Candle Auction

The village hall in Aldermaston, Berkshire - 13th December

A candle auction is more a test of timing than of wealth. A horseshoe nail is driven into a tallow candle about one inch from the top and the candle is lit. Bids are then made of any amount of money and the last bid before the nail drops is the final one. At Aldermaston , the auction is for a piece of land known as the church acre, and the biding is started by the vicar. The winning bidder rents the land paying rent each year to the amount of his winning bid.

Closing of the Gates Ceremony

Londonderry, Northern Ireland - 17th December - Saturday before Christmas week.

The effigy of Lundy is still burned as part of the closing of the gates celebrations. Lieutenant-colonel Robert Lundy, the military governor of Londonderry in 1688, was prepared to allow entrance to the enemy troops of the invading army of King James II. For his disloyalty he was branded a ‘traitor’ by the populace. When the soldiers were only 60 yards away from the gates, 13 apprentice boys seized the keys of the town and slammed them shut just in time. The apprentice boys of Derry have long since assumed charge of making the effigy of Lundy and consigning it to flames in the afternoon. The siege was lifted 105 days later.

Burning the ash faggot

Luttrell arms hotel Dunster, Somerset - Christmas eve.

The old custom of burning a faggot of ash twigs has been revived at the Luttrell arms hotel. It certainly dates back a few hundred years to the days of belief in witchcraft. At about 10pm the faggot bound with green ash strands is burned on an open fire and cider is served.

Yule and Winter Solstice

Nationwide - 21st December

The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice is also known as Yule. It is one of the oldest celebrations in the world. Back in the day when we were hunters and gatherers, the most important thing in people's lives was the changing of the seasons and of course the sun. The norsemen of Northern Europe (who later came over as Vikings) believed the sun was a wheel which actually changed the seasons. Their word for this wheel was 'houl' which became 'Yule'! The Romans when they came over later, also celebrated this time of year and surplanted the traditional Yule festival with their own. They would celebrate the rebirth of the year. It was called Saturnalia and ran for 7 days from the 17th Decemeber. It was a carnival type celebration when normal regulations were turned upside down, masters became servants and men became women. These celebrations were always held on the 21st December. Druids would cut mistletoe from sacred Oak trees and gave it as a blessing and a symbol of life in the dark winter months. The celts also believed that the world stood still at this time and would light a log to banish the evil spirits of this dark time. When Christianity came to Britain, these traditions were integrated into what we now know as Christmas.

Tom Bawcock's Eve

Mousehole, Cornwall - 23rd December

Mousehole is a small village in Cornwall, near Penzance in which every 23rd December, the Pagan Yule time and midwinter solstice is celebrated as Tom Bawcock's eve. The name Tom Bawcock may have earlier Pagan connotations such as Beau – Cock but in Mousehole today it is the celebration of Tom Bawcock the legendary fisherman who braved gigantic seas in order to catch fish to alleviate famine in the village. Tom Bawcocks eve is celebrated by the preparation of Stargazy pie – a fish pie where the heads protrude through the pastry, it was also the inspiration for the well known childrens book and animation 'The Mousehole Cat'.

Distribution of the New Pennies

The estate yard, Sherborne, Dorset - Christmas day

Between 9am and 10am the owner of Sherborne castle hands out new pennies: ten pence to adults, five pence to children. This personal gift has been the custom for the castle owner for many years though its origins are unknown.

Christmas

Nationwide - 25th December

Marking the birth of Jesus, son of God, Christmas is one of the most important holidays in Great Britain. The word Christmas comes from the celebration and church service or the 'mass' of 'Christ'; hence 'Christmas'. The first record of this celebration was in AD360 but the fixed date of 25th December didn't come into being until AD440. The abbreviation to Xmas comes from the letter X in the Greek alphabet which is the letter 'Chi' and the first letter of Christ's name in the Greek alphabet.

In the UK, we send cards to each other weeks before Christmas, we act in and watch nativity plays, we decorate our homes with decorations, holly, Pine trees and sparkling lights. It is a time of celebration, frivolity and merry making. On Christmas Day we eat Turkey (traditionally this was Goose) and roast vegetables until we can't move, we drink mulled wine and sherry and follow it up with mince pies and Christmas pudding and open presents we have bought for each other. The Queen makes a speech at 3pm every Christmas Day which is broadcast across the nation and of late there has been an amusing tradition for an 'alternative Queen's speech' This was begun by King George V in 1932.

Up until the 1960's is was compulsory for all Roman Catholics to attend a Mass on Christmas Day. The law for this compulsory attendance was passed during the 16th century. In 1551, playing sport on Christmas Day was made illegal. This law was later ignored.

Boxing Day

Nationwide - 26th December

Boxing Day is the following day after Christmas Day. Like Christmas Day it is also a national holiday in England. There are a couple of reasons for the name of this day. One is that it dates back to medieval times, more than 800 years ago, when alms boxes were placed at the back of every church to collect money for the poor. Traditionally, it is on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are distributed to the poor.

It is also said that the holiday developed because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but were allowed to take the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes. These boxes were not actually box shaped, they were clay balls with a slit in the top. Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day, when Good King Wenceslas looked out... King Wenceslas lived in Rome and was the first man to be executed for believing the preachings of Christ.

