Vulgar Customs, Ceremonies, and Superstitions

This week's book is John Brand's Observations on Popular Antiquities: Chiefly Illustrating the Origin of Our Vulgar Customs, Ceremonies, and Superstitions (1813). Originally published in 1777, then edited and rearranged by Henry Ellis, the two-volume set lays out the British calendar year and its accompanying popular antiquities, now better known as folklore. It devotes about 60 pages to Christmas traditions, some still familiar and others rather unrecognizable.

One custom Brand lists is the hunting of the wren on the Isle of Man: "'On the 24th of December, towards evening, all the servant in general have a holiday; they go not to bed all night, but ramble about till the bells ring in all the churches, which is at twelve o'clock: prayers being over, they go to hunt the wren; and, after having found one of these poor birds, they kill her, and lay her on a bier with the utmost solemnity, bringing her to the parish church, and burying her with a whimsical kind of solemnity, singing dirges over her in the Manks language, which they call her knell; after which, Christmas begins.'" This tradition took place in other parts of the British Isles as well. It continued in various iterations long past Brand's lifetime and died out in the first half of the 20th century, before being revived more recently using a fake bird.  

To read about this and other holiday traditions, ask for Ticknor LEH B73o.