Topic: 12th. night customs

[ACE]

With all the great minds on this forum, I want some traditional customs or ideas for a 12th night party.

I am given to understand that since we lost a few days with the introduction of a new calender years and years ago. 12th. night was the original winter celebration before xmas took over.

We will have the mummers play performed by a local group and also we will be hunting the wren (not a real one), and will be partying until the yule log  goes out. Or until I stop playing the concertina for the dancing.
 

Roast beef, mutton(lamb) and plum pudding will be on the menu and the pokers will be in the fire for mulled ale.

So come on give us some more ideas.

[saddad]

It's probably out of season but a bit of wassailing might be appreciated.. at least less wass and more ale...
 :-X

[tilts]

The old pagan Saturnalian practices reached their climax on Twelfth Night. During the Middle Ages Christmas was celebrated in a season of twelve days.
In France the Bean King was appointed by being served La Galette du Roi, a cake containing a bean. This person ruled over the evening's entertainment of games, dancing, and music.
 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Jesus' birth was originally celebrated on 6th January, which is now 12th night, but that long predated the shift to the Gregorian calendar. In the Western Church, the 6th is now Epiphany, when the Wise Men were supposed to have arrived.

[louise stella]

With all the great minds on this forum, I want some traditional customs or ideas for a 12th night party.

So come on give us some more ideas.

.......just get very drunk!

All in the name of tradition of course!

Louise

When I lived in Faversham - a group of Mumers used to visit all the pubs abd there was always a "Black Mummer" - which had a dark history - but I can't remember what? - any ideas???

[triffid]

It's probably out of season but a bit of wassailing might be appreciated.. at least less wass and more ale...
 :-X

No, you're right Saddad -- wassailling is spot-on for Twelfth Night.
The old apple tree from the family garden where I grew up used to be wassailed with a toast drunk to it (in hot spiced cider!) and an old chant --
'Here's to thee old apple tree
So thou mayst bud
So thou mayst blow
So thou mayst bear us apples enow'      [enow is "enough"]

[ACE]

Wassail, it all go for tonight. I shall be crowned the ' Lord Of Misrule' with all the badges of office  ball, chain and sceptre. (plunger, ballcock and loo chain).

My Betsys will be waiting on me hand and foot but only until midnight so I won't be able to take too many liberties.    Shhh, Ive put the clocks back.

The wassail will be performed by the apple tree with hot winter pimms and apple juice with roasted  russets in the bowl, a new slant on an old drink.

Mountains of food will be consumed and Ive drank my two pints of water so sod the gout.

We shall be partying until the yule log goes out, sometime tomorrow.

Happy old new year everybody. WASSAIL

[supersprout]

lol @ all this mumming, brought a fit of googling on!
http://theunbrokencircle.co.uk/folklore_Mummers_play.htm
Thank you all! SSx

[Tulipa]

We have decided on a 12 night feast today.  We have loads of nibbles etc. all sorts of naughty food, so have decided to go for it and eat it all up tonight with plenty of mulled wine etc and make the end of the day of taking down the decorations a bit of fun rather than just putting christmas away and being sad.  Kids are planning games etc as a last celebration, should be fun... :)

Yours sounds better ACE, though I am not sure I would want a ball and chain hung round me... Have fun!

Will there be piccies....?

[greyhound]

we will be hunting the wren

Shouldn't that be on St Stephen's Day, or is that just in Ireland?

[Emagggie]

Ace, that sounds BRILLIANT. Too late to do anything here, but I'm putting it in the diary for next year. Any excuse for a bit of a do. ;D

[DolphinGarden]

Greyhound, yes indeed, hunting the wren is done on St.Stephen's Day. Mostly in the Cork area I believe. I've never done it myself, only heard about it or read about it on the telly or newspapers.

[Trixiebelle]

How on EARTH can anyone hunt a wren!!??!!! They're so little! You'd need 200 to make a pie and you'd never be able to shoot them!

My little lad Alfie was due on (Christian) Christmas Day. But he appeared on 'Old Christmas Day' instead (6th January) He was 4 yesterday! He knows what he's doing  ;)

[ACE]

Oh my head hurts. Great night though, very warm so we used the terrace outside. The mummers arrived about 8  with a barrel of beer and performed the play, followed by a display of playford country dancing.

Wassailed the apple tree with generous toasts of winter pimms

I then got the squeezebox out and a few more instuments turned up so we spent a large part of the evening singing and dancing.

The yule log kept going to the very end 4.30 this morning

Only one mishap, the chocolate fountain went into overdrive and splattered all over the pork pies, they still tasted alright though.

NO WRENS WERE HURT IN THE MAKING OF THIS PARTY

Can't say the same for the pheasants though.

[kitten]

 ;D The image of the choc fountain going into overdrive has made me laugh out loud, thanks for that! Glad you had fun, it sounds like a good party! x

[supersprout]

Thanks for the report ACE, just thinking of you with your choc-splattered porkies and having a good chuckle here ;D

[manicscousers]

I've just got this vision of you
sitting with your foot up('cos of the gout), under the tree,
 draped with your badges of office,
surrounded by chocolate coated pork pies and a glass of mulled wine in each hand
Close?  ;D ;D

[triffid]

chocolate coated pork pies  ;D ;D

One for the Recipes pages??