Boxing Day was also the traditional day for the rich and upper class aristocrats to go Fox Hunting, the Boxing Day hunt was looked forward to all year. Now Fox hunting has been banned but undoubtedly this tradition still occurs...

Walrus Dip

Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire - 26th December

The Walrus Dip, held and supported by some crazy people in South Wales, has only been going on for about 14 years but events like this take place in locations all around the UK on both Boxing Day and New Years Day. It generally involves members of the public taking the plunge into the sea, usually for charity. Participants normally come along in fancy dress outfits in case they are perceived as too normal. Probably the only people stranger than these nutters are those up in Northumberland, particularly Berwick Upon Tweed, who spend their Boxing Day running into the sea, but we're not talking the already cold enough Atlantic here, no, no - we're talking about the exceptionally cold, grim and stormy 'North Sea'. Sounds like great fun to me...who's for another mince pie?

Greatham sword dance

Held at village Green, Greatham, Cleaveland - 26th December

Long sword dancing is a winter tradition of the north of England, mainly concentrated in Yorkshire. It is performed by teams of six male dancers and must not be confused with Scottish sword dancing. The dancers are a remnant of pre-Christian faith and were usually performed together with a short play in which one of the characters is killed and the resurrected to symbolise the end of one year and the start of the new. Greatham is unique in that it is the only surviving example of a dance and a play being performed together. The dancers start at 12 noon.

Mummers and Morris dancers

Selected locations Nationwide - 26th December

Mummers' Plays have been performed in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland for hundreds of years. They are folk dramas based on the legend of St. George and the Seven Champions of Christendom. They were originally mime or dumb shows (Thus mummers from the Middle English word mum, meaning silent.) where all the performers were disguised and known as 'Guisers'. All the characters were played by men who kept the same part for many years. Eventually, dialogue was added, but was passed on by word-of-mouth. Consequently, the 'Chinese Whispers' effect over the centuries and the loss of the real significance of the original story, makes present day performances very entertaining but virtually meaningless to most audiences.

The principal characters are St. George (…of dragon fame.), Captain Slasher, The Turkish Knight, The King of Egypt, Doctor and several men-at-arms who challenge St. George to a duel and are subsequently slain. The Doctor enters and demonstrates his skill by resuscitating the dead knights.

Many historians believe that this drama is a celebration of the death of the year and its resurrection in the Spring.

Flaming Tar Barrels ceremony

Held at the market place, Allendale Town, Northumberland - 31st December

Local men known as Guisers, dress up in fancy costumes. At about 23.30 they start to assemble beside the golden lion hotel. At about 23.45 the tar barrels are lit and are carried on the guisers heads in procession around the perimeter of the village, finishing at the bonfire in the middle of the square. At exactly 24.00 they throw their burning barrels onto the bonfire. Immediately afterwards everyone sings ‘Auld Lang syne’ and the local people begin their traditional first footing.

Burning out the old year

Biggar, Strathclyde - 31st December

On the morning after the November fair, the laying of the yule fire begins. Quantities of brushwood and other combustibles are added in the children’s spare time. On the evening of Hogmanay (New Years Eve) the crowds begin to gather and amid shouts of acclamation the fire is lit. Red herrings are toasted before the flame and eaten on the spot. After the last stroke of midnight everyone sings ‘auld Lang syne’ and then a collective mischievousness descends upon the town. Lads get up to their old pranks lifting gates from hinges and hiding them and similar antics. This fiery farewell to the year has been carried out in Biggar since time immemorial.

Fireballs ceremony

Stonehaven, Grampion - 31st December

This custom is reputed to date back to pagan times as a means of warding off evil spirits which might beset the town in the coming year. Fireball swinging begins as the first chimes of midnight ring out on the old town clock and swingers emerge from the street leading to the harbour. Fireballs consist of wire netting bags packed with all kinds of combustible material and are swung around the head with the aid of a long rope and handle. Swinging takes place up and down the high street of the old town.

New Year's Eve/Hogmanay

Only one nation in the world can celebrate the New Year or Hogmanay with such revelry and passion – the Scots! But what are the actual origins of Hogmanay, and why should a tall dark stranger be a welcome visitor after midnight?

For many centuries in Scotland, Hogmanay was a far more important holiday than Christmas. This could be a result of the Protestant Reformation after which Christmas, and its close ties to the Roman Catholic Church, was seen as "too Papist." It could also be due to the grueling work schedules of laborers during the Industrial Revolution which did not provide time off for the Christmas holiday.

It is believed that many of the traditional Hogmanay celebrations were originally brought to Scotland by the invading Vikings in the early 8th and 9th centuries. These Norsemen, or men from the north, paid particular attention to the arrival of the Winter Solstice or the shortest day, and fully intended to celebrate its passing with some serious partying.

First footing is the custom which dictates that the first person to cross a home's threshold after midnight on New Year's Eve will determine the homeowner's luck for the new year. The ideal visitor bears gifts—preferably whiskey, coal for the fire, small cakes, or a coin—and should be a man with a dark complexion. He had to be dark because back in the 8th century, when the fair-haired Vikings invaded Scotland: a blond visitor was not a good omen.

On New Years Eve immediately after midnight it is traditional to sing Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne". Burns published his version of this popular little ditty in 1788, although the tune was in print over 80 years before this.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne."

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