time when the +strangest things might easily happen. That is +probably the reason why Shakspere called his play +"A Midsummer Day's Dream," and make Puck and +the other fairies play such pranks with the mortals +that they found wandering out-of-doors. It used to +be a common belief in Ireland, and the superstition +still lingers, that on this night the souls of all sleeping<span class="pagenum">[75]</span> +people left their bodies, and went wandering into +strange places, sometimes never to return. To avoid +this dangerous possibility it was usual to keep awake +during that night. But to keep watch did not always +prevent the watcher from having gruesome experiences. +In England it was quite a prevalent opinion that if you +sat in the church porch all St. John's Eve you would +see the spirits of those who were soon to die in the +parish come and knock at the church door.</p> + +<p>There were various other superstitious practices and +beliefs associated with Midsummer's Eve—most of them +weird and heathenish—which you will read about when +you grow older. They belong to a time when people +were very ignorant, and therefore very credulous. +Happily, we are forgetting all these foolish beliefs; +and for my part I find Midsummer's Eve interesting +and beautiful because the light is slow to fade from +the sky, because the wild roses make a pleasant scent +in the lanes, and because the nightingale from the +copsewood brims the darkness with melodious joy.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[76]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ST_SWITHINS_DAY" id="ST_SWITHINS_DAY"></a>ST. SWITHIN'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>In Europe there are various saints who are supposed +to have had some influence upon the weather; France +has its St. Médard, and England has its St. Swithin. +Our actual knowledge of this old English saint is very +scanty, and the grounds upon which he has been associated +with dry and wet weather are of dubious origin. +We are told that St. Swithin was a monk in the Old +Abbey of Winchester, and that because of his zeal he +became prior and then bishop of that See. We are +told, also, that he erected numerous churches, while +his piety and learning were such that Egbert, King of +Wessex, gave him his son and successor to educate. +As was usual with good men in those days, many +miraculous deeds were attributed to St. Swithin, +and finally he died in the year 862 <span class="smcap">A.D.</span> He was +buried in the churchyard at Winchester, in a humble +spot of his own selection.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z084.jpg" width="600" height="442" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>More than a hundred years afterwards the clergy +<span class="pagenum">[79]</span> +of the diocese of Winchester thought that the Saint +deserved more honour than a grave under the dripping +eaves of the Cathedral. Accordingly, they +arranged to remove the body inside with great ceremony, +and the date selected for this event was the +15th July. Thereafter this day was regarded as St. +Swithin's Day because, if we are to believe popular +legend, he objected to have his body removed from the +humble place in the graveyard chosen by himself. +In order to give outward and visible sign of his displeasure +violent rains descended on that 15th of July, +and the torrent continued for forty days, so that the +ceremony of removing the Saint's body was delayed, +while the clergy of the diocese were thus rebuked for +their presumption. Hence there grew up the popular +belief which finds expression in the old rhyme:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain,<br></span> +<span class="i0">For forty days it will remain:<br></span> +<span class="i0">St. Swithin's Day, if thou be fair,<br></span> +<span class="i0">For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.<br></span> +</div></div> + +<p>There is, of course, no truth in this old adage, +although there are some people who still profess to +believe in it. The men whose business it is to watch +the weather day by day and write down all they<span class="pagenum">[80]</span> +observe, will tell you that it does not matter in the +least, as far as the rain of the following forty days is +concerned, whether it is wet or dry on the 15th July. +It is even very doubtful whether the ceremony of +removing the Saint's body was marked by any special +downpour of rain; the fact is not mentioned by the +chroniclers of that time. Like many other things +connected with holidays and holy days this legend +regarding St. Swithin has its origin, probably in the +heathen times that preceded Christianity. That would +account, at least, for the curious fact that there are +several rainy Saints in Europe.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[83]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="MICHAELMAS_DAY" id="MICHAELMAS_DAY"></a>MICHAELMAS DAY.</h2> + +<p>The 29th September is dedicated as a feast day in +the Christian Church to St. Michael and All Angels. +In the Bible the Angel Michael is mentioned several +times, and always as a fighter, especially against Satan. +Thus you find it stated in the Epistle of Jude that +Michael the Archangel contended with the Devil +regarding the body of Moses. In the book of the +Revelation of St. John, again, you will find it written +that there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels +fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and +his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place +found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was +cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil. He was +cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out +with him.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z089.jpg" width="600" height="437" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>You will gather from this that St. Michael always +appears in the character of a warrior; and as the +Christian Church accomplished a great deal of fighting,<span class="pagenum">[84]</span> +especially during the time of the crusades, it can +easily be understood that the warlike Archangel was +popular. In old pictures he is usually represented in +a coat of mail, and with a short spear in his hand, +hurling Satan downwards to the earth. John Milton, +in his "Paradise Lost," makes full use of this conception +of the Archangel, only that he puts a great and +marvellous sword into his hand:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i12">"The sword<br></span> +<span class="i0">Of Michael from the armoury of God<br></span> +<span class="i0">Was given him tempered so, that neither keen<br></span> +<span class="i0">Nor solid might resist that edge; it met<br></span> +<span class="i0">The sword of Satan, with steep force to smite<br></span> +<span class="i0">Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stayed,<br></span> +<span class="i0">But, with swift wheel reverse, deep entering shared<br></span> +<span class="i0">All his right side: Then Satan first knew pain."<br></span> +</div></div> + +<p>In old times it was usual to have a saint or an angel +for one's guardian, and as Michael, according to the +Church, was both of these he was popular as a heavenly +protector. But an earthly protector was also required, +and thus it came about—whether by accident or intentionally +I cannot tell—that magistrates were chosen +upon Michaelmas Day. Thus you find that the Lord +Mayor of London is elected on the 29th of September. +This day is also one of the four quarterly terms; the<span class="pagenum">[85]</span> +day upon which many people pay their rent; and not +always, therefore, a day of joy. In old times when +the farmer took his rent to the lord of the manor it +was usual for him to carry a fat goose in his hand as +a present. From this practice it has established itself +as a custom to have a goose for dinner on Michaelmas +Day; another good reason is that geese, when +fed upon the chance grain of autumn's stubbled +fields, are always at their fattest and best. It is curious +to note, how that, although a holy day or a holiday +may have begun with the adoration of saint or angel, +it usually survives for us in some form of eating. But +you children, I am sure, do not object.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[86]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ALL_HALLOWS_EVE" id="ALL_HALLOWS_EVE"></a>ALL HALLOW'S EVE.</h2> + +<p>The night of the 31st October has a character +peculiar to itself, and to you children it has some +ceremonies that possess special interest. In England +it is known as All Hallow's Eve; while in Scotland, +where its customs are most varied and remarkable, it +is known as Halloween. It is the Eve of All Saints' +Day, but there is little or nothing connected with the +popular practices of that night that suggest Christianity. +On the contrary, they suggest some old +pagan worship and a mysterious impish world that +holds high carnival for that one night. Many of the +customs and rites connected with this revel—described +vividly and amusingly by Robert Burns in "Halloween"—are +not known to the Scots people of the present +day; but some few of them are still practised, even in +England.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z094.jpg" width="600" height="434" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>Nuts and apples become of great importance upon +All Hallow's Eve. The nuts are not for eating—although +<span class="pagenum">[89]</span> +that were probably a wise use to which to +put them—but to play a mysterious part in deciding +the fate of lovers. For this purpose two nuts are +dropped into a bright red fire, side by side, and the +name of the lad and lass, whose fates are to be +decided, is given to each nut. The nuts themselves +give the decision. If they burn quietly together then +all is well; but on the other hand, if the nuts (or one +of them) jump out of the fire, then things will go ill +with the two lovers. Here is how Burns describes +the practice:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"The auld guidwife's weel-hoordet nits<br></span> +<span class="i0">Are round and round devided,<br></span> +<span class="i0">And mony lads and lasses fates<br></span> +<span class="i0">Are there that night decided:<br></span> +<span class="i0">Some kindle, couthie, side by side,<br></span> +<span class="i0">And burn together trimly;<br></span> +<span class="i0">Some start awa, with saucy pride,<br></span> +<span class="i0">And jump out ower the chimlie<br></span> +<span class="i6">Full high that night."<br></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Apples have a quite different use. On Halloween +they are placed in large quantities in a big tub nearly +full of water. The apples are then stirred round +vigorously, while the boys and girls, each in turn, try +to snatch an apple from the water, not using their<span class="pagenum">[90]</span> +hands, but their teeth alone. Sometimes one has to +dip one's head right down to the bottom of the tub in +chase of a big apple, and that is rather a chilly experience, +as I am able to testify. The modern plan of +dropping a fork into the tub, over the back of a chair, +may spoil, just a little, the apples that are impaled, but +it is a good preventitive of a cold in the head—the +usual result of ducking for apples.</p> + +<p>There are many other customs connected with +Halloween, some of them mysterious and uncanny, +which you will learn by and bye. But these two, the +burning of nuts and the hunting of apples will do you +no possible harm. On the contrary, where there is +a lot of you children present, they will give much innocent +fun and laughter.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[93]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="GUY_FAWKES_DAY" id="GUY_FAWKES_DAY"></a>GUY FAWKES' DAY.</h2> + +<p>There is another name for this day; it is sometimes +called Gunpowder Plot Day, and that name informs +us how it happened that the 5th November became +famous in English history. That was the day upon +which a few Catholic gentlemen, over-zealous for their +religion, determined to destroy King James I., and +the Houses of Lords and Commons, by means of +gunpowder. It was a gentleman named Catesby who +conceived this murderous plot, and he was joined by +several other conspirators. The most famous of these, +although he can scarcely be regarded as the most +guilty, was a gentleman called Guy Fawkes who had +fought bravely with the Spanish army in Flanders. +He was brought over to England in order to carry out +the plot, and like all the other conspirators he took a +vow of secrecy.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z099.jpg" width="600" height="433" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>In itself the plot was very simple. The conspirators +hired a house near to the building where Parliament +met, and their intention was to dig an underground<span class="pagenum">[94]</span> +passage-way between the two buildings, and to +prepare under Parliament House a large mine +charged with gunpowder. They found difficulties, +however, in carrying out this scheme, chief of these +being the thickness of the wall through which they +had to pierce. Eventually, the digging of this underground +passage-way was abandoned, because the conspirators +found that they could hire a cellar right +under the House of Lords. This would be far more +convenient, they thought; so they hired it from a +coal-dealer, and put thirty-six barrels of gunpowder +into it. The barrels were carefully covered with faggots, +and in the month of May, 1605, all was ready to blow +the King and his Parliament into the air.