<h2 class="p4">DECEMBER</h2>
<p class="pn center p1">Ancient Cornish name:<br/>
Miz-kavardine, following black month.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center">Jewel for the month: Turquoise. Prosperity.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn">Though now no more the musing ear<br/>
Delights to listen to the breeze,<br/>
That lingers o'er the green-wood shade,</p>
<p class="pn0">I love thee, Winter! well.</p>
<p class="pn p1">Sweet are the harmonies of Spring,<br/>
Sweet is the Summer's evening gale,<br/>
And sweet the autumnal winds that shake</p>
<p class="pn0">The many-colour'd grove.</p>
<p class="pn p1">And pleasant to the sober'd soul<br/>
The silence of the wintry scene,<br/>
When Nature shrouds herself, entranced</p>
<p class="pn0">In deep tranquillity.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Southey.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</SPAN></span></p>
<p class="pn10">December frost and January flood<br/>
Never boded husbandman good.<br/></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p>When there are three days cold, expect three
days colder.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">Of Gardens.</span></p>
<p>I do hold it, in the royal ordering of gardens,
there ought to be gardens for all the months in
the year, in which, severally, things of beauty
may be then in season.</p>
<p>For December and January, and the latter
part of November, you must take such things as
are green all winter, holly, ivy, bays, juniper,
cypress trees, yew, pines, fir trees, rosemary,
lavender, periwinkle, the white, the purple, and
the blue; germander, flags, orange trees, lemon
trees, and myrtles, if they be stoved; and sweet
marjoram, warm set.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Bacon.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pni">If frost do continue, take this for a law,</p>
<p class="pni">The strawberries look to be covered with straw,</p>
<p class="pni">Laid overly trim upon crotches and bows,</p>
<p class="pni">And after uncovered, as weather allows.</p>
<p class="pni"><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</SPAN></span>The gilliflower also, the skilful do know,</p>
<p class="pni">Doth look to be covered in frost and in snow:</p>
<p class="pni">The knot and the border, and rosemary gay,</p>
<p class="pni">Do crave the like succour, for dying away.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Tusser.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">December 5th.</span> (<i>St. Nicholas's Eve.</i>)</p>
<p>St. Nicholas, besides being the patron of
children, was supposed to have provided marriage
portions for portionless maidens.</p>
<p class="pni p1">Saint Nicholas money used to give to maidens secretlie,</p>
<p class="pni">Who, that he still may use his wonted liberalitie,</p>
<p class="pni">The mothers all their children on the eve do cause to fast,</p>
<p class="pni">And, when they every one at night in senseless sleepe are cast,</p>
<p class="pni">Both apples, nuttes, and peares they bring, and other things beside,</p>
<p class="pni">As caps, and shooes and petticotes, which secretlie they hide,</p>
<p class="pni">And in the morning found, they say, that this Saint Nicholas brought:</p>
<p class="pni">Thus tender mindes to worship Saints, and wicked things are taught.</p>
<p><i>From "The Popish Kingdom," 1750.</i></p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Barnaby Googe.</i></p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, patron
saint of virgins, boys, sailors, and the worshipful
company of parish clerks of the city of London.</p>
<p><i>Hone.</i><br/></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn10">The drooping year is in the wane,<br/>
No longer floats the thistle-down;<br/>
The crimson heath is wan and sere;<br/>
The sedge hangs withering by the mere,<br/>
And the broad fern is rent and brown.<br/>
<br/>
The owl sits huddling by himself,<br/>
The cold has pierced his body through;<br/>
The patient cattle hang their head;<br/>
The deer are 'neath their winter shed;<br/>
The ruddy squirrel's in his bed,<br/>
And each small thing within its burrow.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Mary Howitt.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">December 21st.</span> (<i>St. Thomas's Day.</i>)</p>
<p class="pn10">
St. Thomas grey St. Thomas grey,<br/>
The longest night and the shortest day.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</SPAN></span></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p>Look at the weathercock on St. Thomas's
Day at twelve o'clock, and see which way the
wind is, and there it will stick for the next three
months.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Warwickshire.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn10">There is never a Saturday in the year<br/>
But what the sun it doth appear.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn">If birds pipe afore Christmas they'll greet after.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Scotland.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn30">Mystic mistletoe flaunted,</p>
<p class="pni">Such as the Druids cut down with golden hatchets at Yuletide.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Longfellow.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p>William Stukeley, Arch Druid (1687-1765),
