In Lancashire, we've really got weird Christmas nailed
It’s fair to say the Red Rose county has a huge past - and its gorgeous festive traditions are no exception to this.
Dating from around the 5th century, the Pagan midwinter festival was supposed to be aimed at warding off the dark and evil spirits. In practice, it saw people feasting and celebrating for around 12 days, or until the log burned out. And it worked, growing into the dominant religion of the Latin, Catholic church in Europe by the Middle Ages. Lo and behold - the Pagan tradition of Yule was rejigged to fit with the new religion in town.
Evergreens have been a symbol of life in multiple religions throughout the ages, from the mysterious Druids, the ancient priests of the Celts, to the ancient Egyptians who thought the sun god would recover from weakness at the winter solstice. The ‘mummers,’ dressed in bright rags, and strange animal masks would just hum until they were asked inside. To see them off, you basically had to either let them trick you, a bit like trick or treat, or pay a fee.
The term, ‘Wassailing,’ is said to derive from the Anglo Saxon expression ‘waes hael,’ for ‘good health,’ and while the tradition was nationwide, Lancashire does have its own actual 'Wassailing' song. Some Wassailers toured their neighbours’ houses after the merrymaking in the orchard - a tradition which was later replaced by carolling.
It wasn’t unique to Lancashire and happened up and down the country, with a horse skull fixed to a pole, using the bottom of glass bottles for eyes and the pole carried by someone hidden under the sackcloth. The somewhat outlandish and perhaps monstrous looking hobby horse itself was carried by a group of singing men, and would often chase people for money.
To that effect, things got stricter under Cromwell’s helm, with laws passed to catch anyone holding or even attending church Christmas services, and soldiers patrolling the streets on December 25 to ensure shops stayed open and seize any special food or signs of Christmas celebrations. Places like Bolton and Manchester strongly backed the roundheads, with Bolton so devoutly puritan it was dubbed the ‘Geneva of the north.
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