How we went a-wassailing to bring in new year cheer (From Craven Herald)

How we went a-wassailing to bring in new year cheer

8:50am Saturday 31st December 2011 in Craven History

A history of Skipton, published more than 130 years ago, shows that New Year was once as popular as Christmas and reveals the death of festive traditions has been happening for some time. Adrian Braddy delved further to find out how Yuletide has changed in Craven since Victorian times.

The significance of New Year as a festival has diminished in modern times, with many of the old traditions and celebrations disappearing, but once upon a time it was celebrated as much as Christmas.

Thanks to the enduring popularity of Dickens, many believe the Victorian era was when Yuletide festivities were at their peak, yet even 120 years ago the “time-honoured practices” of the festive period were said to be “dying out” in Craven.

According to W Harbutt Dawson’s oft-referenced History of Skipton, published in 1882, “Christmas and New Year’s Day are days above all others devoted to festivity”.

In the 21st century few carols are sung after Boxing Day, but that was not the case in Dawson’s time, when Christmas Day heralded the beginning of a week of celebration.

The historian wrote: “The custom of carol singing on New Year’s Eve and the evenings intervening between it and Christmas Day still continues amongst children.

“The ‘mummers’ also perpetuate an old observance on New Year’s Eve.”

Theatre groups such as Penny Plain, based in Grassington, keep the tradition of the mummers play alive to this day, however, it is something of a dying art in the UK as a whole.

One tradition many people still keep is that of “Bringing-in the New Year”, described by Dawson as “a custom of importance”.

“The first visitor must by no means be a woman or a person with red hair,” he explained. “A household so visited will, it is thought, be sure to meet with ill-luck during the coming year. On the contrary, it is considered a very fortunate sign if the first visitor be a person with black hair.

“The custom of ‘bringing-in’ the New Year is performed immediately upon the turn of twelve o’clock midnight. The one upon whom rests the duty must not go empty-handed, but should bear two articles – one in either hand. Generally a piece of coal and a piece of loaf or holly are carried.” These rituals were taken very seriously, as Dawson related: “Not far from Skipton a family some fifty years ago removed at once from their house because the first person who entered it on New Year’s Day was a red-haired maiden.”

Dawson, who referred to the holiday period as “Christmas Tide”, stated: “Gradually but very surely the ancient customs incidental to this season are dying out.

“The time-honoured practice of carol-singing still holds place, but it has lost much of its pristine fame. Old inhabitants of Skipton will call to mind how in long past years youthful singers bore about with them from door to door images of the Holy Infant, along with branches of holly. These are now disused.

“Some of the carols sung at this time are of very old date. The following may frequently be heard:

Here we come a-wassailing

Among the leaves so green;

Here we come a-wandering

So fair to be seen.

Chorus: Unto you, young wassailers,

Joy unto you!

May God bless you and send you

A happy new year!

We are not daily beggars,

That beg from door to door,

But we are neighbours’ children.

Whom you have seen before. – Chorus,

Call up the butler of this house;

Put on his golden ring;

Let him bring us a glass of beer,

And the better we shall sing. – Chorus.

We have got a little purse.

Made of stretching skin,

We want a little of your money

To line it well within. – Chorus.

Bring us out a table,

And spread it with a cloth.

Bring us out a mouldy cheese.

And some good Christmas loaf! – Chorus.

God bless the master of this house,

God bless the mistress too;

And all the little children

That round the table go! – Chorus.

Good master and mistress,

While you’re sitting by your fire,

Pray think of us poor children,

Who are wandering in the mire," – Chorus.

A well-known quatrain is:

I wish you a merry Christmas,

And a happy New Year –

A pocketful of money.

And a barrelful of beer.

Dawson briefly mentions other Christmas Tide traditions from Craven, including the Christmas Waits, who once entertained the people of Skipton at this time of year. He wrote: “The ‘Waits’ appear to have ceased their nightly wanderings in Skipton, but a few years ago their good wishes might frequently be heard at Christmas-time, accompanied by the music of harp or violin.”

From medieval times, every major town or city had its own band of waits or waites. Their duties varied, but included waking townsfolk on winter mornings by playing music under their windows and leading the Mayor’s procession on civic occasions. Their instruments also differed, though they were usually loud.

The waits were paid a salary and often received chains of office bearing the town’s arms. However, after the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, the bands were scrapped, though their name lingered on as Christmas Waits, who could be any group of singers or musicians who formed a band in order to sing and play carols for money over the Christmas period. These are the waits referred to by Dawson.

In modern times, many people still enjoy a Yule-log, though it is generally of the chocolate variety and purchased from the supermarket. In Dawson’s time, they were somewhat less edible.

“Yule-logs are still to be found ablaze in many hearths upon Christmas Eve,” he wrote. “But we have not now the superstition which bade a good housewife save apiece of the old log wherewith to kindle the new, and to allow no fire to go out of the house between old and new Christmas-day.”

Many centuries-old Christmas and New Year traditions have died out, but many live on today, and indeed in recent years, a number have been revived. However, given the predominant Christmas pastime of the 21st century, it is interesting to note Dawson made no reference to buying gifts.