Re: Country Related: Christmas

At 10:03 am -0500 22/12/98, John Cowan wrote:
>Raimundus A. Brown scripsit:
......
>> [...] and those people who still have large open hearths will burn a 'Yule
>> log' on the 25th - it's never called a *Christmas log.
>
>As one of those Yule log burners, I must put in my views.  In my family,
>the term "Yule" and the Yule log (which, BTW, is lit with a chip from
>last year's Yule log carefully preserved, symbolizing the continuity
>of the years) is firmly associated, not with Christmas Day nor with
>Midwinter, but with New Year's Eve.
I'd guess that Yule was origionally a mid-winter festival around the
solstice time beaking up the long northern winter and looking forward to
the sun's return in Spring.  I imagine that its transference to Christmas
or New Year was later.

I can well imagine that in some areas Yule was celebrated at the turning of
the year and the Yule log is burnt on New Year's Eve (Nos Calan in Welsh -
the night of the Calends [of Jan.]).  But here in south east England Yule
is 25th Dec.

......
>On a related note, when did the British punt their traditional
>merry Christmas (still preserved over here) in favor of a happy one?
News to me - my Christmas is still merry and my New Year happy :)

Indeed, I was so alarmed by John's news that I took a look at all our
Christmas Cards - 100% MERRY!!! Not a happy Christmas among them ;)  Seems
neither the card makers nor our many friends, acquaintances, neighbors etc
are aware of this either  ;)

>This is now a marked difference between the dialects.
Which dialects?

>Again,
>a carol preserves the old form:
>
>        Good tidings we bring/To you and your kin
>        We wish you a merry Christmas/And a happy New Year.
Indeed it does - and so do I, Brit tho I be.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR
NADOLIG LLAWEN & BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA

Ray.