</p> + +<p>But Parliament did not meet until the 5th November, +and by that time the secret had leaked out. +There have been great differences of opinion regarding +the manner in which the plot was revealed. It +appears, however, that a mysterious letter was sent by +Mr. Francis Tresham, one of the conspirators, to his +brother-in-law Lord Monteagle, warning him regarding +the coming disaster. This letter is said to have led to +a search in the cellars under Parliament House, but it +is quite probable that the plot was revealed in a more<span class="pagenum">[95]</span> +direct manner. In any case, the gunpowder was discovered +in the cellar, and beside it was Guy Fawkes. +He was arrested on the early morning of the 5th +November by a Westminster magistrate and a party +of soldiers. When the other conspirators heard that +the plot had failed they fled into the country, but the +most of them were captured, tried for high treason +along with Guy Fawkes, and with him were hanged +as traitors in St. Paul's Churchyard.</p> + +<p>For many years after this plot was discovered the +5th day of November was kept as a national holiday, +and the people expressed their patriotism and their +Protestantism in huge bonfires, with shoutings and the +ringing of bells. Also, it was regarded as the proper +thing on this day to parade a scarecrow effigy of Guy +Fawkes, which was finally burned as a warning to +traitors. Now the day is only remembered by +boys who are bent upon a frolic, for this old rhyme +has lost much of its significance:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Remember, remember!<br></span> +<span class="i0">The fifth of November,<br></span> +<span class="i0">The Gunpowder treason and plot;<br></span> +<span class="i0">There is no reason<br></span> +<span class="i0">Why the Gunpowder treason<br></span> +<span class="i0">Should ever be forgot!<br></span> +</div></div> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[96]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="LORD_MAYORS_DAY" id="LORD_MAYORS_DAY"></a>LORD MAYOR'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>In London the 9th of November has been regarded, +for many centuries, as a day of special importance. +It is Lord Mayor's Day. That is to say, the new +Lord Mayor of the City of London, who was elected +by the freemen of the City Guilds on Michaelmas +Day, goes in his state coach to the Law Courts +to be "sworn into" office by His Majesty's judges. +Until recent times the Law Courts were situated at +Westminster, and in old Westminster Hall some of the +greatest trials in English history took place,—such as +the trials of Lord Cobham, Strafford, and Warren +Hastings. Now the Law Courts are situated in the +Strand, near to the spot where stood Temple Bar.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z104.jpg" width="600" height="428" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>The Lord Mayor of London has still a certain +amount of authority within the City bounds, but +nothing like what he used to possess. At one time, +indeed, in his capacity of Head of all the great trade +guilds, he was more powerful than any of the king's +<span class="pagenum">[99]</span> +nobles, and in London he exercised almost as much +authority as the king himself. From this you will +understand that when he, in the old times, journeyed +from the City of London to the City of Westminster +it was a great occasion, because the Lord Mayor was +in truth a great man. The stately pageants wended +to Westminster on Lord Mayor's Day both by coach +and water-barge; glittering pageants that had a real +significance. In many cases they were devised by +clever play-wrights, and their glories recorded in the +verses of the poet laureates.</p> + +<p>In the year 1616 Sir John Leman, of the Fishmongers' +Company, was Lord Mayor, and part of his +pageant was a fishing-boat with fishermen drawing up +their nets laden with living fish which they distributed +among the people. This boat, set upon a wheeled +stage, was followed by a dolphin with a youth on its +back; then the King of the Moors, with six tributary +kings on horseback; then a lemon-tree (the Mayor's +name was Leman) laden with fruit and flowers; then +a bower adorned with the names and arms of all +members of the Fishmongers' Company; then an +armed officer, with a representation of the head of +Wat Tyler; lastly there was a great car drawn by<span class="pagenum">[100]</span> +mermen and mermaids, and on the top of it was a +victorious angel, with a representation of King Richard +surrounded by figures that symbolized all the royal +virtues.</p> + +<p>Some of the Lord Mayor's pageants were even more +splendid than this one. Gilded chariots, giants, bowers +wreathed with flowers, men in armour, full-rigged ships, +satyrs, bannermen—these things, and many other fanciful +contrivances, found a place in the Lord Mayor's +procession. And this procession still forms a part of +London life, but it has lost all its significance; and +a great deal of its interest, even as a show. On the +9th day of each November the Lord Mayor's gilded +coach, with a few mounted soldiers, the heralds, the +aldermen in coaches, the City firemen, and a few +symbolical cars block the traffic of London from east +to west. It is not an occasion of great historical +interest, yet it still draws great crowds, for your true +Londoner loves a procession that goes to the sound +of brazen music. The Lord Mayor's Show is also—just +like a circus procession—beloved of all boys and +girls.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[103]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="ST_ANDREWS_DAY" id="ST_ANDREWS_DAY"></a>ST. ANDREW'S DAY.</h2> + +<p>In this little book you have already been presented to +three patron saints. There was St. David, the patron +saint of Wales; St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland; +and St. George, the patron saint of England. +Now we come to St. Andrew, the patron saint of +Scotland, who is honoured by Scotsmen on the 30th +November in each year. The first mention of this +Saint is in the New Testament where he, with his +brother Simon Peter, became a disciple of Christ, +after having been a disciple of John the Baptist. +After the death of Christ this first disciple of his +became a missionary in many lands. From tradition +we learn that St. Andrew travelled and preached the +gospel in Scythia, Thrace and Asia Minor. Finally, +we are told that he suffered martyrdom for the Christian +faith at Patræ, in Achaia. The cross on which +he died was in the form of an X, and that is now +known as the St. Andrew's cross.<span class="pagenum">[104]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z109.jpg" width="600" height="432" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>But how did this Saint come to be connected with +Scotland? Well, the story told is this: There was +once a monk who lived in the fourth century called +Regulus, or Rule, who brought the bones of St. Andrew +from Constantinople—where they had been deposited +in a church by the Emperor Constantine—and +buried them near the sea on the east coast of Scotland. +There he built a church, and round the church +there gradually gathered a little hamlet. In course of +time, the hamlet became a City with a cathedral and +a university, and in your geography books you will +find it called St Andrews. I am not sure that I can +ask you to believe all this story, for it is only a monkish +legend. But at least part of it is true. If there was +no such monk as Regulus, there is certainly a very +pleasant city called St. Andrews, in which there is a +building called St. Rule's Tower.</p> + +<p>Here is another sure thing that I can tell you. +There is an Order of Knighthood called the Order +of St. Andrew, although it is more often called the +Order of the Thistle. It was created by James II. in +1687, and it includes the King and sixteen knights. +The insignia of the Order consists of a gold collar +composed of thistles interlaced with red; the jewel is<span class="pagenum">[105]</span> +a figure of St. Andrew in the middle of a star of +eight pointed rays; and the motto of the Order is +<i>Nemo me impune lacessit</i>. This is a motto which +Scotsmen carry with them all over the world.</p> + +<p>All over the world, also, Scotsmen keep in remembrance +two days; and on these days they meet together +to express love of the old home. One of these +days is the 30th November—St. Andrew's Day. +Curiously enough, it is not a holiday in Scotland, nor +do the people there hold it much in remembrance. +But when a Scotsman goes into a strange country—though +it be no further than London—he begins to +think a very great deal of his homeland, and all the +ill things he said of it when he lived there are quickly +forgotten. Bleak and barren it may have been to +them once, but when Scotsmen meet on St. Andrew's +Day, or on the birthday of Robert Burns, they discover +that Scotland is the most lovely country in the +world. This is just as it should be. I hope that all +you children, wherever you may travel, will keep a +great love for the land where you were born.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[106]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHRISTMAS_EVE" id="CHRISTMAS_EVE"></a>CHRISTMAS EVE.</h2> + +<p>Of all nights of the year there is not one that is more +anxiously awaited by young people than the night that +precedes Christmas. Then begins the great festival +of the year; the festival in honour of the birth of +Christ; the festival that reminds us of the Child born +in a manger, of the shepherds near Bethlehem watching +their flocks by night, and of the angels that sang of +peace and goodwill to men. It is the most joyous of +all holiday seasons; prepared for long before, and +remembered pleasantly long afterwards. This is true +of England to-day, and it was even more true of the +England of the olden times—as you will find if you +read Sir Walter Scott's poem of <i>Marmion</i>:</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z114.jpg" width="600" height="432" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"England was merry England, when<br></span> +<span class="i0">Old Christmas brought his sports again.<br></span> +<span class="i0">'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale;<br></span> +<span class="i0">'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;<br></span> +<span class="i0">A Christmas gambol oft would cheer<br></span> +<span class="i0">The poor man's heart through half the year."<br></span> +</div></div> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[109]</span></p> +<p>At midnight on Christmas Eve the bells are rung, +and in Roman Catholic churches the first of the three +masses is celebrated,—Christ's masses. But although +this is a Christian festival there are curious customs +observed which take us back into the old heathen +world. There is the miseltoe bough, for instance, +which you hang up in the hall; and there is the Yule +log. The old Druids had a feast at this season—the +time of the winter solstice—when the chief Druid cut +the miseltoe from the oak-tree, where it grew, and +divided it among the people, who hung it up over +their doorways as a charm to bring good-fortune. +Then, again, the Yule log is a relic of the ceremony +in which the Norsemen lighted great bonfires in +honour of their gods. To bring home the Yule log +on Christmas Eve is not so common as it used to be, +but it deserves to be remembered as one of the most +joyous of old English customs.</p> + +<p>So, also, are the carols, the waits, the mummers, and +the games of Christmas time. Some of these games +and mummeries were a little too boisterous for our +modern taste, probably because they had their origin +in the heathen Saturnalia of old Rome. But we still +love to hear the waits tuning up on a clear frosty<span class="pagenum">[110]</span> +night, the game of snap-dragon is still a noisy joy, +and the carol-singers are still welcome. I am sure +you like that old carol which begins:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"God rest you merry, gentlemen,<br></span> +<span class="i0">Let nothing you dismay<br></span> +<span class="i0">For Jesus Christ our Saviour<br></span> +<span class="i0">Was born upon this day<br></span> +<span class="i0">To save us all from Satan's power<br></span> +<span class="i0">When we were gone astray."<br></span> +</div></div> + +<p>But probably the best thing you children like about +Christmas Eve is the ceremony of hanging up your +stockings in expectation of all the things that are to +come to you from the wallet of Santa Claus. That is +the great event. Some of you, I believe, try to lie +awake until Santa Claus comes with the fruit and the +toys. But that is never a success. All the best gifts +come to us when we do not peep and watch.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[113]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHRISTMAS_DAY" id="CHRISTMAS_DAY"></a>CHRISTMAS DAY.</h2> + +<p>On Christmas Day, in most households, the children +are the first to make themselves heard. There are +shouts of wonder and glee from the nursery bedrooms +when it is discovered that Santa Claus has actually +paid his long-talked-about visit, and that he has +brought in his wallet just the things that were +desired. The shouts of one awakens all the others, +and the chatter is great as the children rush about +displaying their new-found treasures to one another. +This morning the nursery rules are disregarded, because +Christmas comes but once a year. Children +are permitted to run upstairs and downstairs in +their night garments; to skip about and laugh and +chatter; and even to appear late at the breakfast table. +It is more than likely, indeed, that the breakfast itself +will be late, for the grown-ups in most households +are usually as excited as the children. But it is +Christmas Day, a day of joy for everybody. All the<span class="pagenum">[114]</span> +old stiff rules are relaxed for this happiest day of all +the year.