Yesterday made a pilgrimage to Cotehele to see their famous Christmas garland. These are truly impressive. This year’s is sixty foot long and contains 30,000 dried flowers. It is subtly pretty rather than traditional red, green and gold and is therefore more like historical garlands. Cotehele, being basically seventeenth century and ‘homely’ is one of my favourite National Trust properties.

We then moved on to a carol service on Dartmoor. A chapel, built in 1833, that was seriously in the middle of nowhere. Brilliant service and really rousing singing, aided by the presence of the Widdecombe singers. They sang the traditional Widdecombe carol or curl (see carols in one of my earlier entries).

Reindeer

The use of reindeer to pull Santa’s sleigh has its origins in a Finnish legend that says Old Man Winter brings his reindeer down from the mountains as the first snows of winter appear. The names of eight of the reindeer come from the poem by Clement C Moore, now known as ‘The Night Before Christmas’ but originally called ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’. The ninth reindeer, Rudolph, was created by Robert L. May who wrote a poem in 1939 about the teased and bullied reindeer. The song about Rudolph was written in 1949 by Johnny Marks. Various films since have included additional reindeer, often descendants of the original nine.

Robin

Legend has it that a robin relieved Christ’s suffering in the cross. Victorian postmen were known as robins because their uniforms were red. Early Christmas cards often showed robins delivering the cards.

Sorry, late again with yesterday’s entry. Busy with the north Devon branch of Devon Family History Society’s annual Christmas Quiz. Not quite the taxing nature of The Christmas Puzzle but taxing enough. My team came somewhere unshamefully near the middle. Photos have arrived from Thursday’s talk. So here I am, not exactly showing my best side but instructing my victim volunteer in the art of the seventeenth century curtsey.

Today’s entry, or strictly of course yesterday’s, is Puritans – so as Mistress Agnes I shouldn’t be celebrating Christmas at all!

Puritans

The Puritans are notorious for abolishing Christmas. A directive of January 1645/6 stated that only Sundays were to be celebrated as holy days. Increasingly restrictive legislation meant that from 1652-9 businesses were expected to open as usual on Christmas day. In Canterbury, during what became known as the Plum Pudding Riots, market traders refused to open and played a mammoth ball game instead.

Last night’s talk about life in the seventeenth century went well. Folk even survived eating my Jumbles. Well, when I say survived, they were still standing ten minutes after eating them. Sales of Coffers, Clysters were very good too.

Pudding

Christmas pudding, or plum/figgy pudding, is believed to originate from the medieval period when plum pottage was served during festivities. Like Christmas cake, Christmas pudding derives from plum pottage, which contained not plums but meat and vegetables and was thickened with breadcrumbs and suet. Fruit, wine and spices were then added. The broth developed into a thicker pudding during the seventeenth century when pudding cloths were invented; the meat content was later removed and it became more as we know it today. It was requested for the Christmas feast by George I in 1714 but it was more frequently eaten at harvest time. The pudding became specifically associated with Christmas in the 1830s.
It is customarily made on Stir-up Sunday (the Sunday before advent) with 13 different ingredients, symbolising Jesus and his 12 apostles. Some add a silver coin, a thimble or a ring to the pudding. The coin was supposed to bring wealth and the ring marriage, to whoever found them. Now we stir the pudding and make a wish but historically people stirred from east to west to represent the journey of the wise men.

Mistress Agnes got out her pots and pans today to make Jumbles – for the uninitiated these are spicy biscuits, common in the C16th and C17th. I have a C17th talk coming up tonight – one of my regular slots with the branch of Somerset and Dorset Family History Society that meets at Street. As it is their Christmas meeting, I thought I’d give it a whirl. Cook I am not. There are several different Jumble recipies. Some contain rosewater. Hmm where to source rosewater? The community shop clearly wasn’t up to it; neither it seems was M*******s. I wasn’t even quite sure where to expect it to be. My companion went for the condiments shelves whilst I scanned the baking section in vain. I decided I’d have to substitute something, but what? In the end I went for the vanilla essence that was lurking in the back of my larder.

Then came the making part, a typical scenario for my cooking forays – too dry, add some water, too wet add some flour ……. The end result? They look a bit like a pre-schooler’s play dough efforts (they are meant to be figure of 8 shaped), they do smell very nice, I guess the proof of the Jumble….. Now to decide whether they are up to being displayed to a wider public. I can always adopt my usual tactic – if they look burnt on one side turn them over – worked (almost) every time with fish fingers when the girls were small.

Last night, a very interesting talk from Mark Horton of ‘Coast’ fame. With some thought provoking comments on how and indeed whether, we can preserve our natural landscape, whilst providing for our C21st needs.

Pantomime

Pantomimes owe much to the Italian ‘Commedia dell’ Arte’ and in the C16th were performed as entertainment between the acts of an opera. By the early C18th these incorporated the Harlequinade. Pantomime in its modern form was influenced by the Victorian music hall and Augustus Harris, the manager of Drury Lane Theatre in 1870, is credited with its promotion.

Poinsettia

The poinsettia is native to Mexico and was used as a medicinal plant by the Aztecs. The Mexicans call them ‘flowers of the holy night’ and it is seen to represent the Star of Bethlehem.

Today our project to index the gravestones in the local chuchyard bore fruit, as I was called across the road to guide some Australian vistors to their ancestors’ memorials. Bit jolly nippy for dashing round churchyards but at least it was sunny and dry.

Nativity Plays

Tradition believes that the first nativity play was performed in 1223, when St Francis of Assisi held the first service to use carols. Cribs were Christmas symbols before this time and were part of Italian C11^th traditions. Even before this, Byzantine Churches are associated with what were described as Nativity Dramas, however these were oratorios rather than plays.

