Christmas Crackers from the Past
In the old days there was a great deal of superstition around and Christmas was no exception when it came to what we call old wives’ tales. Although, you cannot completely dismiss all as superstition because some of them contain a lot of native wit and who doesn't remember old sayings like, ‘Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man’s hat.’
Very superstitious
In the past, as it is today, the weather was important especially for people working in agriculture and there are many interesting sayings that linked with Christmas and Easter. For example, people believed things like, a warm Christmas, makes a cold Easter; a windy Christmas, gave the trees more fruit next year; and a fall of snow on Christmas night will give you a bountiful crop next Autumn. Like this coming Christmas, if it fell on a Sunday, it meant that it was going to be a good winter; but if plenty of wind began to blow, that meant a dry summer. People said that a child born on Christmas Day would be a lucky child in all that he or she did.
It was good luck to eat a breakfast by candlelight on Christmas morning. But was considered an omen of a bad fruit harvest, if ‘Christmas Eve occurred on a moonlit night'. The book Notes and Queries, volume six, published in 1882, records superstitions from the Italian Tirol and Lombardy region where they had some interesting ideas, for example, they believed that cattle could talk on Christmas Eve. The power of witches was thought to be limited on Christmas night and, in some countries, they believed that if you made a three-legged stool using fir wood at Christmas, and then looked through the hole between the legs, you would see a coven of witches as they secretly met.
Christian Tradition
The central part of Christmas for Irish families was the birth of Jesus Christ and a visit to the church to see the crib became essential and, to attend a house of God on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day was important. In olden times, folk left their front door open on Christmas night to allow the Blessed Virgin and Jesus to enter the home. The open door may have represented an open heart to the invitation of the holy visitors. Some homes left a glass of water fresh from a spring well on the table in case the Blessed Virgin was thirsty.
A lit Christmas candle was placed in the window to welcome strangers, and the homeless, a practice continued in many homes to this day, including Áras an Uachtarán. Elsewhere, Santy came to homes where children lived. Families hung stockings by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning, they had been discovered filled with sweets, apples, oranges, and toys.
Wren Day
The wren boys came out on December 26, St Stephen's Day, also known as the Wren Day, that is, Lá an Dreoilín. The boys dressed up in old clothes, painted their faces and would bring with them a little wren, as they called from door to door, singing and collecting money. The belief was that it was the wren that betrayed ‘Our Lord'. A procession was held in some places where the wren boys were accompanied by mummers in costumes with straw headgear. Although, it is much rarer these days, there are now wrens, made up of girls and boys who still go around the countryside and towns on St Stephen’s Day. Wrens today usually collect money for designated charities in the local area. This is a tradition that could be revived across the county.
Newer traditions include the Christmas Day swim and the massive bulk shop that each household does, to have enough in for the day itself. If by any chance you see a sleigh wonkily crossing the skies, that will be because of all the Guinness left out with the cookies for Santy. The traditional glass of milk is a better option when steering reindeer.
Jokes
As Frank Carson, the comedian used to say, ‘it’s a cracker,’ and there were many cracking jokes that fell from a pulled cracker at the Christmas Day dinner table. Many of the jokes are what might be called cheesy these days, with the likes of ‘Yule be sorry!’
Here are a few of the classics to get you in the mood:
What does Santa clean his sleigh with?’ ‘Santa-tiser.’
How did Scrooge win the football match? The ghost of Christmas passed.
Why was the snowman looking through the carrots? He was picking his nose.
Why is a foot a good Christmas gift? Because it’s a great stocking filler.
What does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in the chimney? Claustrophobia!
If Santa rode a motorcycle, what kind would it be? A Holly Davidson.
Why was the turkey in the pop group? Because he was the only one with drumsticks!
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite.
How do snowmen get around? By riding an ‘icicle.
If athletes get athlete's foot, what do astronauts get? Missile toe!
Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? The Mince Spy.
What did 52% of Brits order for Christmas dinner? No Brussels.
What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinsillitis.
Why can’t a bike stand up by itself? It’s two-tyred.
What did the stamp say to the Christmas card? Stick with me and we’ll go places!
Finally, to everyone,
Beannachtaí na Nollag duit!
May the blessings of Christmas
be with you!
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