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z119.jpg" width="600" height="434" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>Yet the church must not be neglected, nor must it +be forgotten that Christmas is a sacred festival. To +do honour to the Babe Jesus that was born in a +manger at Bethlehem—that is the real meaning of the +gladness of Christmas Day. So all you children +should love to go to the church in the forenoon. It +will be pleasant for you in many ways, especially if the +air is clear, with a touch of frost in it, and the winter +sun shining brightly. In any case you will find that +the service in church, like the church itself, is brighter +on Christmas Day than at ordinary times. You will +like to see the old church trimmed up with holly and +holly-berries; you will join in the cheerful Christmas +hymns with more than your usual heartiness. It will +be pleasant for you to think that all over the world, +men and women of every nation are doing honour to +One who was once a child like yourselves.</p> + +<p>Then it is home to dinner, a real Christmas Dinner. +I do not suppose that you will dine with a boar's head +on the table, or that you will be permitted to taste a +peacock stuffed with spices and sweet herbs. These +were two of the dishes that figured in the good old<span class="pagenum">[115]</span> +times, but they have long been discarded. Yet the +Christmas goose is still popular, and in almost equal +favour is the roast beef of Old England. With you +children, however, the plum-pudding and the mince +pies and the fruit will be in most demand. How +many helpings? I dare not say how many, for Christmas +Day brings its own appetite, but you must try—just +a very little—not to be greedy when the pudding +comes in ablaze.</p> + +<p>Because greediness is ugly, and also because Christmas +does not end with dinner-time. There is the +evening with its romps, its games, its dances and its +Christmas Tree. It is the Christmas Tree, probably, +that will give you most pleasure, with all its glittering +ornaments, its coloured flags, and its lighted candles. +This is a pleasure which English children, in the old +times, did not share, because the Christmas Tree for +children was only introduced to this country in the +reign of Queen Victoria. Indeed, the whole tendency +nowadays is to make of Christmas a children's holiday. +This is well; because by so doing—by making the lives +of all children, and especially all poor children, brighter +at this season—we shall give most honour and praise +to the Babe that was born in lowly Bethlehem.</p> + +<hr class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[116]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="BOXING_DAY" id="BOXING_DAY"></a>BOXING DAY.</h2> + +<p>When people are in a good humour—and everybody +is supposed to be in a good humour at Christmas—they +find it easy to give little gifts to their relations, +friends, children and servants. On Christmas Day +these gifts are given to friends and the children of the +household, but on the day after Christmas the servants +and dependents obtain their share of the gifts in what +is called a Christmas Box. Hence the 26th December +has come to be recognized as Boxing Day. This is a +very old custom, and probably it has its origin in +certain customs that were observed by the Romans +during the Saturnalia. At that season presents were +distributed to all, and for one day, at least, the Roman +slaves received the gift of freedom. That was a good +custom.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/z124.jpg" width="600" height="501" alt="" title=""> +</div> + +<p>It was wise for the early Christian Church to adopt +this method of giving presents at Christmastide, but +the custom has lost some of its wisdom by use. The +<span class="pagenum">[119]</span> +art of giving wisely is a very difficult art; almost as +difficult as the art of receiving wisely. At Christmas +time this becomes very plain to us, and it is especially +obvious to us on Boxing Day. Many of the gifts +bestowed on that day are bestowed with a grudge, and +received as a matter of right. That is not as it should +be, for all pleasure is lost when a gift is bestowed in a +stingy spirit, and taken with a thankless hand. I feel +sure that you children do not give or receive your +Christmas boxes in that manner. If you have any +little gift to bestow upon the people who do you a +service throughout the year, you will do it cheerfully. +And if any one gives you a little gift, do not turn it +over and over looking at all sides, but accept it with +thankfulness and a cheerful countenance. By so doing +you will find that Boxing Day is one of the most +pleasant days in all the year.</p> + +<p>For a London child there is an interesting event +that always happens on the 26th December. The +pantomimes begin upon Boxing Day. Your old +friends the Harlequin, the Clown, the Pantaloon +bounce upon the stage with all their old antics and +most of their old jokes. But the more ancient the +jokes are, I think you like them the better. When I<span class="pagenum">[120]</span> +was a boy I liked to see the Clown play tricks upon +the policeman, and startle innocent people with a red-hot +poker. I am sure that you feel just like that +to-day, and that you laugh as heartily as I did. There +is nothing better than laughter; and throughout England, +in every playhouse, a great tide of laughter +begins upon Boxing Day.</p> + +<p>And now we have reached almost the last day of +the year, and quite the last page of this little book. +Since New Year's Day we have travelled together, and +I have tried to explain to you the meaning of the +various Holy Days and Holidays. I have tried to +make the explanations interesting, and not exactly +like the dull books that grown-ups read. But I am +not sure that I have succeeded; holidays are stupid +things when they are set down in print. It is far +better to take them just as they come along, and enjoy +the good things they bring. Holidays are like the +pictures in a dry book. When I was a boy I sometimes +skipped the reading and enjoyed the pictures. +You can skip the reading in this book if you like.</p> + +<p class="h3">FINIS.</p> + +</div> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Holidays & Happy-Days, by Hamish Hendry + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLIDAYS & HAPPY-DAYS *** + +***** This file should be named 37216-h.htm or 37216-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/2/1/37216/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Holidays & Happy-Days + +Author: Hamish Hendry + +Illustrator: E. Florence Mason + +Release Date: August 26, 2011 [EBook #37216] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLIDAYS & HAPPY-DAYS *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY DAYS + + H. HENDRY AND E. F. MASON + + + The Larger Dumpy Books for Children + + II. HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY DAYS + + + Holidays & Happy-Days + + BY + + HAMISH HENDRY + + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY + + E. FLORENCE MASON + + + LONDON + GRANT RICHARDS + 1901 + + + + + CONTENTS. + + + 1. NEW YEAR'S DAY + 2. TWELFTH DAY + 3. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY + 4. PANCAKE TUESDAY + 5. ST. DAVID'S DAY + 6. ST. PATRICK'S DAY + 7. ALL FOOLS' DAY + 8. PALM SUNDAY + 9. MAUNDY THURSDAY + 10. GOOD FRIDAY + 11. EASTER SUNDAY + 12. ST. GEORGE'S DAY + 13. MAY DAY + 14. ROYAL OAK DAY + 15. MIDSUMMER'S EVE + 16. ST. SWITHIN'S DAY + 17. MICHAELMAS DAY + 18. ALL HALLOW'S EVE + 19. GUY FAWKES' DAY + 20. LORD MAYOR'S DAY + 21. ST. ANDREW'S DAY + 22. CHRISTMAS EVE + 23. CHRISTMAS DAY + 24. BOXING DAY + + + London + Engraved & Printed + at the + _RACQUET COURT PRESS_ + _by_ + _EDMUND EVANS_. + + + + +NEW YEAR'S DAY. + + +Little children are usually snug in bed when the first holiday of the +year arrives. It comes at midnight when all is dark out of doors. +Sometimes the weather is very cold, here in England, with snow upon the +ground; and as it nears midnight on the 31st December there is a great +silence beneath the stars. The children are in bed; but in most homes +there are grown-up people--fathers, mothers, uncles or aunts--who sit +late and watch the clock. They watch; and when the clock strikes twelve +they know that the first day of the New Year has arrived. + +Then it is no longer silent out of doors. The bells are ringing loudly, +and ringing merrily; they are ringing a welcome to the Stranger. So the +grown-up people, who have been watching the clock, rise up smiling and +wish each other a Happy New Year. The father says to the mother: "I wish +you a Happy New Year, my dear," and in saying this they shake hands, +and kiss each other. Then the mother, if she has children in bed, goes +upstairs. They are all asleep; so she does not waken them. She simply +kisses them, each one, and smiles as she whispers: "A Happy New Year to +all of you, my dears." That is how the New Year arrives in England. In +Scotland there is more ceremony. There it used to be the custom for the +whole household to sit up till twelve o'clock and bring in the New Year +with singing and frolic. But that custom is dying out. + +You children, I hope, get to know about the New Year in the morning. You +find that everybody is looking happy, and wishing happiness to other +people. Even although the sun is not shining there is brightness in the +house and in the street. People when they meet shake hands and joke and +laugh. Your aunt will give you a good hug, and more than likely your +uncle will put his hand into his pocket and give you something; +something round and bright; something that will make you smile. Then you +learn that the New Year brings gifts as well as gladness. + +But nowadays the giving of presents is not so common as it used to be. +Far back in English history the grown-up people gave each other gifts on +New Year's Day, and some of these gifts were very beautiful and very +costly. Diamond necklaces, gold caskets, jewelled swords, embroidered +mantles--these were the kind of gifts which rich people gave to each +other at the feast of the New Year. Our English Kings and Queens, in the +old days, received many such precious gifts. Queen Elizabeth got so many +valuable presents in this way that a list of them was kept upon +parchment, and in the history books it may still be read. + +This custom of giving rich presents to rich people on New Year's Day +exists no longer in England; and that is well. For in many cases these +costly gifts were given not from kindness but from selfishness; the +gift-givers wanted some favour in return. Now, it is an ill thing to +begin a New Year with a spirit of greediness. None of you children, I am +sure, will do so. Be thankful that you have got the gift of another New +Year's Day. It is the first clean page of a fine new book in which you +can write just what you please. Write something cheerful; and see to it +that there are no blots. + + + + +TWELFTH DAY. + + +The sixth day in each year is called Twelfth Day. That is a little odd +is it not? Well, the reason is this: In very ancient times there was a +great Christian Festival which began upon Christmas Day and lasted for +twelve days. It was called the Feast of the Nativity, because it was +held in honour of the coming of Christ to earth, and both the first day +of the feast and the last day were held very sacred. On the last, or +twelfth day, special honour was given to the Three Kings who are spoken +of in the New Testament as the Three Wise Men who came from the east to +Jerusalem, led by a star. The star guided these Three Kings to Bethlehem +where they saw the young child Jesus and offered gifts to him of gold, +frankincense and myrrh. + +At first this feast, which we call Epiphany, was of a very solemn +nature, but in the Middle Ages it lost a great deal of its sacred +character. The festival of the Three Kings became noisy and +frolicsome, and sometimes it was arranged in the form of a little play. +In this play three friars or monks were dressed up like Kings, with +crowns upon their heads, and a golden star was carried before them. +Within the church, near the altar, a manger would be arranged with an ox +and an ass, in imitation of the manger at Bethlehem. Here, also, was the +child Christ and his mother. To them would enter the Three Kings, +accompanied by a merry crowd, and gifts were offered to the Babe--gold, +frankincense and myrrh. It was a pretty sight, perhaps, but not at all +devout. + +In later times still, Twelfth Day was almost wholly given up to frolic +and feasting. Special plays were written to amuse the people, and it is +probably for that reason we have Shakspere's play called "Twelfth +Night." The chief custom of this merry day was the election of a King of +the Bean; sometimes there was also a Queen. No doubt this making of a +King had its connection with the honour done to the Three Kings in the +early festival; it may also be connected with an old Roman custom. Here +is how the King was elected on Twelfth Day. A large cake, called Twelfth +Cake, was baked for the day, and inside the cake a bean was placed. +When all the company were gathered to the feast the cake was cut up, and +the fortunate person who got the piece of cake with the bean in it was +made King of the Bean, and had charge of the revels. Sometimes the names +of the company were put in a bowl, and each one received a piece of the +cake as his or her name was drawn by lot. + +There was much fun and laughter, you may be sure, as the names were +being drawn, the cake cut up, and the bean discovered. It is the kind of +fun which you children would have enjoyed. For the Twelfth Cake, in the +old days, was usually very large, baked into very queer shapes, and +always very nice to eat. Nowadays, the cakes upon Twelfth Day have +become much smaller, and in some households this merry day is forgotten +altogether. You