THE CHRISTMAS THREAD

The lost traditions of Christmas: ghost stories, roast beef and harlotry




If 2017 has taught us anything, it is that nothing is sacrosanct – and that includes Christmas, a season imbued with tradition and cultural heritage. Until the 1840s, Christmas used to be about much more than December 25, involving weeks of festivities, such as the Feast of Fools, Christmas Eve ghost stories, and infamous Twelfth night parties. Alcohol flowed, food abounded and children were nowhere to be seen. But while Christmas has mostly stayed the same, there are a few quirks and traditions that have slipped through the cracks that rarely make an appearance during the modern day festive season.
 
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I have a story that cannot be found on youtube in the OTR fashion. It's called Told after supper by Jerome K Jerome. quite boring as an audiobook but as a radio drama it is good.
 
Benway said:
Thanks; great stuff there.

"Yay! I got the rag for the slut!"
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what does that mean where you are from? Here it is a very bad insult and I don't believe you would do that.
 
Armand said:
what does that mean where you are from? Here it is a very bad insult and I don't believe you would do that.
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It is here too in Britain! It's in reference to the article and one of the old traditions in which a "rag for the slut" was hidden in a cake. I was expressing amazement that this was actually a thing that happened! It should be taken as:
I 'm amazed by some of the traditions in the article. I can imagine somebody yelling out "Yay! I found the rag for the slut!"
 
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Armand said:
what does that mean where you are from? Here it is a very bad insult and I don't believe you would do that.
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Armand, if you read the article, it's straight from there!

There was always something hidden inside the Twelfth cake, as with the coin in today's Christmas puddings. In the Medieval era it there would have a dried bean and dried pea hidden in the dough, and those who discovered them were crowned "bean king and pea queen". In the 17th Century, the things to find included "forked sticks for the coal and a rag for the slut" according to Dr Gray.
 
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Debi said:
Armand, if you read the article, it's straight from there!

There was always something hidden inside the Twelfth cake, as with the coin in today's Christmas puddings. In the Medieval era it there would have a dried bean and dried pea hidden in the dough, and those who discovered them were crowned "bean king and pea queen". In the 17th Century, the things to find included "forked sticks for the coal and a rag for the slut" according to Dr Gray.
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Lol
 
sorry I was just browsing through
 
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