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Article OLDEN HOLIDAY CUSTOMS ← Page 6 of 11 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Olden Holiday Customs
adopt . Many remarkable customs were in vogue on the vigil of St . Nicholas , of which Naogeorgus Avrites : — " St . Nicholas money used to give to maidens secretly , Who , that he still may use his wonted liberality , The mothers all their children on the eve do cause to fast , And when they every one at night in senseless sleep are cast , Both lesnutsand they bringand other things beside
app , , pears , , , As caps , and shoes , and petticoats , which secretly they hide . And in the morning found , they say , that this St . Nicholas brought : Thus tender minds to worship saints and wicked things are taught . " On this clay a ceremony prevails in the courts of certain Italian princes termed Zopata , from the Spanish for " shoe . " Presents are concealed in the shoes of the persons to whom honour is
desired to be shown , in order that they may discover them in the morning upon dressing . St . Nicholas is said to have throAvn in purses during the night to the chambers of poor maidens , in order to suppl y them with marriage portions . Upon the festive season of Christmas so much lias been writtenthat in accordance Avith the remarks we have made hitherto ,
, Ave shall omit to recapitulate all the ordinary and Avell-known observances connected Avith this period , adducing a few only which may be new to the general reader . Christmas Avas of old termed Yule , an Anglo-Saxon , word meaning Feast ; Ave may conclude , therefore , that the term was thus applied by way of pre-eminence . The French word noel is probably connected
with Yule , although it has been stated that the noels ( or carols ) derived their name from the Latin natalis , signifying originall y a cry of joy at Christmas , the season of the nativity . The custom of singing carols , or canticles in the Amlgar tongue , originated at the period when the common people ceased to understand Latin . Waits are likewise of old institution . The latter are thus alluded to in " Money masters all things , " a set of satirical poems , published 1698 : —
" OU PUBLIC WAITS . " The public waits , who liveries do own , Aud badges of a city or some town ; Who are retain'd in constant yearly pay , And at their solemn public meetings play ; And up and down the streets and town , in cold Dark nights , when th' instruments they scarce can hold , They lay aboutand tell what hour it is
p , , Aud weather , too . This course they do not miss Most part of winter in , the night ; and when . Some gen ' rous persons come to town , these men , They cry , ' God bless you , Sirs ; ' again they play , Expecting money ere they go away . " Before the last civil Avars , the first dish upon the Christmas board was a boar ' s headwith a lemon in its month . At
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Olden Holiday Customs
adopt . Many remarkable customs were in vogue on the vigil of St . Nicholas , of which Naogeorgus Avrites : — " St . Nicholas money used to give to maidens secretly , Who , that he still may use his wonted liberality , The mothers all their children on the eve do cause to fast , And when they every one at night in senseless sleep are cast , Both lesnutsand they bringand other things beside
app , , pears , , , As caps , and shoes , and petticoats , which secretly they hide . And in the morning found , they say , that this St . Nicholas brought : Thus tender minds to worship saints and wicked things are taught . " On this clay a ceremony prevails in the courts of certain Italian princes termed Zopata , from the Spanish for " shoe . " Presents are concealed in the shoes of the persons to whom honour is
desired to be shown , in order that they may discover them in the morning upon dressing . St . Nicholas is said to have throAvn in purses during the night to the chambers of poor maidens , in order to suppl y them with marriage portions . Upon the festive season of Christmas so much lias been writtenthat in accordance Avith the remarks we have made hitherto ,
, Ave shall omit to recapitulate all the ordinary and Avell-known observances connected Avith this period , adducing a few only which may be new to the general reader . Christmas Avas of old termed Yule , an Anglo-Saxon , word meaning Feast ; Ave may conclude , therefore , that the term was thus applied by way of pre-eminence . The French word noel is probably connected
with Yule , although it has been stated that the noels ( or carols ) derived their name from the Latin natalis , signifying originall y a cry of joy at Christmas , the season of the nativity . The custom of singing carols , or canticles in the Amlgar tongue , originated at the period when the common people ceased to understand Latin . Waits are likewise of old institution . The latter are thus alluded to in " Money masters all things , " a set of satirical poems , published 1698 : —
" OU PUBLIC WAITS . " The public waits , who liveries do own , Aud badges of a city or some town ; Who are retain'd in constant yearly pay , And at their solemn public meetings play ; And up and down the streets and town , in cold Dark nights , when th' instruments they scarce can hold , They lay aboutand tell what hour it is
p , , Aud weather , too . This course they do not miss Most part of winter in , the night ; and when . Some gen ' rous persons come to town , these men , They cry , ' God bless you , Sirs ; ' again they play , Expecting money ere they go away . " Before the last civil Avars , the first dish upon the Christmas board was a boar ' s headwith a lemon in its month . At