will agree with me, children, that this is a mistake. It +is a mistake to forget the good old customs; and it is doubly a mistake +when the custom is made cheerful with laughter and cake. + + + + +ST. VALENTINE'S DAY. + + +Not very much is known about St. Valentine. Indeed, there were several +saints of that name who were set down in the calendar for loving +remembrance on the Fourteenth day of February. One of them was a martyr, +and died for the Christian faith at Rome. But these saints have no +connection with the ceremonies of St. Valentine's Day except that the +priests of the early Christian Church set that particular day apart for +a special feast. This feast was meant to take the place of certain +ceremonies practised by the common people of the old world in their +worship of the Roman gods. But the people did not easily forget their +old customs, and some of these were, until recent times, practised on +St. Valentine's Day in a new form. + +One of these customs was for young men and maidens to cast lots in the +choice of partners. Upon the eve of St. Valentine's Day, in England, it +was usual for young people to meet together, each one writing his or +her name upon a piece of paper. When this was done the papers were +rolled up tightly and put into two bowls. Then each young man drew the +name of a girl and she was his _Valentine_, and each girl drew the name +of a young man and he was her _Valentine_. It was little more than a +merry mode of choosing partners for the festival of St. Valentine; but +sometimes the young folks took this choice by lot quite seriously, and +the partnership ended in marriage. + +With the English poets St. Valentine's Day has always been a favourite. +You will find it mentioned by Chaucer, Shakspere, and many another of +lesser note. At one time it was not uncommon for a young man to send a +set of verses to his _Valentine_ on the morning of the 14th of February. +Most of these were very poor verses, but sometimes a true poet sent a +greeting to his Valentine. As when Drayton sent these happy lines: + + Muse, bid the Morn awake, + Sad winter now declines, + Each bird doth choose a mate; + This day's St. Valentines + For that good Bishop's sake + Get up and let us see + What beauty it shall be + That fortune us assigns. + +Nowadays St. Valentine's Day has lost nearly all its popularity; +certainly, it has lost all its merry charm. The time is not so +distant--your fathers and mothers may remember it--when the postman's +bag was laden with valentines upon St. Valentine's Day. Some of them +were in large embossed envelopes and the valentines themselves were +glittering things. There was nearly always a little gilt Cupid with his +bow and arrows, and the mottoes and verses were always very very +sentimental. Some of the valentines, also, were strange and ugly as they +came from the postman's bag. These were what is called "mock" +valentines, and the people who received them were sometimes very angry. +Now the sending of valentines has fallen into disfavour, especially the +pretty ones. As for the others, the ugly mock valentines, they are very +ill-natured and foolish. Have nothing to do with them; they are not +worthy of happy St. Valentine's Day. + + + + +PANCAKE TUESDAY + + +Pancake Tuesday is quite a nice name is it not? But it is not the only +name for this holiday. It is also called Shrove Tuesday, Shrovetide, +Fasting-tide, and Fasten-e'en or Fastern's-e'en. I shall try to explain +to you why it has all these names. There is, as you must know, a great +festival of the Christian Church called Easter. It is the festival of +the resurrection of Christ, and to prepare for this solemn festival the +ancient Church set apart a period of fasting which we call Lent. This +fasting-time begins upon Ash Wednesday, and on the morning of the +previous day, in the old times, people went to the priests to confess +their sins and get shriven. Hence it was called Shrove or Shriven +Tuesday; hence, also, it was called Fasten-e'en, because it was upon the +eve of the Great Fast. + +After attending church in the morning the people were permitted to enjoy +themselves to their heart's desire all the rest of Shrove Tuesday, and +before the rigorous fasting-time of Lent began. During the Middle Ages, +indeed, this merry-tide lasted for several days, and some idea of the +jollity of Shrovetide can be gathered from the way in which the Carnival +is held upon the Continent, even now. In England, during the old times +before the Reformation, there were great feasts during Shrovetide, and +all the old English games and pastimes went right merrily. Some of these +pastimes were very rough and cruel--such as cock-fighting and +bull-baiting--and would not be permitted to-day. But there were also +such games as football and hand-ball; and in certain towns in Scotland +the game of hand-ball is still played, sometimes very roughly, upon +Fastern's-e'en. + +Of all the jollity and junketting of that festive time very little +remains to us; almost nothing except the practice of baking and eating +pancakes upon Shrove Tuesday. But nowadays the ceremonies connected with +Pancake Tuesday are not so important and picturesque as they used to be. +In the old days--the days when Shakspere lived--a bell was rung in the +morning called the Pancake Bell. At the sound of the bell the +preparation of the pancakes began. Wheaten flour mixed with water, +spices, eggs and other nice things were dropped into the frying-pan as +it sizzled over the fire. Then followed the tossing of the pancakes. +This was a time of great fun, because it required a good deal of skill +to toss the pancakes and catch them in the pan. In giving them a quick +twirl round the pancakes sometimes dropped into the fire. But that did +not greatly matter, because there were always plenty of pancakes for +everybody; and also plenty of fun in the eating of them. + +There was only one person in the company who did not enjoy the fun. For +the first pancake tossed in the pan was given to that member of the +party who was considered the most lazy. It was seldom eaten, you may be +sure, as the Lazy One found it the best plan to run away and hide. But +it was a merry day, especially for young people at school and college. +At Westminster School, for instance, the cook used to bring his +frying-pan with a pancake in it right into the schoolroom and toss it +among the boys. In the scramble that followed the boy who captured the +pancake unbroken and carried it to the Dean received a guinea for his +cleverness. That was a jolly game and it is only one of many that used +to be popular on Pancake Tuesday. 'Tis a pity that much of this +merry-making has disappeared. + + + + +ST. DAVID'S DAY. + + +There is a little corner of Wales which is very dear to all true Welsh +folk. It is very close to the sea, near St. David's Head, and its +interest gathers round an ancient cathedral of red stone and the holy +man who is buried in this cathedral. This old building, with others, +stands beside a little stream called the Alan, and here also is the city +of St. David's, now a small village. It is all very lonely nowadays, +this peaceful shrine near the restless sea, but in the Middle Ages it +was a busy place. There were the comings and goings of great Kings and +Queens with their followers, and many pilgrims of lesser name visited +this shrine to do homage to the memory of the Welsh Saint. There are +still many people who visit St. David's, the ancient Menevia, and the +cathedral founded by the patron saint of Wales. + +A great number of legends--stories of marvel and miracle--have been told +about St. David. An angel is said to have been his constant attendant +in his youth, and to have ministered to all his wants. In later years he +began to preach, making long journeys through Wales and England, and +visiting Jerusalem. When he preached to the people, so the old legends +tell us, a snow-white dove sat upon the shoulder of the saint. The power +to work miracles also was ascribed to St. David; he is said to have +healed all diseases, and even raised up the dead. Many other strange and +marvellous things are set down in the old chronicles as having been +accomplished by the saint. + +It is impossible to believe all these tales, and what we actually know +to be true regarding St. David can be told in a few words. What is +certain is that he was a great preacher and organiser in the early +church, and his powers were so much approved that he was made Archbishop +of Wales, taking up his residence at St. David's. We have also been told +by the old chroniclers that he was a very good man, and this we can well +believe. One of his biographers says of him that he was a guide to the +religious, a life to the poor, a support to orphans, a protection to +widows, a father to the fatherless. He is said to have died in A.D. +601. + +Having been such a noble and good man the Welsh people have chosen to +make St. David their patron saint. On the first day of March, in every +year, they hold in remembrance the old preacher and teacher who lived so +long ago beside the little stream in Menevia. They also keep in +remembrance, by so doing, all that is good and noble in the history of +the Welsh race. That is surely a right thing to do. For although Wales +is now a part of Great Britain it has a history of its own, a language +of its own, and a literature of its own. It is well that these things +should be held in remembrance, both by the Welsh folk at home and those +who have travelled into far lands, and they set apart St. David's Day as +a special day for doing honour to all that is best in the ancient +history of their country. It is a happy custom, alike for old and +young. + + + + +ST. PATRICK'S DAY. + + +The national emblem of Ireland is a plant, the leaf of which has three +small leaflets. This is called the Shamrock. It is beloved by Irish +folks at all times, but most of them wear it conspicuously upon the 17th +day of March. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and that is +St. Patrick's Day. There are very good reasons why the Saint should be +honoured by Irishmen, yet it is a curious fact that he was not born in +Ireland. Indeed, there is some doubt regarding both the time and place +of his birth. Some people think that the Saint was born in France, while +others hold that his birthplace was at Kilpatrick, near Dunbarton, in +Scotland. + +But this we know for certain that St. Patrick, when he was a lad of +sixteen years of age, was captured by pirates on his father's farm and +carried by them to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. The Irish +Chief who bought the lad lived in County Antrim, near Sleamish +Mountain, and he employed Patrick in herding swine. All the people who +lived in that part of Ireland at this time--about the end of the 4th +century--were heathen. Now, young Patrick had been trained by his father +and grandfather in the Christian religion, and it made him very unhappy +to think that his master, and the people of Ireland, were ignorant of +the true faith; he was also unhappy when he thought of his home and his +friends. But after six years he escaped from slavery, and sailed away +from Ireland. + +He went to another country, either Scotland or France, and there became +a priest and a preacher of the Christian religion. Patrick was very +successful, and after many years he was made a Bishop. But all this time +he kept in remembrance the people of Ireland who had never heard the +Gospel, and at last he determined to go and preach the good news in the +country where he had been a slave and a swineherd. He was sixty years of +age when he landed in Wicklow as the apostle of Christianity to Ireland, +but Patrick was a strong old man and he had great faith in his message. +Up and down the country he travelled converting the heathen Chiefs and +their followers. As many as 12,000 people were baptised with his own +hands, and by his efforts the Christian religion was firmly planted in +Ireland. A great many marvellous stories are told about the Saint. It is +said, for instance, that on one occasion he made a heap of snow-balls +blaze up into a fire by simply breathing upon them; and there is also +the well-known legend that he drove all the snakes from Ireland by the +beating of a drum. The year of his death is uncertain, but we know that +he must have been a very old man, and that he was buried at Downpatrick. + +This is the man who is held in honour by Irishmen in all parts of the +world. On St. Patrick's Day they give themselves a holiday, and make +merry,--those of them, at least, who still remain in the old Catholic +Church. Surely that is well. For in honouring St. Patrick the Irish +people do honour to themselves, and to all that is noble and brave in +their long sad history. + + + + +ALL FOOLS' DAY. + + +He must have been a merry person who invented All Fools' Day, but no one +can tell when he lived, where he lived, or what was his name. All we +know about the matter is that the custom of fool-making upon the First +of April is very old, and that it prevails over nearly the whole of +Europe. Some people have tried to guess how this odd custom began, and +they have found its origin in one of the old Miracle Plays that used to +be played by the Monks in the Middle Ages at the Easter Festival. In +this play Christ was represented as being sent hither and thither from +one judge to another, from Annas to Caiaphas, and then from Pilate to +Herod. This explanation is doubtful; it is more likely that the custom +of fool-making had its origin in heathen times. In any case, it is a +merry custom; and as the joker and the fool have many sons and daughters +it is a custom that shall endure yet a while. + +The great thing on the First of April is to have a good memory. Most +people know about April fooling, but many people forget about it when +the special day arrives. Some of you children, no