{"id":96893,"date":"2024-01-05T11:36:25","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T16:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=96893"},"modified":"2024-01-26T13:25:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T18:25:30","slug":"traditional-celebrations-for-little-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/traditional-celebrations-for-little-christmas.html","title":{"rendered":"Traditional Celebrations for \u2018Little Christmas\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 to celebrate the traditional end of the Christmas season \u2013 Melissa Davenport Berry describes the history and traditions of \u201cLittle Christmas.\u201d Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tomorrow, the 6th<\/sup> of January, brings many ways to celebrate and prolong the season of good cheer. The day also has many names, but the most common is \u201cLittle Christmas,\u201d also sometimes called \u201cTwelfth Night.\u201d Some celebrate it as the \u201cFeast of the Epiphany,\u201d a day that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note:<\/em><\/strong> In various traditions, \u201cTwelfth Night\u201d can refer to either January 5 or January 6. According to Wikipedia:<\/p>\n

\u201cTwelfth Night (also known as Epiphany Eve) is a Christian festival on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas, marking the coming of the Epiphany. Different traditions mark the date of Twelfth Night as either 5 January or 6 January, depending on whether the counting begins on Christmas Day or 26 December.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And yet there are even more names and customs for this day. However, one thing is for sure no matter where or how you celebrate: traditionally, there is a temporary suspension of rules and social orders.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:<\/a>
Photos: Cleveland Boar\u2019s Head and Yule Log Festival collage (top L-R) the Procession of the Beefeaters; Three Wise Men with Live Farm Stock (bottom L-R) Mince Meat Pie; Damsels and Pages; Plenty of Tankards! Courtesy of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio, and The Boar\u2019s Head and Yule Log Festival.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Madcap Revelry<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Old England the Feast of Fools was run by the \u201cLord of Misrule,\u201d who directed activities from Christmas Day until January 6. He would essentially adopt the role of the ruler over all festive fun among the noble court.<\/p>\n

In Scotland the festive lord was known as the \u201cAbbot of Unreason,\u201d and in France as the \u201cPrince des Sots [Fools].\u201d Many in America adopted this tradition by hosting their own courtly feast. Read more: Ye Olde Christmas Party Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n

It is one night of pure folly and dalliance where the Yule Log<\/a> is the center of the festivities.<\/p>\n

Irish Customs<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Boston Herald<\/em> reported on some Irish Christmas customs.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 18 December 1966, page 85<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reported:<\/p>\n

What is peculiar to Ireland is the way the people have extended the festival to make it literally a mid-winter holiday. Preparations start about the beginning of December and the holiday spirit prevails through Jan. 6 (\u201cLittle Christmas Day,\u201d they call it in Ireland) when the holly and Christmas trees are taken down and decorations are put away for another year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another name for \u201cLittle Christmas\u201d has been coined by the Irish: \u201cNollaig na mBan,\u201d Gaelic for \u201cWomen\u2019s Christmas,\u201d when the women who worked all month to make it merry get to play, and the men stay home (with the children) to take down the Christmas tree and decorations \u2013 as well as cook dinner. (It is considered bad luck if they don\u2019t!)<\/p>\n

\"Photos:<\/a>
Photos: Irish women toasting on January 6th for Women\u2019s Christmas, or \u201cNollaig na mBan.\u201d Credit: Robert Nagle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As noted in this next newspaper article featuring a 2005 event hosted by Norfolk\u2019s Hunter House Victorian Museum, the \u201cNollaig na mBan\u201d holiday \u201ccropped up in Victorian times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), 6 January 2005, page 40<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this article, Cynda Pierce of the museum says:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe women who worked so hard to make it merry would say \u2018This is it. This is our day. Serve us.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That tradition has also been adopted by Scotland and Canada \u2013 but lasses, don\u2019t let location stop you from enforcing it!<\/p>\n

The Burning of the Greens<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several communities hold an annual \u201cBurning of the Greens\u201d night where the townspeople gather around a bonfire made from Christmas trees, holly, wreaths, and mistletoe to sing carols.<\/p>\n

This tradition was adopted from old pagan customs. Christians added more symbolism to its purpose, noting it is to spread light, warmth, and cheer brought forth by the Christ child.<\/p>\n

Here is a version celebrated in 1957 by the town of Flint, Michigan, which added a royal theme.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Flint Journal (Flint, Michigan), 8 January 1957, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This photo caption read:<\/p>\n

Twelfth Night Monarchs \u2013 The Twelfth Night King and Queen enjoy a short reign over \u201cBurning of the Greens\u201d ceremonies Monday night at Kearsley Park. On their thrones after crowning during Flint\u2019s observance of the traditional holiday are King James Powell, 14, of 127 Madison Ave., representing McKinley Community Center, and Queen Carol Elliott, 12, of 2305 Mt. Elliott Ave., from Haskell Community Center.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Twelfth Night, the Start of Carnival<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a Southern style night of misrule and decadence, visit New Orleans \u2013 where there is never any after-Christmas blues\u2026 the party rocks on!<\/p>\n

In New Orleans, January 6 (Twelfth Night) marks the start of the Carnival season of Mardi Gras.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: \u201cTwelfth Night Revelers\u201d pageant design; watercolor by Charles Briton, 1884. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here are some of the activities highlighted by the Mardi Gras New Orleans<\/a> official website:<\/p>\n