says: "The Druids cut mistletoe off the trees
with their upright hatchets of brass, called
Celts, put upon the ends of their staffs, which
they carried in their hands."</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p>Mistletoe is said to be the forbidden tree in
the middle of the trees of Eden.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</SPAN></span></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn15">
If Christmas Day on Monday be,<br/>
A great winter that year you'll see.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn15">What chyld on that day boorn be,<br/>
Of gret worscheyp schall he be.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>MS. in Bodleian.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn15">If that Christmas Day should fall<br/>
Upon Friday, know well all<br/>
That winter season shall be easy,<br/>
Save great winds aloft shall fly.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn15">Easter in snow, Christmas in mud;<br/>
Christmas in snow, Easter in mud.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Germany.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn10">So now is come our joyful feast;<br/>
Let every man be jolly;<br/>
Each room with ivy leaves is drest<br/>
And every post with holly.<br/>
Though some churls at our mirth repine,<br/>
Round your foreheads garlands twine;<br/>
Drown sorrow in a cup of wine,<br/>
And let us all be merry.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>George Wither.</i></p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</SPAN></span></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">Carol of Queen Anne's Time, 1695.</span></p>
<p class="pn10">Thrice welcome Christmas,<br/>
Which makes us good cheer,<br/>
Mince pies and plum porridge,<br/>
Good ale and strong beer,<br/>
With pig, goose and capon,<br/>
The best that may be,<br/>
So well doth the weather<br/>
And our stomachs agree.<br/>
Observe how the chimneys<br/>
Do smoke all about—<br/>
The cooks are providing<br/>
For dinner, no doubt!</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn">Kindle the Christmas brand, and then</p>
<p class="pn0">Till sunrise let it burn;</p>
<p class="pn">Which quenched, then lay it up agen</p>
<p class="pn0">Till Christmas next return.</p>
<p class="pn p1">Part must be kept, wherewith to tend</p>
<p class="pn0">The Christmas log next year;</p>
<p class="pn">And when 'tis safely kept, the fiend</p>
<p class="pn0">Can do no mischief there.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Warwickshire.</i></p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</SPAN></span></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">December 26th.</span> (<i>St. Stephen's Day.</i>)</p>
<p class="pn15">Blessed be St. Stephen,<br/>
There's no fast upon his even.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Old saying.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p>Bishop Hall says: "On St. Stephen's Day
blessings are implored upon pastures."</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">December 28th.</span> (<i>Innocents' Day, or Childermas
Day.</i>)</p>
<p>According to the monks, it was very unlucky
to begin any work on Childermas Day, and what
soever day that falls on, whether on the Monday,
or Tuesday, or any other, nothing must be begun
on that day through the year.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Henry Bourne, 1725.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p>Days lengthen a cock's stride each day after
Christmas.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn10">Know the best season to laugh and to sing,<br/>
Is winter, is summer, is autumn, is spring.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Old Song.</i></p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</SPAN></span></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">Hagman Heigh</span></p>
<p>Old Yorkshire custom for Hag-or Wood-man
to go round to ask for money on New Year's
Eve.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn center"><span class="smcap">New Year's Eve.</span></p>
<p class="pn10">Hark, the cock crows, and yon bright star<br/>
Tells us the day himself's not far;<br/>
And see where, breaking from the night,<br/>
He gilds the western hills with light.<br/>
<br/>
With him old Janus doth appear,<br/>
Peeping into the future year,<br/>
With such a look as seems to say,<br/>
The prospect is not good that way.</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Charles Cotton.</i></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn">If New Year's Eve night wind blows south<br/>
It betokeneth warmth and growth;<br/>
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;<br/>
If north, much cold and storms there will be;<br/>
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;<br/>
If north-east, flee it man and brute.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</SPAN></span></p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pni">The New Year, with its yet unacted history,</p>
<p class="pni10">Claims the homage of our last departing chime;</p>
<p class="pni">Then we hush ourselves in awe before the mystery,</p>
<p class="pni10">Of the youngest and the freshest birth of Time.</p>
<hr class="tb" />
<p class="pn20">The good old year is with the past;<br/>
Oh, be the new as kind!</p>
<p class="pnr"><i>Pope.</i></p>
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