Origins of Christmas Customs

 

Steve Brooks and the Lobster Trap Tree built by members of the community. It contains 152 new lobster traps as well as lights and buoys. It honors lobstermen, Rockland's heritage and its place as lobster capital of the world. Brooks Trap in Thomaston, Maine provided the traps. The Traps are raffled after New Year. 100 traps-$50/ticket-300 tickets. ©Photo by Sam Murfitt

* Handed down from Druids, burning Yule Log as a good luck charm was part of the ancient 12-day Christmas celebration.

* In medieval times, ‘Hot cockles’ was a popular Christmas game until Victorian era. In this game, other players give a blow to the blindfolded player, who had to guess the name of the person who gave the blow.

* In the Middle Ages, Boar’s head used to be a traditional Christmas dish. This custom started when a bear attacked a university student and he saved himself by ramming a book of Aristotle’s writings down its throat. The bear choked to death and then he cut off its head and brought it back to his college.

* Some people connect modern traditions related to Father Christmas to ancient Celtic or pagan religion. Santa’ elves are considered to be the modernization of the Nature folk while reindeers are believed to represent the Horned God, which was one of the Pagan deities. ramming a book of Aristotle’s writings down its throat. The bear choked to death and then he cut off its head and brought it back to his college.

* Originated from a Celtic legend about the harvest god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the Earth, Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor, which is now replaced by modern Christmas puddings.

CONTENTS

Cod Returns?

Winter Fishing

Editorial

Norwegian Salmon
Farm Consolidation Continues

Fish Farmers Under Fire as Argyll Deal Hits the Rocks

Now is Not the Time to Sell-Out Our Fishermen

Fish Oil Supplements Lower Breast Cancer Risk 32 Percent

Senator Snow Invokes Subcommittee Authority to Demand Answers in Enforcement Case

Shrimp 2010-11

Diadromous Species Restoration Research Network Update

ICCAT Meeting Off to Familiar Bad Start

ICCAT Opens in Paris, Battle Lines Drawn

Origins of Christmas Customs

Maine Brew Pubs

Blind Lemon Rhythm Review

Fishermen on Fishing

The Pajaro Jai, Heart Over Matter

Feds Host Second Maine Ocean Energy Interagency Task Force Meeting

Yesterday

Letters to the Editor

Back Then

Bremen’s Hog Island Changing Hands

Tolley Runs Marathon to Raise Awareness of Fishing Issues

December Meetings

Classified Advertisements

Burnin’ Wood

Offshore Wind Conference Slated for December 14

Capt. Mark East’s Advice Column

Crew of Western Sea