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All Together NOW!
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
FLASHBACK
KEN PYE’s latest two books have just been published – Beastly Merseyside about the roles played by animals in the history of our region; and Even More Merseyside Tales, a further collection of illustrated, amazing and unusual (but historically accurate) stories from across our local history. These are available in all good bookshops or from Ken directly – as are all of his books, DVDs, and audio CDs. Some tickets still remain for his Curious Christmas Stories and Traditions show at the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight, at 2.30pm on Sunday, December 4. Call the theatre on 0151 643 8757 to book your seats.
www.alltogethernow.org.uk
FESTIVE FACT FILE
PARTY TIME: A Roman family celebrating the winter festival of Saturnalia
Code that kept Catholics safe
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ROM 1558, English Catholics were prohibited by law from practising their faith for almost three centuries – until 1829, when an Act of Parliament granted the “emancipation of the Catholics”.
While some historians disagree, many scholars believe that The Twelve Days of Christmas was a way to help young Catholics remember the tenets of their faith, which they would study in secret. In other words, it is a code, which breaks like this:
n The partridge in the pear tree – the Son of God. n Two turtle doves – the Old and New Testament. n Three French hens – faith, hope, and charity. n Four calling birds – the four gospels. n Five golden rings – first five books of the Old Testament – chronicling Man’s fall from grace. n Six geese a-laying – six days of creation. n Seven swans a-swimming – seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the seven sacraments. n Eight maids a-milking – the eight beatitudes from the Sermon on The Mount. (Blessed are the meek etc). n Nine ladies dancing – nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. n Ten lords a-leaping – Ten Commandments n Eleven pipers piping – eleven faithful apostles. n Twelve drummers drumming – twelve points of doctrine in the apostles’ creed.
Old ways and Boxing Days
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OXING DAY was not actually the day when family members gave presents to each other at Christmas, as is often thought to be the case.
Its name may derive from the times when, on the day after Christmas, wealthy householders would give presents to their servants, tradesmen, and local poor people – usually money – disguised in a small gift box, because it was thought vulgar to give cash more obviously. The modern Christmas bonus may come from this. Another theory about Boxing Day is that it goes back to late Middle Ages when almsboxes were placed in churches in the weeks leading up to December 25, for the collection of donations – distributed to the CHARITY: Distributing Boxing Day gifts to the poor in Victorian England poor the day after Christmas. It can also be traced back to the Roman Saturnalia festival when money to pay for the celebration was collected central Austrian ski-region of N Pagan times snowmen in pottery boxes. Riesneralm, he stood at a were built around a Boxing Day is also height of 124ft 8in. village to ward off evil known as St Stephen’s But building a snowman – or spirits. Day. He was the first snow woman – is quite a skill: The first written reference Christian Martyr and was n Never use powdered snow – appears in a “Book of stoned to death by crowds it won’t ball and it won’t stick! Hours” – dating from 1330 – in Jerusalem for speaking n It can only be built with found in Holland. against the temple and the “packing snow” – snow that is law. The world’s largest close to melting. He is the patron saint of snowman was in the town of n The packing snow will also horses, which is why a lot Bethel, in the American State stick to itself easily, allowing of races, hunts, and other of Maine – but this was you to make three separate such horsey events take actually a Snow Woman! sections – lower body, upper place on December 26. Standing at a height of body and head. In fact, in Germany, 122ft 1in, she was built in n It’s best done by rolling horses were once ridden honour of Olympia Snowe, the along the ground until around churches on US senator for Maine. reaching the required size. St Stephen’s Day and, in However, in 2020, this record n The best time to build is parts of England, horses was broken by “Reisi”, which usually in the next warmest were bled to encourage roughly translates as “giant”. afternoon directly following a good health for the coming In the town of heavy snowfall. GIANT: Reisi in Austria Donnersbachwald, in the year.
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. . . and what about snow women?
www.discover-liverpool.com
Ken Pye – 0151 427 2717
