[Hellsgate] ISO Holiday Traditions

[sdirocco]

Bonjour Bryn Gwlad, Hell’s Gate, and Friends!

 

As many of you know, the deadline for the December Halberd is coming up in a
few weeks(December 1), and there is some information I’d like to try to
include, with your help.

 

I have been wondering about some of our modern holiday customs, decorations,
and songs, and just how old some of them are.  I expect these would make
good Halberd articles.  I am curious about a few customs in particular:

 

 

*	Food preservation & Feast Staples – Take fruitcake, for example;
There is an interesting piece of food preservation.  We know the concept of
food preservation goes all the way back to Roman times, but just how old is
fruitcake?  If not the brick of indestructible sweetness we know today, was
there a similar candied fruit concoction that people of the Middle Ages &
Renaissance enjoyed?  

 

*	Wreathes – did they serve a purpose other than for Greco-Roman head
decoration?  Did a bored lady need something to do?  

 

*	Dancing and music?  Surely there had to be dancing and music!  -And
some stories as well!

 

*	Holiday Caroling – Was this in any way related to pilgrimages or
alms for the poor?  From piano lessons, I vaguely remember a song about a
“Good King Wenceslas” going out on the “Feast of Steven.”  I bet there is a
good story there!  

 

*	Gift Giving – Not the commercial endeavor we know today.  Was it
practiced as part of a holiday tradition at any point between 600-1600 AD?
Would have been hospitality, meal sharing, tools or small goods or deeds of
kindness to help make life a little easier?

  

*	And what’s the story behind “The 12 days of Christmas?”, because
that ladies’ true love sure is one generous benefactor!  Or perhaps
something about 12th night would be more appropriate?  

 

*	The Yule Log, what does that symbolize?  What are it’s origins?
What’s the story behind other popular holiday plant life like mistletoe,
holly, and poinsettias?

 

*	Nutcrackers! – I read something somewhere a while back about them
dating back to the 15th century.  

      Were they possibly meant as a toy or novelty gift?  

 

 

I would like information on any of the above OR topics directly related to
how people of the Middle Ages celebrated or observed the December holiday
season.  I know we have evidence of medieval people making merry around the
time of Solstice and Yule, so I am particularly interested in sharing
information about how they did that.  

 

If you happen to know something about holiday traditions, or wouldn’t mind
making the time to do a little research on the above topics, please consider
submitting a 1-5 page write-up, with source citations and emailing it on
.doc format to me at  bgchronicler (at) <mailto:bgchronicler at gmail.com>
gmail.com by December 1st.  



I know members of the Barony and the Stronghold, especially me and Their
Excellencies, would greatly enjoy it.  

 

Merci Beaucoup!

Lady Renée du Valier, Chronicler