At one time the festivities of Christmas were commenced at Ramsgate by a curious musical procession. The following account is taken from Busby’s Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes (1825, vol. i. p. 73):—
A party of young people procure the head of a dead horse, which is affixed to a pole about four feet in length, a string is tied to the lower jaw, a horsecloth is then attached to the whole, under which one of the party gets, and by frequently pulling the string keeps up a loud snapping noise, and is accompanied by the rest of the party grotesquely habited and ringing hand-bells. They thus proceed from house to house, sounding their bells and singing carols and songs. They are commonly gratified with beer and cake, or perhaps with money. This is provincially called a hodening; and the figure above described a “hoden,” or wooden horse.
This curious ceremony is also observed in the Isle of Thanet on Christmas Eve, and is supposed to be an ancient relic of a festival ordained to commemorate our Saxon ancestors’ landing in that island.
Lancashire.
The following description of primitive manners in the houses of the gentry at Christmas is extracted by Baines (Hist. of Lancashire, vol. iii. p. 294) from a family manuscript of the Cunliffes, of Wycoller, in Lancashire, and refers to an age antecedent to the wars of the Parliament:—“At Wycoller-Hall the family usually kept open house the twelve days at Christmas. Their entertainment was a large hall of curious ashler wood, a long table, plenty of furmerty, like new milk, in a morning, made of husked wheat boiled, roasted beef with fat goose and a pudding, with plenty of good beer for dinner. A roundabout fire-place, surrounded with stone benches, where the young folks sat and cracked nuts, and diverted themselves; and in this manner the sons and daughters got matching without going much from home.”—See Med. Ævi Kalend. vol. i. p. 91.
Isle of Man.
Train, in his History of the Isle of Man (1845, vol. ii. p. 127), says:—The Christmas festival is introduced by young persons perambulating the various towns and villages in the evenings, fantastically dressed, and armed with swords, calling as they proceed, “Who wants to see the White Boys act?” When their services are engaged they, like the Scotch guisards or Quhite boys of Yule, perform a rude drama, in which St. George, Prince Valentine, King of Egypt, Sambo, and the Doctor are the dramatis personæ.
It was customary in the Isle of Man for every family that could afford it to have a brewing called Jough-ny-nollick, i.e., Christmas drink, prepared for the festivities of the season. On such occasions one brewing-kettle generally served a whole neighbourhood, which gave rise to the monk’s proverb, “To go about like a brewing-pan.”—Ibid. p. 127.
Middlesex.
Malcolm, in his Anecdotes of the Manners and Customs of London (1811, p. 259), speaking of Christmas Day, says:—“It was a day of grand difference in the judgment of some, and in the City of London some opened their shops, but to stop mutinying they were shut up again; yet do very few understand what the difference is that is now embraced in the judgments of those who desire the reformation from Popish innovation, but to give such further satisfaction herein, it is the opinion of these that it is a day wherein it is very fit for the people of God to congregate in the church to hear the Word of God preached, but not a holiday or such a day as is of absolute necessity to be kept holy; it is a day wherein it is no sin for a man to follow his calling, and he must not by a Popish innovation adore the day.”