Did some reading today in Nigel Slater's book, The Christmas Chronicles. He writes, "Those sad souls who fail to appreciate the cold months might feel better when they remember that the winter solstice was once the time of much making merry. The festivities lasted from harvest until Candlemas. Drunkenness, debauchery and feasting were the rules of the day. A far better idea than sitting around moaning about the cold and rain." (p.433)
There's no debauchery going on around here and certainly no drinking due to our dry January. However, according to Slater, today, the 17th, was Old Twelfth Night.
According to Wikipedia, "In some places, particularly southwest England, Old Twelfth Night is still celebrated on 17 January. This continues the custom of the Apple Wassail on the date that corresponded with 6 January on the Julian calendar at the time of the change in calendars enacted by the Calendar Act of 1750."
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