December Calendar: Thames Valley

November

December

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3	St. Birinus' Day	.
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4	St. Barbara's Day	.
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5	St. Justinian's Day	.
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6	St. Nicholas' Day	Enthroning of Boy Bishop: various locations.
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DEC First Week Sun Rises 0744 Sets 1555 GMT

1st Sun: If it rains on the 1st Sunday before Mass then it will rain for a week.

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10	.	Boston Beast Mart: Boston, Lincolnshire.
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12	St. Finnian's Day	.
.	St. Lucy's Eve	(Viking Hallowe'en)
13	St. Lucy's Day	Candle Auction (every 3 yrs): Aldermaston, Berks.
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DEC Second Week Sun Rises 0753 Sets 1552 GMT

11: The 14 days of calm weather in the Meditteranean were said to start today so that the Halcyon or Hawk could build it's nest on the sea.
13: 1st Sun after 12: Broughton Tin Can Band: St. Andrew's Church, Broughton, Northamptonshire.

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16	Mince Pie season starts	.
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17	Sow Day	.
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.	St. Thomas' Eve	.
21	Winter Solstice	.
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DEC Third Week Sun Rises 0759 Sets 1551 GMT

17: Pigs (Sows & Boars) were slaughtered on this day in readiness for Christmas.
End of Michaelmas Term: Boar's Head Dinner: Queen's College, Oxford.
Sun nearest 21: William Underhill's Charity: Eldersfield, Herefordshire.
21: "Look at the weather cock at 12 o'clock on St. Thomas' Day and see which way the wind is for there it will stick for the next lunar quarter."

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.	.	Tom Bowcock's Eve: The Ship, Mousehole, Cornwall.
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.	Christmas Eve	Burning the Ashen Faggot: Dunster, Somerset.
25	Christmas Day.	.
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26	St. Stephen's Day. Boxing Day.	Mummers Plays
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.	.	Boar's Head Supper: St. John's College, Cambridge.
28	Holy Innocents' Day. Childermas	.
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29	Martyrdom St. Thomas a Becket.	.
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30	St. Egwin's Day	.
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.	New Year's Eve.	Tar Barrels Parade: Allendale, Northumberland.

DEC Last Week Sun Rises 0804 Sets 1554 GMT

24: Hoodening Plays: Kent. Sword Dancing: Yorkshire. Wassailing: Wakefield, Yorkshire. Tolling the Devil's Knell: Dewsbury, Yorkshire. Singing the Coventry Carol: Coventry. Festival of 9 Lessons and Carols: King's College, Cambridge. Hanging the Wheatsheath: Ackworth Moor Top, Yorkshire.

Easter in snow, Christmas in mud. Christmas in snow, Easter in mud.
Thunder during Christmas week indicates much snow during the winter.

26: Mummers Plays: Marshfield, Avon. Crookham Village, Hampshire. Headington, Oxfordshire. St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Andover, Hampshire & many others. Sword Dancing: Grenoside, Yorkshire. Handsworth, Yorkshire. Flamborough, Humberside.

Christmas time: Mummers: Overton, Hampshire. Calling the Waites: Pickering, Yorkshire. Wassailing: Little Wittenham, Berkshire. Poor Horse Plays: Richmond, Yorkshire.

31: Wassailing: Gloucestershire.

Mistletoe: Mislin Bush, Kiss and Go. The Roman author Pliny (regarding the Druids) states:
"The mistletoe, however, is but rarely found upon the oak; and when found, is gathered with rites replete with religious awe. This is done more particularly on the fifth day of the moon, the day which is the beginning of their months and years ...."
This suggests that on the fifth day of the expected lunar month they looked at the mistletoe to see if the berries were ripe and, if so, it was gathered and the new year started. Presumably, if there were no berries, they had to wait until the fifth day of the following month to start the new year. The white berries of the mistletoe look like little full moons so it was probably thought to be linked in some way with the moon.