Page:Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern.djvu/95

 times the revels were frequently extended to a later day. In Herrick’s time the 7th of January, St. Distaff’s-day, as he calls it, was considered the last day, it being thought judicious probably to allow a kind of idle day to intervene between the sports of Twelfth-day and the full return of labour, for he says,

All semblance of Christmas, however, was not finally discarded until the 2nd of February, Candlemas-day, or the Purification of the Virgin; and at present the evergreens in churches are frequently kept up until Lent. According to Herrick, the evergreens should be taken down in houses on Candlemas-day—

It was also the custom to burn the Christmas log for this day, taking care to preserve a fragment to kindle the log of the following Christmas.

Kindle the Christmas brand, and then Till sunne—set let it burne; Which queucht, then lay it up agen)   Till Christmas next returne.