Christmas: Its Origin & Associations, by W.F. Dawson, 1902

Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books. Although I realize I would offend The Old Sage, Bloom, by saying so, I find PG a glorious treasure trove of all sorts of texts, some rare.

This morning, as I browsed, I came across the topic of this post, Christmas: Its Origin & Associations, by W.F. Dawson.

Popular Christmas festivities in the latter part of the eighteenth century are gleaned from contemporary writers:—

In Sinclair's Account of Scotland, parish of Kirkden, county of Angus (1792), Christmas is said to be held as a great festival in the neighbourhood. "The servant is free from his master, and goes about visiting his friends and acquaintance. The poorest must have beef or mutton on the table, and what they call a dinner with their friends. Many amuse themselves with various diversions, particularly with shooting for prizes, called here wad-shooting; and many do but little business all the Christmas week; the evening of almost every day being spent in amusement." And in the account of Keith, in Banffshire, the inhabitants are said to "have no pastimes or holidays, except dancing on Christmas and New Year's Day."

Boyhood's Christmas Breaking-up is thus described in a poem entitled "Christmas" (Bristol, 1795):—

"A school there was, within a well-known town,

(Bridgwater call'd), in which the boys were wont,

At breaking-up for Christmas' lov'd recess,

To meet the master, on the happy morn,

At early hour; the custom, too, prevail'd,

That he who first the seminary reach'd

Should, instantly, perambulate the streets

With sounding horn, to rouse his fellows up;

And, as a compensation for his care,

His flourish'd copies, and his chapter-task,

Before the rest, he from the master had.

For many days, ere breaking-up commenced,

Much was the clamour, 'mongst the beardless crowd,

Who first would dare his well-warm'd bed forego,

And, round the town, with horn of ox equipp'd,

His schoolmates call. Great emulation glow'd

In all their breasts; but, when the morning came,

Straightway was heard, resounding through the streets,

The pleasing blast (more welcome far, to them,

Than is, to sportsmen, the delightful cry

Of hounds on chase), which soon together brought

A tribe of boys, who, thund'ring at the doors

Of those, their fellows, sunk in Somnus' arms,

Great hubbub made, and much the town alarm'd.

At length the gladsome, congregated throng,

Toward the school their willing progress bent,

With loud huzzas, and, crowded round the desk,

Where sat the master busy at his books,

In reg'lar order, each receiv'd his own,

The youngsters then, enfranchised from the school,

Their fav'rite sports pursued."

For my money, the best entries begin around section 230.

Read it all here.