Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/608

 502 NOTES AND QUERIES, no* s. iv. DEC. 23. ins. shop was opened ; the eve was kept in merry makings; and on the day the usual Prayer Book service was held in many churches, in some (e.y. on Garlick Hill) with full cere monial, and there were no disturbances. The Cavaliers arranged for a big horse-race on Banstead Downs on the 29th ; see particulars at length in ' Clarke Papers,' iii. 130. In 1676 two persons in the parish of St Nicholas, Durham, opened their shops on Christmas Day, and were therefore broughl before the Archdeacon's Court (Granville's 'Diary,' ii. 237). During the "12 dales of Christmas" Dean Granville allowed his servants to situp later than 11 P.M., provided they did not " make it a pretence to lye a bed next morning;' (ibid., 155). On Christmas Day, 1714, some boys, sons of Dissenters, got up a mock procession at Croydon, dressed themselves in merry-andrew fashion, with fringes of divers colours tied about them, one riding upon an ass, and so they abused folks going to church at 10 A.M. ; see ' Full Answer to Mr. Pillonniere's Reply to Dr. Snape, in a Letter to the Bishop of Bangor,'by H. Mills, A.M, 1718, ii. 51. W. C. B. THE CHRISTMAS BUSH. THERE were no Christinas trees sixty years ago, at least not in country places; but there was the " bush," which hung from the main beam of every house-place in the villages and most houses in towns, the poor people in particular being careful to hang the bush ready for Christmas Eve, seldom before, though portions of days for a whole week pre- vious were occupied in making up the bush, which was called " the Christmas bush " or "kissing bush," both terms often used in one sentence. A modern Christmas tree is perhaps more " good for sore eyes to look upon" than the older Christmas bush, but the latter was " the better to like," using an old phrase. The old " kissing bush " to a great extent resembled a Christinas tree inverted, especially when it was of large size, and made in the most elaborate fashion. The size of the Christmas bush depended in great measure on the distance of the house- place beam from the floor, for it had to be sufficiently high to allow couples to kiss under the bunch of mistletoe which always hung from the middle of the bush. There was a third name for it, " the kissing bunch," and all the names were in regular use at Christmas time, at any rate in Derbyshire. The Christmas bush was the centre of the Christmas - week life, for it was rarely that for less than a week parties of lads, lasses, and their friends, with children of all sorts and ages, failed to gather each night for fun and frolic, and all this time th» kissing bush was the centre of attraction, under which all the kissing forfeits were redeemed. The Christmas bush was a marvellous pro- duction. The foundation generally was a. couple of hoops, one inserted within the other; or a young fir of considerable size had a portion of its heart cut out, leaving a space in which hoops could be inserted, thfr outer branches of the bush hanging down— the reverse of the Christmas tree. In any case the decoration of the hoops was much the- same, depending entirely upon the resource of the children of the family. The bars of the hoops were bound round with box, ivy and yew sprigs, and bits of holly loaded with berries were inserted here and there. The other things used in setting off the busb were bits of coloured paper, with narrow- ribbons tied in bows, those of the brightest colours being used. Rosy-cheeked apples, with oranges, were worked into the general design, and here and there were hung various kinds of little gilt and coloured animals and birds—pigs, rabbits, cats, robins, fowls, and ducks. The glass toys, so much used now, were then quite unknown, though coloured bits of glass were used when such could be got. Both outside and inside the bush places for candles were made, and these were lighted on Christmas Eve, if not after- wards. One feature in the making of the biggest and best Christmas bush was a representation in some way of the Nativity. This was placed just within the bush, and where the lower portion of the hoops crossed. The Child Jesus was shown in cradle, and angels hung wanting in detail, though kine sometimes were shown looking on. These details were always home-made, for nothing of the kind could then be bought, so that there was ample scope for nimble fingers to use a pair of scissors, for all the items were cut from mper. The Christmas Eve parties were full of fun and frolic, following on a good supper of Jhristmas cheer notable for variety and abundance. And the foundation of this cheer was mainly the Christmas pig, killed a week or so before, and its parts worked up into ries, pork and mince, and even chitterlings were set upon the table, for with many tma was a dish only to be had at the pig-killing ime, which was at Christmas. For drinks here were home-made wines—the elder for
 * ust above : but as a rule this part wag