Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/329

 Catalogue of Bj-and Material.

297

6th DECEMBER— ST.

St. Nicholas of Myra, Bishop and Confessor, d. a.d fishermen, sailors, and children.

NICHOLAS'S DAY.

343. Patron of

ENGLAND.

I. Observances.

Boy Bishop officiates. (Middle Ages, abolished 1542). Examples at -

Schoolmasters " barred out " (till " orders " given for following year's holidays)

A school holiday - - - -

Privileged drinking by schoolboys,

1686

OBSERVED IN

Beverley, Bristol, (St. Nicholas's Church) Ex- eter, Hereford, Heton (nr. Newc.-on-Tyne), Ipswich, Norwich, St. Paul's, Salisbury, Wor- cester (St. Nicholas's Church).

Northumbd., Cumbd., Westmd., Cheshire

(Northwich,2 Stock- port), Derbyshire,- Yorksh.

Oxon. (Burford).

Somerset (Curry Yeo- vil).

II. Local Observances.

Gambling by Mayor and Aldermen

Election of Deputy-Mayor in

Church- Tower - - - -

Day observed up to date of Reform Act

Bristol.

Brightlingsea (St. Nicho- las's Church).

Brighton (St. Nicholas's Church).

'The custom of conveying presents to children secretly on St. Nicholas's Eve, " although unknown with us, is still retained in some parts of the Continent and in America, to the present day," says a correspondent of Gent. Mag. in 1827 (pt. i. p. 407). It is evidently only since then that it has become common in England to ascribe Christmas presents discovered on awaking to " Santa Glaus."

-A week before Christmas and Easter, Northwich. End November, Derby- shire.