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CHAPTER XVI

Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan · Clement A. Miles — chapter 13 of 47 · ~349 words · public domain

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EPIPHANY TO CANDLEMAS 335

The Twelfth Cake and the "King of the Bean"--French Twelfth Night Customs--St. Basil's Cake in Macedonia--Epiphany and the Expulsion of Evils--The Befana in Italy--The Magi as Present-bringers--Greek Epiphany Customs--Wassailing Fruit-trees--Herefordshire and Irish Twelfth Night Practices--The "Haxey Hood" and Christmas Football--St. Knut's Day in Sweden--Rock Day--Plough Monday--Candlemas, its Ecclesiastical and Folk Ceremonies--Farewells to Christmas.

CONCLUSION 357

NOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 361

INDEX 389

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ILLUSTRATIONS

THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI (DETAIL) Frontispiece Gentile da Fabriano. (Florence: Accademia)

MADONNA AND CHILD 13 Albert Duerer

MADONNA ENTHRONED WITH SAINTS AND ANGELS 31 Pesellino. (Empoli Gallery)

JACOPONE IN ECSTASY BEFORE THE VIRGIN 40 From "Laude di Frate Jacopone da Todi" (Florence, 1490)

THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS 55 By Fouquet. (Musee Conde, Chantilly)

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT: THE REST BY THE WAY 70 Master of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. (Also attributed to Joachim Patinir.) (Vienna: Imperial Gallery)

SINGING "VOM HIMMEL HOCH" FROM A CHURCH TOWER AT CHRISTMAS 71 By Ludwig Richter

THE NATIVITY 89 From Add. MS. 32454 in the British Museum. (French, 15th Century)

A NEAPOLITAN PRESEPIO 108

CALABRIAN SHEPHERDS PLAYING IN ROME AT CHRISTMAS 112 After an Etching by D. Allan. From Hone's "Every-day Book" (London, 1826)

ST. FRANCIS INSTITUTES THE PRESEPIO AT GRECCIO 114 By Giotto. (Upper Church of St. Francis, Assisi)

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THE BAMBINO OF ARA COELI 115

THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS 121 From Broadside No. 305 in the Collection of the Society of Antiquaries at Burlington House

THE SHEPHERDS OF BETHLEHEM 140 From "Le grant Kalendrier & compost des Bergiers" (N. le Rouge, Troyes, 1529)

THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI 154 Masaccio. (Berlin: Kaiser Friedrich Museum)

NEW YEAR MUMMERS IN MANCHURIA 161 An Asiatic example of animal masks

CHRISTMAS EVE IN DEVONSHIRE--THE MUMMERS COMING IN 229

THE GERMAN CHRISTMAS-TREE IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 263 From an engraving by Joseph Kellner

CHRISTMAS MORNING IN LOWER AUSTRIA 281 By Ferdinand Waldmueller (b. 1793)

YORKSHIRE SWORD-ACTORS: ST. GEORGE IN COMBAT WITH ST. PETER 297 From an article by Mr. T. M. Fallow in The Antiquary, May, 1895

THE EPIPHANY IN FLORENCE 337

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