Home for Christmas ?
- 11 December 2013 14:30255102Letter to say going home for the vacation
The following letter was actually written by an Usher of a School, as a model for a young gentleman to inform his parents that he should be home at the Christmas Vacation. It may well match with the pedagogue's well known love letter in "Peregerine Pickle". -
"It is impossible to verbally declare the sublimity of satisfaction which I experience in the fond anticipation of passing that period of temporal abstraction from scholastic attention ordinarily cognominated the Vacation, or, as marking the diurnal sanctimonious employment usually directed, emphatically appellated holidays; therefore in simple and humble dictates I inform you, that the recess is fixed for the 23rd of the present duo-decimal division of the Annual Solar Revolutions: then shall I hope to experience all those domiciliary delectations usually attendant on that periodical festivity, conjuncated with the hilarities of those with whom I am enfraternally connected. Then those viands vaporially affecting our olfactory organs with their salubrious effluvia and our stomachs with their invigorating influence will be abundantly devoured, whether consisting of terrefacted or bulliated quadrupedal carmous substance, the more delicate fibres of the Volant aerial inhabitants, or the submarine piscatory residents - concluding with those heterogeneous compositions called puddings, aided by the exhilarating effects of vinous libations!"
(Kentish Gazette, Friday February 12 1802 p.3 col.3)
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 11 December 2013 14:36255103CHRISTMAS
There are many good old customs appropriated to this season of the year which although banished by the refinement of Metropolitans are still preserved in various parts of the country as introductive of harmless mirth and emblematic of things now almost forgotten.
On Christmas Eve it is still a custom in the North to light candles of a very uncommon size which are called Christmas Candles; to burn also a Yule Clog (sic), or Christmas block, thus illuminating the house. This custom was perhaps borrowed from the Saxons; they began their year on the 8th of the calends of January, which is our Christmas Day. The night before was termed by them "The night of mothers" and was observed by them as sacred. The log perhaps was burned in imitation of the sun's return.
The origin of Christmas boxes is said to be this: the priest has masses said for every thing. If a ship went on a distant voyage a box was fixed to the mast and consecrated to some saint. The marines were expected to put money into this box that masses might be said for them on their return. The mass was then called "Christ-Mass"; this particular box Christ-Mass box. Many other customs may be enumerated. The Christmas Carrol (sic), Christmas Pies. At the Universities it is common to hang laurel in all the colleges and chapels which, when we consider that the laurel was emblematical of peace and victory is easily explained. One of the earlier Councils forbade Christians to deck their houses with bay leaves and green boughs; but now there is thank Heaven, no restraint on what leads to cheerfulness and the careful cook may enjoy her mistletoe without fear of being disturbed by the censures of the Church.
(Kentish Gazette Fri Dec 28 1787 to Tu Jan 1 1788 p.2 col.1)
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 11 December 2013 14:41255104Kentish Gazette 2 Jan 1829 back page col.3:
A Lilliputian Pudding:
The following are the ingredients and their quantities which constituted the pudding served up to the inmates of the Workhouse of the parish of Lambeth on Christmas Day:
The number of persons who partook of this Lilliputian dish amounted to between 7 and 8 hundred; -
Flour 475 lbs, suet 144 lbs, raisins 300 lbs, sugar 44 lbs, ginger 3 lbs, allspice 2 ½ lbs, milk 160 quarts, and strong beer 11 quarts. The whole weight of the pudding when the ingredients were blended was 1306 ½ lbs and their cost amounted to £23 and a trifling fraction."---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 11 December 2013 16:21255114Sorry to be pedantic so long after the event, but I think Swift would have referred to such a pudding as Brobdingnagian not Lilliputian.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 11 December 2013 16:46255116that's easy for you to say peter.
- 19 December 2013 22:57255931that's a word with meaning ! Brobdingnagian !!
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 19 December 2013 23:00255932i shall put my teeth back in and try to recite it, anything for the forum.
- 20 December 2013 00:51255938Ah, you must all read Gulliver's Travels. Also relevant to Christmas is Dr Swift's other magnum opus, 'The Benefit of Farting Explained', a hilarious satire on the ruling classes. Yes, really!I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