doubt, have forgotten; +with the result that the joker with a good memory has made of you an +April Fool. In coming down to breakfast you have been asked quite +solemnly, let us say, why your hair is brushed to the wrong side. If you +have gone and peeped into a looking-glass there was an instant burst of +laughter, and then you have become aware that All Fools' Day has come +round again. Some boys and girls get angry when they have been thus +fooled; but that only adds to their foolishness. A good plan is to laugh +with those who are laughing; and you can better this plan by catching +the joker off his guard. By so doing you may, if you are clever at +keeping a solemn face, make a fool of the joker in his turn. Then the +laugh is with you, and you can feel quite pleased with yourself until +the next All Fools' Day. + +This is the great festival of the Practical Joker, and all is well when +his jokes are simple and amusing. To pin a piece of paper on someone's +back, or to send the school Dunce into a bookseller's shop for a +"History of Adam's Grandfather," is quite good fun. But there are some +jokes which are carefully prepared in order to give pain to the persons +upon whom they are played; they are not amusing, but merely cruel. It is +not a good joke, for instance, to balance a bowl of water upon the top +of a door, so that the first person to enter the room gets drenched. +Neither is it nice fun to send an innocent boy upon an errand with a +letter containing the instruction: "Send the fool another mile." This +used to be a common form of April joke in Scotland, and it was not +unusual to keep the poor boy trudging long distances for the greater +part of the day. This is not fun, but a stupid form of cruelty; and of +much the same character as the hoax that is played upon tradesmen who +are asked to send goods to a particular house upon a particular morning. +It is only when the vans choke up the street from end to end that +someone remembers it is the First of April, and that the Practical +Joker--a stupid and heartless person in this case--has again been +exhibiting his foolishness. + + + + +PALM SUNDAY. + + +In the New Testament you have it written that Jesus entered Jerusalem +for the last time riding on a colt, the foal of an ass. Two of his +disciples, acting upon the instructions of their Master, had entered a +village near the Mount of Olives, and there they found the colt by the +door without, in a place where two ways met. They unloosed the animal, +telling those that stood by and questioned them, that the Master had +need of him. Then they brought the colt to Jesus, who mounted upon its +back, after some of the disciples had spread their garments thereon. It +was thus that Jesus rode into Jerusalem to his death. And when the great +multitude of people who were gathered to the Passover saw him coming +they cut branches from the palm trees by the side of the way, and spread +them on the ground before Jesus, while they cried with joyful voices: +"Hosanna; blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord." + +In this incident you have the origin of Palm Sunday. It is the first day +of Holy Week, the week which is dedicated by the Catholic Church to the +commemoration of the sufferings and death of Jesus. With the early +church throughout Europe it was the custom to lay the branches of a tree +upon the altar on this day, and as the palm tree does not grow in +Europe, the box, the yew, and especially the willow tree, were used +instead. The branches were blessed by the priest, sprinkled with holy +water, and then carried in procession through the town. As part of this +procession it was sometimes arranged to have a figure representing Jesus +sitting upon an ass--either a living figure or one made of wood, sitting +upon a wooden animal. This wooden effigy was drawn along upon wheels, +and the people in the street scattered the consecrated branches before +it. Flowers were sometimes used as well as the branches of trees. + +It is a beautiful ceremony, this blessing of flowers and tree-branches +upon Palm Sunday in memory of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, and it is +one to interest all you children. But in the Middle Ages a great many +unworthy things, such as the selling of palm-branches in order to avert +diseases, became associated with Palm Sunday. Indeed, that whole week, +the week that should have been so solemn and sacred, was turned into an +occasion of feasting and frivolity. At the Reformation many of these +unworthy things were abolished, and the ceremonies in connection with +Palm Sunday were considerably modified here in England. Yet in some +parts of the country it is still a custom to go a-palming--that is to +say, to gather willow-branches--on the day before Palm Sunday. + +With the Roman Catholic Church, however, and especially in the +ceremonies at Rome during Holy Week, an important place is given to Palm +Sunday. The officiating priest blesses the branches, which are then +distributed. In the solemn mass that follows, the people in the +congregation hold the branches in their hands to the end of the service. +In most cases these consecrated branches are taken home and preserved +during the year; then they are burned and the ashes used upon Ash +Wednesday. + + + + +MAUNDY THURSDAY. + + +There is another day in Holy Week that has old and interesting +ceremonies connected with it. This is Maundy Thursday, which always +falls, of course, on the day before Good Friday. It is the day which is +set apart to commemorate the humility and tender loving-kindness of +Jesus during that week of his suffering and death. You remember that, +after the Master with his disciples, had partaken of supper in that +upper room in Jerusalem, He rose up and laid aside his garments. Then He +took a towel and girded himself. After that He poured water into a +basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the +towel wherewith He was girded. In this beautiful act of humility you +have the origin of Maundy Thursday; and its odd name is derived from the +circumstance that, in the Ancient Church, the anthem _Maudatum novum_ +was sung at the ceremony. + +For the Early Church consecrated this day to acts of lowliness in +imitation of Christ. The washing in public of the feet of the poor +became the outward sign of humility in the whole church. In later times +this washing was accompanied by gifts, and the ceremony was performed by +Kings and Queens. Thus we find, here in England, that Queen Elizabeth +performed the ceremony at her palace of Greenwich. The age of Her +Majesty being thirty-nine, there were thirty-nine poor people chosen to +assemble in her presence on Maundy Thursday. Then the yeomen of the +laundry, the sub-almoner, and finally the Queen herself, washed each +foot of the poor people in water mixed with sweet herbs, marked the sign +of the cross above the toes, and then kissed it. Afterwards various +gifts were distributed to these poor people in clothes, food, and money. +Since James II. no English monarch has performed this ceremony, but in +Spain and Austria the yearly foot-washing upon Holy Thursday is still +performed by the Head of the State. + +In England the giving of gifts on Maundy Thursday has taken the place of +foot-washing. During the reign of George II. the old men and women who +gathered in the Banqueting House, at Whitehall, received half-quartern +loaves, boiled beef and mutton, herrings red and white, with small +bowls of ale. They were also given shoes and stockings, cloth to make +dresses, and a leathern bag filled with money. The money was in +silver-pieces, of the value of a penny and upwards; and these coins +being made at the Mint for this special purpose were called Maundy +Money. During the Reign of Queen Victoria the giving of meat and clothes +was discontinued, but the poor people still received their dole or +maund. + +It is to be hoped that King Edward VII. will continue this practice +for--unlike some of the old customs--it is well worthy of being +continued. Most people are inclined to be proud, and when people are +proud they are usually greedy and selfish. Therefore, it is a good thing +to have at least one day in the year set apart to help us to remember +that true greatness, the greatness which Jesus Christ expects from his +disciples, is only to be attained by lowliness and unselfishness. + + + + +GOOD FRIDAY. + + +Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, and by the Christian Church it +is regarded as one of the most sacred days in the whole year. From a +very early time it was regarded, in a special degree, as a day of +fasting and mourning, because upon this Holy Friday the crucifixion of +Jesus is commemorated. In the Church of England before the Reformation, +and in the Roman Catholic Church still, the church service upon Good +Friday is peculiar. Everything is made to appear mournful. The priests +are dressed in black, at the elevation of the Host a wooden clapper is +used instead of a bell, all the glittering ornaments are removed from +the altar, and the music is more than usually sad. + +But even more strange than that is the chief ceremony. In old times, it +used to be that the priests had a figure of Christ fixed to a crucifix +which they carried round the church, treated with great reverence, and +ultimately buried solemnly by torchlight. Nowadays, this ceremony has +been somewhat changed. On Good Friday the crucifix, in the Roman +Catholic Church, is placed before the altar. Then the priests, followed +by the whole congregation, approach the figure upon the crucifix +creeping upon their knees, and reverently kiss its feet. This ceremony, +and the chanting of the _Miserere_, have a very solemnizing effect upon +all who are present. + +Long ago, here in England, there was an odd ceremony performed by the +King upon Good Friday. This was called Blessing the Cramp-rings. The +ceremony is said to have originated in a wonderful ring, presented by a +pilgrim to Edward the Confessor, and long used in Westminster Abbey as a +cure for falling-sickness and cramp. On Good Friday the King of England +used to go in state to his private chapel, and creep humbly upon his +knees towards the crucifix. Following him came the King's Almoner with a +silver basin in which were a number of gold or silver rings, and these +rings the King blessed. Thereafter, they were given away to be used as +an unfailing cure for cramp and epilepsy. In those days everybody +believed that cramp-rings had the power to cure cramp, and in England +to-day there are still a few people who so believe. + +You children, however, do not think of rings upon Good Friday; it is +much better to think of hot cross buns. If you ask how it is that buns +came to be eaten on this day I cannot answer. All that can be said is +that bread, in one or another form, has always formed part of religious +observances; and it may be that the spicy buns which you eat on Good +Friday are connected with a religion that is older than Christianity. +All things change, you know, and even the desire for hot cross buns is +not so great as it used to be when people struggled in crowds at the +doors of the famous Chelsea bun-houses. On Good Friday we do not so +often hear the cry: + + One a penny, buns, + Two a penny, buns, + One a penny, two a penny, + Hot cross buns! + + + + +EASTER SUNDAY. + + +On Good Friday the death of Jesus is commemorated, and that being so it +is a day of gloom and sadness. On Easter Sunday the rising of Jesus from +the dead is commemorated, and that being so it is regarded by the +Christian Church as a day of great joy. In the old times, indeed, it was +called the Sunday of Joy, and in the Eastern world it is still called +the Bright Day. When friends met each other upon Easter Sunday the +favourite salutation used to be: "He is risen," and to this was given +the reply: "Verily he is risen." Everywhere there was happiness, and +this happiness was shown in many ways. At Easter slaves used to receive +their freedom, while at the present day, in Russia, birds that have been +shut up in a cage have their cage-doors opened, and are permitted to fly +away. That is a beautiful custom; an emblem of the freedom that Jesus +brought to the world when he broke the power of Death in rising from the +grave. In England this happiness is expressed in a practical manner by +many marriages at Eastertide. + +Easter Sunday is what is called a movable feast; it is not held each +year upon the same day of the month. The rule is, that Easter Sunday is +always the first Sunday after the full moon that happens upon, or next +after, the 21st of March; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, +Easter Day is the Sunday after. As regards the name "Easter," it is very +likely derived from an old Saxon deity called Eastre; for when the +Christian religion was first preached to the heathen the missionaries +often took an old heathen festival and turned it into a new Christian +festival. Now, in the ancient heathen world there was always great joy +and feasting in the spring-time when the sun began to rise higher and +higher in the heavens, and there is little doubt that the early +missionaries, when they converted the heathen, gave a new meaning to the +old joy. Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, had risen from the dead; that +was the new gladness. + +But Christianity did not quite remove all the rites and ceremonies of +the heathen worship; some of them, indeed, linger to this day. The +ceremonies connected with fire, for instance, were very prominent in +the heathen ritual, and in some parts of Europe bonfires are lit at +Easter, while in the Roman Catholic Church great importance is given to +the lighting of candles and tapers. Then again, there are the Pasch or +Easter eggs--boiled hard and dyed in various colours--which are so +interesting to children. This name of Pasch is derived from the Jewish +festival of the Passover, and the egg we now regard as an emblem of the +resurrection; but all the old peoples of the world looked upon the egg +as a symbol of new life coming forth with blessing. It was, in some +respects, a sacred thing in the old heathen world of the Egyptians and +Persians; while here in this country the Easter eggs used to be blessed +by the priests at the altar, and kept all the year as a charm against +various ailments. Is it not curious to think, children, how races and +religions have come to be linked together by small things? These +coloured eggs which please you so much at Easter link you with strange +old peoples and their strange old customs. + + + + +ST. GEORGE'S DAY. + + +On the back of some old English coins you will find the figure of a +warrior on horseback, and in his hand a long spear with which he is +slaying a dragon. That figure with the helmet and spear is St. George, +the patron saint of England, and the patron saint of all that is +chivalrous in Christianity. Regarding this hero and martyr we know very +little; and indeed there are two men who have claims to be regarded as +St. George. The most noble of these, and probably the true saint, was +born of Christian parents in Cappadocia, became a warrior prince, and +having testified for the Christian faith, was put to death at Nicomedia +on April 23rd, 303 A.D., by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. From this +time, and for that reason, he was venerated by all the Christian +Churches, until about the year 494 A.D. George of Cappadocia was +formally made a saint by Pope Gelasius. + +A great many legends have gathered round the name of St. George. The +most famous of these, of course, is the story of how this Christian +warrior slew a dragon that was about to kill and devour a young girl. +With heavy labour, and at great risk to himself St. George is said to +have rescued the maiden and destroyed the dragon. It is a very +interesting adventure, but unfortunately it cannot be accepted as +literally true. In these old days it was quite common to attribute to +brave men the slaying of a dragon, and that St. George was the bravest +of the brave we need not doubt. There is also no doubt that, as a +Christian warrior, he fought against all that was sly, cruel and +ravenous--these being the evil characteristics of a dragon. + +Several nations adopted St. George as their patron saint, for his +bravery was known all over Christendom, and he was specially honoured +during the Crusades. It was in England, however, that the saint was held +in highest esteem. In 1222 A.D. the 23rd April became a great national +festival by order of the Council of Oxford; while in the reign of Edward +III. the famous Order of St. George, or the Blue Garter, was instituted. +This is an Order of Knighthood, and when it was formed there was a great +tournament in which forty of the stoutest and bravest of England's +knights held the field against all the foreign knights who had been +summoned to enter the contest. This Order of St. George, better known as +the Order of the Garter, still exists, and its motto is still the same: +_Honi soit qui mal y pense_. + +In recent times St. George's Day has not been generously honoured by the +English people. This is, indeed, a very great pity, because the saint is +closely linked with English history; because his emblem--the red cross +on a white ground--is to be seen wherever the British flag flies; and +because he represents all that is best and bravest in the English +character. "God and St. George"; "Saint George and Merrie +England"--these were the stout battle cries which led on to victory when +the foundations of the British Empire were laid. He is a good patriot, +therefore, who remembers St. George's Day. + + + + +MAY DAY. + + +If there is one month in the year that is more joyful than another it is +the month of May--the merry month of May. And it is not difficult to +understand why it should be so. In Europe it is the month when nature +out-of-doors awakens into life; when leaves appear upon the trees; when +flowers in profusion peep from among the grass; when the little birds in +lane and woodland sing their sweetest. Nature is joyously astir; and in +the sunshine of the open sky all people, especially young people, find +it good to be alive. That is the reason why May is the merry month. It +is Nature's holiday time; the time when she calls upon all folk who are +weary of winter and rough weather, to come out of their stuffy houses +and enjoy themselves for a little in green places, under the blue tent +of the sky. + +It is the sun that brings all this new life and gladness as it goes +higher in the heavens and shines brighter. So it happened that the +ancient inhabitants of these islands, not knowing any better, held a +great festival on the First of May to the praise and glory of the +sun-god. A relic of this worship lingered until recently in the Beltane +fires that were lit on the high hills of Scotland and Ireland. It was +the same with the old Romans. They had a goddess of flowers called +Flora, and about the beginning of May they held a festival in her +honour. The houses were decked with garlands, there was much feasting +and dancing out-of-doors, and at these feasts the goddess herself was +represented by a beautiful maiden crowned with flowers. + +There is reason to think that some of our May Day customs were derived +from these ancient peoples. In any case, it has always been a joyful day +in England, especially in the ancient times before the Puritans +abolished May-poles and merry-making. Not only the citizens of London, +but also the lords and ladies of the Court, used to go out to the woods +around the city--it was a very much smaller city then--and gather +hawthorn blossom. This they called going a-Maying, and the flower of the +hawthorn came to be called May-blossom. It was brought into hamlet, +town, and city with great rejoicing, and to the sound of music. + +Then the whole day thereafter was spent in merry-making. In every town +and village there was a tall pole fixed, called a May-pole; and on May +Day this pole, the centre of all the frolic, was made gay with great +garlands of flowers. Every town and village, also, had a Queen of the +May, a maiden who was chosen for her beauty, and who sat apart crowned +with flowers, an object of envy and admiration. The lads and lassies +sang carols, played at such games as kiss-in-the-ring, and danced the +morris dance. Not many of these customs now remain; the May-poles have +disappeared; and very few of you children, I suppose, go a-Maying. Do +you not think that is a mistake? I do; the work-a-day world is not such +a mirthful place that we can afford to forget the cheery old customs, +and there are surely many worse ways of spending a day than in dancing +round a May-pole. I am sure that you children would like to have the +merry-making of May Day brought back again. + + + + +ROYAL OAK DAY. + + +In your English history-book you will find some account of Oliver +Cromwell and the many battles he fought against the royal house of +Stuart and the cavaliers. One of the most famous of these was the battle +of Worcester, fought near the town of that name on the 3rd September, +1651, in which the army of King Charles II. was utterly defeated. As the +result of this defeat by Cromwell, all the followers of the King were +placed in danger, and the King's life was in great jeopardy. The only +thing he could do was to flee out of England, but that was no easy +matter because his enemies were numerous, and they searched for him with +great diligence. His first plan was to try to reach London before the +news of his defeat, and by proceeding from there in disguise he hoped to +get a ship on the south coast that would carry him to France. This plan +was in part successful, but before he embarked at Shoreham, near +Brighton, the fugitive king had many strange adventures and hair-breadth +escapes. + +One of the most notable of these was connected with a large country +house called Boscobel, situated in Shropshire, and about thirty-seven +miles from Worcester, where the great battle was fought. In fleeing +northward after the fight Charles was accompanied by many of his +followers, but in order to give him a better chance to escape the king +was advised to leave all the others and make his way to Boscobel where +the folk were all friendly. This he did, with trusty Richard Penderel +for his guide; and as the house was a lonely place set among woods, the +king hoped that he would not be disturbed. But the pursuit after him was +very hot, and the soldiers of Cromwell arrived in the neighbourhood. So +the king had to seek a hiding-place somewhere out of doors, and one of +his friends, Colonel William Careless, suggested that they should +conceal themselves among the branches of a large bushy oak-tree that +stood near the house. There the two remained for a whole day, with +little to eat except bread and cheese, and with the constant fear of +being discovered. From where they sat among the branches they could peep +through the leaves and see the soldiers searching the woods around. But +they were not discovered, and at length the king escaped from that +neighbourhood dressed like a countryman in leathern doublet and green +jerkin. + +After many years, as you all know, the man who hid in the oak-tree was +invited to return to England, where he reigned as Charles II. It was on +the 29th May, 1660, and the king's thirtieth birthday, that he entered +London in triumph. The story of his adventure in the oak-tree having +become known, garlands of oak-branches, and the Royal Oak used as a +symbol, were prominent in the coronation ceremonies; while from +thenceforth the 29th May was established as Royal Oak Day, or Oak-Apple +Day. During the Restoration Period, and for long afterwards, it was the +custom to go forth into the woods on the morning of that day and gather +branches of oak. In town and village the houses were decorated with the +woodland spoil, and thus did the people of England exhibit their loyalty +to the House of Stuart. Even now the old custom lingers in +out-of-the-way hamlets, and the sign of the Royal Oak may still be seen +on many an old inn, but the oak-leaf and the acorn have lost all their +significance in the world of politics. Oak-Apple Day, I fear, will never +again become a general holiday. + + + + +MIDSUMMER'S EVE. + + +Midsummer Day is the 24th June; this is also the day upon which the +birth of St. John the Baptist is celebrated by the Christian Church. +During the Middle Ages it was a joyous time of feast and merry-making, +for in these old times, as you must have gathered from this little book, +people did not work and worry so much as they do nowadays. But here is a +curious thing: nearly all the ceremonies connected with this holiday +were performed the night previous--variously called Midsummer's Eve, or +St. John's Eve. These customs and ceremonies were observed in various +forms throughout Christendom, and some of them were very strange. I have +often had to tell you that many of our holiday practices and usages were +founded upon ancient heathen rites and ceremonies; this is perhaps more +observable in connection with Midsummer Eve than upon any other holiday +occasion. + +Flowers and fire were two things that became of great importance on +Midsummer's Eve. Nearly every town and village had its bonfire lit in +the market-place, and at one time these fires were formally blessed by +the priests of the church. One practice connected with these fires, a +practice that carries us far back into heathen times, was the way in +which the boys and girls leaped through and over the flames. It was also +customary to fling flowers and garlands into the fires, while the +people, young and old, circled round the blaze with merry antics and +gleeful songs. Great processions were also formed to visit the woods and +bring back green boughs wherewith to decorate the houses on St. John's +Eve. The boughs were hung round doors and windows with joyful shoutings, +in recognition of the prophecy that many would rejoice at the birth of +John the Baptist. + +Midsummer's Eve was regarded as a time when the strangest things might +easily happen. That is probably the reason why Shakspere called his play +"A Midsummer Day's Dream," and make Puck and the other fairies play such +pranks with the mortals that they found wandering out-of-doors. It used +to be a common belief in Ireland, and the superstition still lingers, +that on this night the souls of all sleeping people left their bodies, +and went wandering into strange places, sometimes never to return. To +avoid this dangerous possibility it was usual to keep awake during that +night. But to keep watch did not always prevent the watcher from having +gruesome experiences. In England it was quite a prevalent opinion that +if you sat in the church porch all St. John's Eve you would see the +spirits of those who were soon to die in the parish come and knock at +the church door. + +There were various other superstitious practices and beliefs associated +with Midsummer's Eve--most of them weird and heathenish--which you will +read about when you grow older. They belong to a time when people were +very ignorant, and therefore very credulous. Happily, we are forgetting +all these foolish beliefs; and for my part I find Midsummer's Eve +interesting and beautiful because the light is slow to fade from the +sky, because the wild roses make a pleasant scent in the lanes, and +because the nightingale from the copsewood brims the darkness with +melodious joy. + + + + +ST. SWITHIN'S DAY. + + +In Europe there are various saints who are supposed to have had some +influence upon the weather; France has its St. Medard, and England has +its St. Swithin. Our actual knowledge of this old English saint is very +scanty, and the grounds upon which he has