Re: Happy Boxing Day! (off topic again)

[Guest guest]

One tidbit I forgot- rememebr that England is only one country in the

UK, so things differ in the various countries.

You know the carol " Good King Wenceslas " ?

Well, the feast of is 26 December, boxing day, and that is what

it is called in Ireland.

" Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of ,

When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.

Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,

When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel. "

Music and lyrics for Good King Wenceslas

<http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/o/goodking.htm>

Other things about boxing day in England:

it is traditional for families to get together, eat, play games, have

fun. For that reason it is also the traditional day to go fox hunting,

which although banned, still occurs because people who fox hunt are rich

usually and believe themselves to be above the law (my opinion), it's a

day to shop in the post-Christmas sales if you enjoy waiting in queue

all day (we do love queues, us Brits), and its the day when

traditionally boys (In Ireland, England, and I believe Isle of Man)

would hunt wrens.

The " WRen Boys " would go around with the wren to collect money, singing:

" /The wren, the wren, the king of all birds On St 's Day was

caught in the furze,

We hunted him far and hunted him near And found him under the bushes here.

Huzzah, my boys, huzzah! Huzzah, my boys, huzzah!

Knock at the door and ring at the bell, And give us some coppers for

singing so well./ "

The collected money would go towards the 5 January community

festivities. That's 12th night!

Will write individual emails about 12th night if anyone is interested

and if the moddies let me live after two long off topic posts...

Bethann