from the Chronicles of Celtic Customs by Brian Day...
CELTIC The Bretons called December the Indolent Month, or the Very
Black Month, but for the Manx fishermen at least it was the time to make
and mend nets and other fishing gear. The year's wool crop on the
island had to be carded and spun for weaving, as all the thread used in
making clothes and soft furnishings was handspun at home. These tasks
would have been done by the light of home-made tallow candles or of
torches made from rushes.
With little productive to do in the Celtic rural heartlands there was
time to enjoy the string of festivities, from Advent, through St
Nicholas's Day and the election of Boy Bishops, then the preparation for
Christmas Eve, or for Yule in areas of former Norse settlement such as
the north of Scotland. Both have evolved into a complex mixture of
pagan and religious elements, both devotional and festive. After the
indoor recreation on Christmas Day came the outdoor activities, such as
wrenning and sports, on St Stephen's Day, then further indulgence
towards children on Holy Innocents' Day, before New Year's Eve and its
fire festivals and prognostications brought the annual calendar to a close.
--
Pat Connors, Sacramento CA
http://www.connorsgenealogy.com
Professional Genealogy Research
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