My first shift in the community shop today. Shades of how things may have been for our ancestors, when communities were self sufficient and everyone knew everyone and had time for a chat. Not for our ancestors though, struggling with a bar code scanner or the idiosyncracies of an epos till. Interesting to see what lines are popular – tooth brushes and scotch eggs are best sellers so far!

Mistletoe
Mistletoe was used by the Druids in rituals and was seen as a fertility symbol; hence the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. It was not allowed in churches because of the pagan significance, the only exception was York Minster.

Mummers Plays
These were performed by groups of travelling players and may have origins in Saturnalia celebrations.

Community based day today. I was the third customer in the newly opened community shop at 7.30am this morning. A great venture and I hope villagers will support it. Then off for a meeting in connection with Clovelly Archive Association.

I am still working my way through the transcription of C17th admiralty documents. Today’s offering saw a ship stranded in Greenland by ice, crew members dying of ‘scurvie’ and eating sea horse blobber (sic). Yes, I thought that this was odd too, until I realised they are calling whales sea horses. No idea what they called sea horses!

Thought provoking report on history in schools on the Historical Association‘s website. Sad to see it being squeezed out of the curriculum.

Finally got hold of a copy of last week’s local paper, where local historian, Peter Christie, mentioned my witchcraft talk in very favourable terms; a real compliment – so thank you Peter.

Today’s alphabetical offering is:-

Mince Pies

At a time when most livestock was slaughtered in the autumn, to avoid the expense of winter feeding, mince pies were made as a method of preserving meat. A 1394 recipe for mince pies required:- 1 pheasant, 1 hare, 1 capon, 2 pigeons and 2 rabbits. The meat was separated from the bone and minced. Livers and hearts of these animals were added, plus 2 sheep’s kidneys, little meat balls of beef, eggs, pickled mushrooms, salt, pepper, vinegar and spices. This was then baked in a pie. The Puritans under Oliver Cromwell disapproved of them, believing them to be idolatrous; the then oval shape of the pie was thought to represent Jesus’ crib.

Local Christingle Service today. Lovely to see the children taking part. Lacking the person power to pre manufacture Christingles for all and in the interests of self-help, the participants were provided with the ingredients in order to assemble the Christingles themselves. This was somewhat akin to an audition for the next Blue Peter presenter. Try making a hole in an orange sufficient to insert a candle with only the aid of the contents of a handbag and without squirting orange juice all over the church. Watching folk struggle with this and with cocktail sticks and lighted candles, it occurred to me that Christingles fail on the health and safety front on so many levels. Let’s just hope no one realises this and they don’t become the next victim of a nanny state. In the past I was always concerned on such occassions because my daughters had very long hair, which was in danger of being ignited by the candle. It had not occurred to me that I needed to ensure my companion’s beard did not suffer the same fate. Hindsight is a wondeful thing.

Lamb’s Wool

A traditional wassailing brew. From  La mas ubal  (apple fruit day – Lammastide) Made from warm cider or ale, sugar, roasted apples or crab apples, spices and cream.

Lord of Misrule

The Lord of Misrule was appointed on 31^st October to rule from Christmas Eve until Candlemas (2nd February). The custom was not revived after the mid C17^th Puritan ban on Christmas celebrations.

Note to self – 7th December is far too early to start Christmas celebratory food. A lovely lunch with fellow villagers yesterday left me semi-comatose for the rest of the day. I did manage to write the rest of the Christmas cards. It is sad to think that I am probably the last generation who will send ‘real’ cards but I am a sucker for them. And, yes, I do include the ubiquitous ‘Christmas Letter’. I used to handwrite these by the dozen but the days have long since gone when anyone could actually read my handwriting. I am still living down the incident when I wrote ravioli on the shopping list and my personal shopper came back with carrots. Personally I am always really excited when cards I receive contain some form of letter, I don’t care how round and robin like it is, so I naively assume others like my offerings.

Today my daughter sent me the link to the eagerly anticipated annual Christmas Quiz. One year 3 PhDs, 2 graduates and 3 other super brains failed to finish it between them. Unfortunately we were so nearly there – with just three answers to go (out of 120) we sat up late into the night. Not only am I mega competitive but I hate to be beaten. Had we only done half of it I would probably have been content to give up! So you can try too I’ve included the link – just don’t blame me if it gets to you like it gets to me – and it is all in aid of charity.

I am realising that I should have spaced the advent alphabet entries out more evenly so just one offering today – K.

Kings

There is no biblical evidence for three kings; they were magi, or wise men. Magi were, like the followers of Zoroaster, those who read the stars and assessed what the stars foretold. Nor is there any evidence that there were three of them. The wise men brought three different gifts therefore there it is assumed that there were three wise men; an idea perpetualted by the carol, where they are given names. Their arrival is celebrated at Epiphany (6^th January).

Ivy today in our alphabet. Particularly special as this was my grandmother’s name. Her birthday was 3rd January, so perhaps the Christmas decorations were what inspired my great grandparents.

Ivy Gertrude Woolgar 1893-1963

Ivy

Ivy was a pagan sign of eternal life and this, like other pagan traditions,  was adopted by the Christians to represent everlasting life. Ivy was the symbol of the Roman god Bacchus. Bacchus is depicted wearing an ivy wreath, said to ward off drunkenness. Ivy was seen as the feminine compliment to the ‘masculine’ holly.

On New Year’s Eve people would put an ivy leaf in a dish of water. If it stayed fresh until Twelfth Night it was a sign of a good year to come.