Chapter III

May-Day Festivities -- Formerly celebrated with more Gaiety than
any others -- Came down from Pagan Antiquity in all their Arcadian
Beauty -- It was the Festival of the Poets -- None now more
entirely obsolete -- Washington Irving’s Delight at seeing
Plough-bullocks and May-poles in the Neighbourhood of Newstead --
great Decline of these things during the last Thirty Years even
there -- a few May-poles still to be found in Nottinghamshire and
Derbyshire -- May-dances quite gone by -- May day celebrated with
enthusiasm by the Poets -- European Observance of May derived from
the Roman Festival of Flora -- Saxon Customs of this period of the
year -- Druid Customs -- Blowing of Horns at Oxford and other
places -- Custom mentioned by Erasmus, of placing a Deer’s Horns
on St. Paul’s Altar -- Custom of the Hindus -- Beltane in Ireland
and Scotland -- May-feast of Northumberland -- Fishing for the
Wedding-ring -- Roman Feast of Flora imitated in France and
England -- Various Additions here of Robin Hood, Maid Marian,
Friar Tuck, etc. -- Spenser and Herrick’s description of May-day
Festivities -- Henry VIII., Elizabeth, and James I.’s going
a-Maying -- Sheriffs and Aldermen of London going a-Maying --
Congratulated by Lydgate the Poet -- In 1644, all May-poles pulled
down -- In 1654 Maying again, in presence of the Lord Protector --
Great May-pole in the Strand raised again at the Restoration --
Aubrey’s Account of the May-booms in Holland -- Complaints of
Aubrey and Evelyn of Injury done to the Woods by Mayers -- May
Customs that yet remain 421

CHAPTER IV.

Easter Festivities -- May the Festival of the Young, Easter that
of the Church -- Celebration of Easter in Catholic Countries --
Royal Distribution of Alms on Maunday Thursday at Whitehall, still
kept up -- Easter at Moscow, Jerusalem, Rome, and other Places --
Eating Hot-cross buns, and going to Church the sole remaining
Ceremonies in England -- Easter Morning as described by Goethe --
Strange Plays acted in Churches by the Monks at Easter --
Churchwardens’ Accounts at Reading for such Expenses -- Paschal
Lights -- Lighting the Annual Fire at the Holy Sepulchre at
Jerusalem -- Easter Customs in various Countries -- Paschal Eggs
-- Peculiar Privileges attached to their Presentation in Russia --
Courts shut, and Business suspended formerly in London -- Still a
Time of great Recreation to Mechanics there -- Less observed in
Country Towns -- Pace-eggs still given in some Countries --
Heaving, or Lifting -- Ball Play 432

CHAPTER V.

Whitsuntide Festivities -- Sole Religious Festival that continues
a Popular one -- this partly owing to Friendly Societies -- Joyous
Aspect of this Village Fete -- Whitsuntide Village Processions as
seen by the Author in his Youth -- fine Subject for a Painter --
these Love-Feasts of the People very appropriate to this Period,
being that of the AGAPAI, or Love-Feasts of the early Christians
-- Objections to their being held at Public Houses -- this
remediable -- Whitsuntide as witnessed at Warsop in
Nottinghamshire -- Concluding Remarks 444

CHAPTER VI.

Christmas Festivities -- the Festival of the Fireside -- Its
Ancient Usages made familiar by our Popular Writers -- Burton’s
Account of Christmas Games -- Withers’ Poetical Description of
Christmas 200 years ago -- Scott’s View of them as seen in the
past -- Pageants at this Season in Catholic Countries, as at Rome,
Naples, and in Spain -- Interesting Domestic Custom in Germany --
Christmas as now passed by the Poor, and by the Middle and Higher
Classes -- the Waits -- Christmas Visiting and Country Games --
Christmas Carols, as sung about Manchester, collected by the late
Miss Jewsbury -- Christmas Customs still kept up -- George and the
Dragon -- Blessing Orchards, etc. -- Concluding Remarks on the
Present State of Popular Festivals 451

CHAPTER VII.

The Fairy Superstitions -- Fairies all vanished from the Country
-- gone in Chaucer’s Days -- Bishop Corbett’s Farewell to them --
Hogg their last Poet -- Fairies of Caldon-Low -- Made Immortal by
Milton and Shakspeare -- Belief of them yet lingering in Wales --
Robin Goodfellow and the Lubberfiend of Milton thrown out of
employ by the Thrashing Machine -- Fairie’s-Waterfall at
Aberpergum -- Morgan Lewis the Neath Guide’s Account of their
positive Departure 473

CHAPTER VIII.

The Village Inn -- the Old-fashioned Village Inn a very different
place to the New Beer-Shop -- its General Aspect -- its Old Tree
-- Remarkable Tree of this kind at the Golden Grove, near Chertsey
-- the Country Inn Kitchen -- Description of Landlords by which
such Inns are kept -- their Cleanness and Rural Plenty --
Patronized by all Classes, from the Squire downwards -- Humorous
Characters often found there -- Curious Scene once witnessed by
the Author at a Country Inn in Yorkshire -- The New Beer-Shops a
universal Nuisance 480