Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/331

 Catalogue of Brand Material. 299

DECEMBER 21ST— ST. THOMAS, APOSTLE.

I. Names. observed in

Mumping Day - - - - Herts., Lines., Norfolk.

Doleing Day - -. _ Kent, Staffs. (?), Sussex.

Gooding Day - - - - Sussex, N.W. Wilts.

Clog-fair Day - - -. Salop (Clun).

II. Natural Phenomena.

The shortest day in the year.

" St. Thomas grey, St. Thomas grey. The longest night and the shortest day " South Staffs. Marriage on, involves early widow- hood - - - - North Yorksh. Rules prevailing wind, 3 months - Worcestersh. Ghosts appear - -. . Co. Durham. Divinations on Eve will be suc- cessful

Sprig of evergreen under pil- low, dream of husband - Staffs. White onion, bought entering shop by one door and leaving by another, ditto - London. Red onion stuck with nine

pins, ditto - - - Derbyshire.

Invocation used without

onion, etc. - - - Suffolk.

Lucky day for brewing, baking,

killing pigs - - -. North Country.

Lucky day for sowing broad beans Kent (Hawkhurst). Lucky day for setting shalots - Surrey (Camberley).

III. Observances.

(a) Begging Customs.

The outstanding feature of St. Thomas's Day is the licensed begging for Christmas gifts by respectable cottagers who would not beg at any other time.^ It is known as : " Corning " or " cuming " - Cheshire, Warwickshire. " Courantin " - -. Salop (Clee Hills). " Goodening " - - - Hertfordshire (Braugh- ing). Kent (Newington-by- Sittingboume) Sussex. ^ Cf. Christmas Eve.