been associated with dry and +wet weather are of dubious origin. We are told that St. Swithin was a +monk in the Old Abbey of Winchester, and that because of his zeal he +became prior and then bishop of that See. We are told, also, that he +erected numerous churches, while his piety and learning were such that +Egbert, King of Wessex, gave him his son and successor to educate. As +was usual with good men in those days, many miraculous deeds were +attributed to St. Swithin, and finally he died in the year 862 A.D. He +was buried in the churchyard at Winchester, in a humble spot of his own +selection. + +More than a hundred years afterwards the clergy of the diocese of +Winchester thought that the Saint deserved more honour than a grave +under the dripping eaves of the Cathedral. Accordingly, they arranged to +remove the body inside with great ceremony, and the date selected for +this event was the 15th July. Thereafter this day was regarded as St. +Swithin's Day because, if we are to believe popular legend, he objected +to have his body removed from the humble place in the graveyard chosen +by himself. In order to give outward and visible sign of his displeasure +violent rains descended on that 15th of July, and the torrent continued +for forty days, so that the ceremony of removing the Saint's body was +delayed, while the clergy of the diocese were thus rebuked for their +presumption. Hence there grew up the popular belief which finds +expression in the old rhyme: + + St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain, + For forty days it will remain: + St. Swithin's Day, if thou be fair, + For forty days 'twill rain nae mair. + +There is, of course, no truth in this old adage, although there are some +people who still profess to believe in it. The men whose business it is +to watch the weather day by day and write down all they observe, will +tell you that it does not matter in the least, as far as the rain of the +following forty days is concerned, whether it is wet or dry on the 15th +July. It is even very doubtful whether the ceremony of removing the +Saint's body was marked by any special downpour of rain; the fact is not +mentioned by the chroniclers of that time. Like many other things +connected with holidays and holy days this legend regarding St. Swithin +has its origin, probably in the heathen times that preceded +Christianity. That would account, at least, for the curious fact that +there are several rainy Saints in Europe. + + + + +MICHAELMAS DAY. + + +The 29th September is dedicated as a feast day in the Christian Church +to St. Michael and All Angels. In the Bible the Angel Michael is +mentioned several times, and always as a fighter, especially against +Satan. Thus you find it stated in the Epistle of Jude that Michael the +Archangel contended with the Devil regarding the body of Moses. In the +book of the Revelation of St. John, again, you will find it written that +there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the +dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither +was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast +out, that old Serpent, called the Devil. He was cast out into the earth, +and his angels were cast out with him. + +You will gather from this that St. Michael always appears in the +character of a warrior; and as the Christian Church accomplished a great +deal of fighting, especially during the time of the crusades, it can +easily be understood that the warlike Archangel was popular. In old +pictures he is usually represented in a coat of mail, and with a short +spear in his hand, hurling Satan downwards to the earth. John Milton, in +his "Paradise Lost," makes full use of this conception of the Archangel, +only that he puts a great and marvellous sword into his hand: + + "The sword + Of Michael from the armoury of God + Was given him tempered so, that neither keen + Nor solid might resist that edge; it met + The sword of Satan, with steep force to smite + Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stayed, + But, with swift wheel reverse, deep entering shared + All his right side: Then Satan first knew pain." + +In old times it was usual to have a saint or an angel for one's +guardian, and as Michael, according to the Church, was both of these he +was popular as a heavenly protector. But an earthly protector was also +required, and thus it came about--whether by accident or intentionally I +cannot tell--that magistrates were chosen upon Michaelmas Day. Thus you +find that the Lord Mayor of London is elected on the 29th of September. +This day is also one of the four quarterly terms; the day upon which +many people pay their rent; and not always, therefore, a day of joy. In +old times when the farmer took his rent to the lord of the manor it was +usual for him to carry a fat goose in his hand as a present. From this +practice it has established itself as a custom to have a goose for +dinner on Michaelmas Day; another good reason is that geese, when fed +upon the chance grain of autumn's stubbled fields, are always at their +fattest and best. It is curious to note, how that, although a holy day +or a holiday may have begun with the adoration of saint or angel, it +usually survives for us in some form of eating. But you children, I am +sure, do not object. + + + + +ALL HALLOW'S EVE. + + +The night of the 31st October has a character peculiar to itself, and to +you children it has some ceremonies that possess special interest. In +England it is known as All Hallow's Eve; while in Scotland, where its +customs are most varied and remarkable, it is known as Halloween. It is +the Eve of All Saints' Day, but there is little or nothing connected +with the popular practices of that night that suggest Christianity. On +the contrary, they suggest some old pagan worship and a mysterious +impish world that holds high carnival for that one night. Many of the +customs and rites connected with this revel--described vividly and +amusingly by Robert Burns in "Halloween"--are not known to the Scots +people of the present day; but some few of them are still practised, +even in England. + +Nuts and apples become of great importance upon All Hallow's Eve. The +nuts are not for eating--although that were probably a wise use to +which to put them--but to play a mysterious part in deciding the fate of +lovers. For this purpose two nuts are dropped into a bright red fire, +side by side, and the name of the lad and lass, whose fates are to be +decided, is given to each nut. The nuts themselves give the decision. If +they burn quietly together then all is well; but on the other hand, if +the nuts (or one of them) jump out of the fire, then things will go ill +with the two lovers. Here is how Burns describes the practice: + + "The auld guidwife's weel-hoordet nits + Are round and round devided, + And mony lads and lasses fates + Are there that night decided: + Some kindle, couthie, side by side, + And burn together trimly; + Some start awa, with saucy pride, + And jump out ower the chimlie + Full high that night." + +Apples have a quite different use. On Halloween they are placed in large +quantities in a big tub nearly full of water. The apples are then +stirred round vigorously, while the boys and girls, each in turn, try to +snatch an apple from the water, not using their hands, but their teeth +alone. Sometimes one has to dip one's head right down to the bottom of +the tub in chase of a big apple, and that is rather a chilly experience, +as I am able to testify. The modern plan of dropping a fork into the +tub, over the back of a chair, may spoil, just a little, the apples that +are impaled, but it is a good preventitive of a cold in the head--the +usual result of ducking for apples. + +There are many other customs connected with Halloween, some of them +mysterious and uncanny, which you will learn by and bye. But these two, +the burning of nuts and the hunting of apples will do you no possible +harm. On the contrary, where there is a lot of you children present, +they will give much innocent fun and laughter. + + + + +GUY FAWKES' DAY. + + +There is another name for this day; it is sometimes called Gunpowder +Plot Day, and that name informs us how it happened that the 5th November +became famous in English history. That was the day upon which a few +Catholic gentlemen, over-zealous for their religion, determined to +destroy King James I., and the Houses of Lords and Commons, by means of +gunpowder. It was a gentleman named Catesby who conceived this murderous +plot, and he was joined by several other conspirators. The most famous +of these, although he can scarcely be regarded as the most guilty, was a +gentleman called Guy Fawkes who had fought bravely with the Spanish army +in Flanders. He was brought over to England in order to carry out the +plot, and like all the other conspirators he took a vow of secrecy. + +In itself the plot was very simple. The conspirators hired a house near +to the building where Parliament met, and their intention was to dig an +underground passage-way between the two buildings, and to prepare under +Parliament House a large mine charged with gunpowder. They found +difficulties, however, in carrying out this scheme, chief of these being +the thickness of the wall through which they had to pierce. Eventually, +the digging of this underground passage-way was abandoned, because the +conspirators found that they could hire a cellar right under the House +of Lords. This would be far more convenient, they thought; so they hired +it from a coal-dealer, and put thirty-six barrels of gunpowder into it. +The barrels were carefully covered with faggots, and in the month of +May, 1605, all was ready to blow the King and his Parliament into the +air. + +But Parliament did not meet until the 5th November, and by that time the +secret had leaked out. There have been great differences of opinion +regarding the manner in which the plot was revealed. It appears, +however, that a mysterious letter was sent by Mr. Francis Tresham, one +of the conspirators, to his brother-in-law Lord Monteagle, warning him +regarding the coming disaster. This letter is said to have led to a +search in the cellars under Parliament House, but it is quite probable +that the plot was revealed in a more direct manner. In any case, the +gunpowder was discovered in the cellar, and beside it was Guy Fawkes. He +was arrested on the early morning of the 5th November by a Westminster +magistrate and a party of soldiers. When the other conspirators heard +that the plot had failed they fled into the country, but the most of +them were captured, tried for high treason along with Guy Fawkes, and +with him were hanged as traitors in St. Paul's Churchyard. + +For many years after this plot was discovered the 5th day of November +was kept as a national holiday, and the people expressed their +patriotism and their Protestantism in huge bonfires, with shoutings and +the ringing of bells. Also, it was regarded as the proper thing on this +day to parade a scarecrow effigy of Guy Fawkes, which was finally burned +as a warning to traitors. Now the day is only remembered by boys who are +bent upon a frolic, for this old rhyme has lost much of its +significance: + + Remember, remember! + The fifth of November, + The Gunpowder treason and plot; + There is no reason + Why the Gunpowder treason + Should ever be forgot! + + + + +LORD MAYOR'S DAY. + + +In London the 9th of November has been regarded, for many centuries, as +a day of special importance. It is Lord Mayor's Day. That is to say, the +new Lord Mayor of the City of London, who was elected by the freemen of +the City Guilds on Michaelmas Day, goes in his state coach to the Law +Courts to be "sworn into" office by His Majesty's judges. Until recent +times the Law Courts were situated at Westminster, and in old +Westminster Hall some of the greatest trials in English history took +place,--such as the trials of Lord Cobham, Strafford, and Warren +Hastings. Now the Law Courts are situated in the Strand, near to the +spot where stood Temple Bar. + +The Lord Mayor of London has still a certain amount of authority within +the City bounds, but nothing like what he used to possess. At one time, +indeed, in his capacity of Head of all the great trade guilds, he was +more powerful than any of the king's nobles, and in London he +exercised almost as much authority as the king himself. From this you +will understand that when he, in the old times, journeyed from the City +of London to the City of Westminster it was a great occasion, because +the Lord Mayor was in truth a great man. The stately pageants wended to +Westminster on Lord Mayor's Day both by coach and water-barge; +glittering pageants that had a real significance. In many cases they +were devised by clever play-wrights, and their glories recorded in the +verses of the poet laureates. + +In the year 1616 Sir John Leman, of the Fishmongers' Company, was Lord +Mayor, and part of his pageant was a fishing-boat with fishermen drawing +up their nets laden with living fish which they distributed among the +people. This boat, set upon a wheeled stage, was followed by a dolphin +with a youth on its back; then the King of the Moors, with six tributary +kings on horseback; then a lemon-tree (the Mayor's name was Leman) laden +with fruit and flowers; then a bower adorned with the names and arms of +all members of the Fishmongers' Company; then an armed officer, with a +representation of the head of Wat Tyler; lastly there was a great car +drawn by mermen and mermaids, and on the top of it was a victorious +angel, with a representation of King Richard surrounded by figures that +symbolized all the royal virtues. + +Some of the Lord Mayor's pageants were even more splendid than this one. +Gilded chariots, giants, bowers wreathed with flowers, men in armour, +full-rigged ships, satyrs, bannermen--these things, and many other +fanciful contrivances, found a place in the Lord Mayor's procession. And +this procession still forms a part of London life, but it has lost all +its significance; and a great deal of its interest, even as a show. On +the 9th day of each November the Lord Mayor's gilded coach, with a few +mounted soldiers, the heralds, the aldermen in coaches, the City +firemen, and a few symbolical cars block the traffic of London from east +to west. It is not an occasion of great historical interest, yet it +still draws great crowds, for your true Londoner loves a procession that +goes to the sound of brazen music. The Lord Mayor's Show is also--just +like a circus procession--beloved of all boys and girls. + + + + +ST. ANDREW'S DAY. + + +In this little book you have already been presented to three patron +saints. There was St. David, the patron saint of Wales; St. Patrick, the +patron saint of Ireland; and St. George, the patron saint of England. +Now we come to St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, who is honoured +by Scotsmen on the 30th November in each year. The first mention of this +Saint is in the New Testament where he, with his brother Simon Peter, +became a disciple of Christ, after having been a disciple of John the +Baptist. After the death of Christ this first disciple of his became a +missionary in many lands. From tradition we learn that St. Andrew +travelled and preached the gospel in Scythia, Thrace and Asia Minor. +Finally, we are told that he suffered martyrdom for the Christian faith +at Patrae, in Achaia. The cross on which he died was in the form of an X, +and that is now known as the St. Andrew's cross. + +But how did this Saint come to be connected with Scotland? Well, the +story told is this: There was once a monk who lived in the fourth +century called Regulus, or Rule, who brought the bones of St. Andrew +from Constantinople--where they had been deposited in a church by the +Emperor Constantine--and buried them near the sea on the east coast of +Scotland. There he built a church, and round the church there gradually +gathered a little hamlet. In course of time, the hamlet became a City +with a cathedral and a university, and in your geography books you will +find it called St Andrews. I am not sure that I can ask you to believe +all this story, for it is only a monkish legend. But at least part of it +is true. If there was no such monk as Regulus, there is certainly a very +pleasant city called St. Andrews, in which there is a building called +St. Rule's Tower. + +Here is another sure thing that I can tell you. There is an Order of +Knighthood called the Order of St. Andrew, although it is more often +called the Order of the Thistle. It was created by James II. in 1687, +and it includes the King and sixteen knights. The insignia of the Order +consists of a gold collar composed of thistles interlaced with red; the +jewel is a figure of St. Andrew in the middle of a star of eight +pointed rays; and the motto of the Order is _Nemo me impune lacessit_. +This is a motto which Scotsmen carry with them all over the world. + +All over the world, also, Scotsmen keep in remembrance two days; and on +these days they meet together to express love of the old home. One of +these days is the 30th November--St. Andrew's Day. Curiously enough, it +is not a holiday in Scotland, nor do the people there hold it much in +remembrance. But when a Scotsman goes into a strange country--though it +be no further than London--he begins to think a very great deal of his +homeland, and all the ill things he said of it when he lived there are +quickly forgotten. Bleak and barren it may have been to them once, but +when Scotsmen meet on St. Andrew's Day, or on the birthday of Robert +Burns, they discover that Scotland is the most lovely country in the +world. This is just as it should be. I hope that all you children, +wherever you may travel, will keep a great love for the land where you +were born. + + + + +CHRISTMAS EVE. + + +Of all nights of the year there is not one that is more anxiously +awaited by young people than the night that precedes Christmas. Then +begins the great festival of the year; the festival in honour of the +birth of Christ; the festival that reminds us of the Child born in a +manger, of the shepherds near Bethlehem watching their flocks by night, +and of the angels that sang of peace and goodwill to men. It is the most +joyous of all holiday seasons; prepared for long before, and remembered +pleasantly long afterwards. This is true of England to-day, and it was +even more true of the England of the olden times--as you will find if +you read Sir Walter Scott's poem of _Marmion_: + + "England was merry England, when + Old Christmas brought his sports again. + 'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale; + 'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale; + A Christmas gambol oft would cheer + The poor man's heart through half the year." + +At midnight on Christmas Eve the bells are rung, and in Roman Catholic +churches the first of the three masses is celebrated,--Christ's masses. +But although this is a Christian festival there are curious customs +observed which take us back into the old heathen world. There is the +miseltoe bough, for instance, which you hang up in the hall; and there +is the Yule log. The old Druids had a feast at this season--the time of +the winter solstice--when the chief Druid cut the miseltoe from the +oak-tree, where it grew, and divided it among the people, who hung it up +over their doorways as a charm to bring good-fortune. Then, again, the +Yule log is a relic of the ceremony in which the Norsemen lighted great +bonfires in honour of their gods. To bring home the Yule log on +Christmas Eve is not so common as it used to be, but it deserves to be +remembered as one of the most joyous of old English customs. + +So, also, are the carols, the waits, the mummers, and the games of +Christmas time. Some of these games and mummeries were a little too +boisterous for our modern taste, probably because they had their origin +in the heathen Saturnalia of old Rome. But we still love to hear the +waits tuning up on a clear frosty night, the game of snap-dragon is +still a noisy joy, and the carol-singers are still welcome. I am sure +you like that old carol which begins: + + "God rest you merry, gentlemen, + Let nothing you dismay + For Jesus Christ our Saviour + Was born upon this day + To save us all from Satan's power + When we were gone astray." + +But probably the best thing you children like about Christmas Eve is the +ceremony of hanging up your stockings in expectation of all the things +that are to come to you from the wallet of Santa Claus. That is the +great event. Some of you, I believe, try to lie awake until Santa Claus +comes with the fruit and the toys. But that is never a success. All the +best gifts come to us when we do not peep and watch. + + + + +CHRISTMAS DAY. + + +On Christmas Day, in most households, the children are the first to make +themselves heard. There are shouts of wonder and glee from the nursery +bedrooms when it is discovered that Santa Claus has actually paid his +long-talked-about visit, and that he has brought in his wallet just the +things that were desired. The shouts of one awakens all the others, and +the chatter is great as the children rush about displaying their +new-found treasures to one another. This morning the nursery rules are +disregarded, because Christmas comes but once a year. Children are +permitted to run upstairs and downstairs in their night garments; to +skip about and laugh and chatter; and even to appear late at the +breakfast table. It is more than likely, indeed, that the breakfast +itself will be late, for the grown-ups in most households are usually as +excited as the children. But it is Christmas Day, a day of joy for +everybody. All the old stiff rules are relaxed for this happiest day of +all the year. + +Yet the church must not be neglected, nor must it be forgotten that +Christmas is a sacred festival. To do honour to the Babe Jesus that was +born in a manger at Bethlehem--that is the real meaning of the gladness +of Christmas Day. So all you children should love to go to the church in +the forenoon. It will be pleasant for you in many ways, especially if +the air is clear, with a touch of frost in it, and the winter sun +shining brightly. In any case you will find that the service in church, +like the church itself, is brighter on Christmas Day than at ordinary +times. You will like to see the old church trimmed up with holly and +holly-berries; you will join in the cheerful Christmas hymns with more +than your usual heartiness. It will be pleasant for you to think that +all over the world, men and women of every nation are doing honour to +One who was once a child like yourselves. + +Then it is home to dinner, a real Christmas Dinner. I do not suppose +that you will dine with a boar's head on the table, or that you will be +permitted to taste a peacock stuffed with spices and sweet herbs. These +were two of the dishes that figured in the good old times, but they +have long been discarded. Yet the Christmas goose is still popular, and +in almost equal favour is the roast beef of Old England. With you +children, however, the plum-pudding and the mince pies and the fruit +will be in most demand. How many helpings? I dare not say how many, for +Christmas Day brings its own appetite, but you must try--just a very +little--not to be greedy when the pudding comes in ablaze. + +Because greediness is ugly, and also because Christmas does not end with +dinner-time. There is the evening with its romps, its games, its dances +and its Christmas Tree. It is the Christmas Tree, probably, that will +give you most pleasure, with all its glittering ornaments, its coloured +flags, and its lighted candles. This is a pleasure which English +children, in the old times, did not share, because the Christmas Tree +for children was only introduced to this country in the reign of Queen +Victoria. Indeed, the whole tendency nowadays is to make of Christmas a +children's holiday. This is well; because by so doing--by making the +lives of all children, and especially all poor children, brighter at +this season--we shall give most honour and praise to the Babe that was +born in lowly Bethlehem. + + + + +BOXING DAY. + + +When people are in a good humour--and everybody is supposed to be in a +good humour at Christmas--they find it easy to give little gifts to +their relations, friends, children and servants. On Christmas Day these +gifts are given to friends and the children of the household, but on the +day after Christmas the servants and dependents obtain their share of +the gifts in what is called a Christmas Box. Hence the 26th December has +come to be recognized as Boxing Day. This is a very old custom, and +probably it has its origin in certain customs that were observed by the +Romans during the Saturnalia. At that season presents were distributed +to all, and for one day, at least, the Roman slaves received the gift of +freedom. That was a good custom. + +It was wise for the early Christian Church to adopt this method of +giving presents at Christmastide, but the custom has lost some of its +wisdom by use. The art of giving wisely is a very difficult art; +almost as difficult as the art of receiving wisely. At Christmas time +this becomes very plain to us, and it is especially obvious to us on +Boxing Day. Many of the gifts bestowed on that day are bestowed with a +grudge, and received as a matter of right. That is not as it should be, +for all pleasure is lost when a gift is bestowed in a stingy spirit, and +taken with a thankless hand. I feel sure that you children do not give +or receive your Christmas boxes in that manner. If you have any little +gift to bestow upon the people who do you a service throughout the year, +you will do it cheerfully. And if any one gives you a little gift, do +not turn it over and over looking at all sides, but accept it with +thankfulness and a cheerful countenance. By so doing you will find that +Boxing Day is one of the most pleasant days in all the year. + +For a London child there is an interesting event that always happens on +the 26th December. The pantomimes begin upon Boxing Day. Your old +friends the Harlequin, the Clown, the Pantaloon bounce upon the stage +with all their old antics and most of their old jokes. But the more +ancient the jokes are, I think you like them the better. When I was a +boy I liked to see the Clown play tricks upon the policeman, and startle +innocent people with a red-hot poker. I am sure that you feel just like +that to-day, and that you laugh as heartily as I did. There is nothing +better than laughter; and throughout England, in every playhouse, a +great tide of laughter begins upon Boxing Day. + +And now we have reached almost the last day of the year, and quite the +last page of this little book. Since New Year's Day we have travelled +together, and I have tried to explain to you the meaning of the various +Holy Days and Holidays. I have tried to make the explanations +interesting, and not exactly like the dull books that grown-ups read. +But I am not sure that I have succeeded; holidays are stupid things when +they are set down in print. It is far better to take them just as they +come along, and enjoy the good things they bring. Holidays are like the +pictures in a dry book. When I was a boy I sometimes skipped the reading +and enjoyed the pictures. You can skip the reading in this book if you +like. + + FINIS. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Holidays & Happy-Days, by Hamish Hendry + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLIDAYS & HAPPY-DAYS *** + +***** This file should be named 37216.txt or 37216.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/2/1/37216/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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