I did a lot of reading about old Appalachian holiday traditions this year, and I learned that it used to be very common for the old timers to keep “Old Christmas.” It’s known by a lot of names, including Green Christmas and Little Christmas.
As we’ve discussed many times, the differences in liturgical calendars scootched the date of Christmas around quite a bit. Churches in the eastern Roman empire celebrated it on January 6th (which happens to be the Feast of the Epiphany) as early as the fourth century, while everyone else was partying down on December 25th.
So, how did this make its way to Appalachia? Via Irish Christians who came to the new world with all of their old traditions. (Interestingly, some Anabaptists celebrate Christmas on January 6th, as well. It’s also recognized in some Ozark communities.)
We’re not sure exactly when the celebration took root, but we have records of old folk songs and carols that detail January 6th as Christmas. One is the wonderfully unhinged “The Cherry-Tree Carol,” an English folk song that was changed slightly in or around Appalachia. According to folk singer Jean Ritchie, it was altered so that when Joseph asks the unborn baby when his birthday would be, Jesus responds:
On the sixth day of January
My birthday shall be,
When the stars and the elements
Doth tremble with glee.
In Appalachia, Christmas was generally stretched to 3 or 4 days. Most attended church on January 6th but spent the few days prior visiting friends and family. One funny local quirk? People would greet each other with a cheerful call of, “Christmas present!”
In Ireland, Little Christmas is often called Women’s Christmas. For the day, men would traditionally take on the household chores and serve a feast featuring goose. Today, women often head to bars and restaurants to celebrate, especially in Cork and Kerry.
Epiphany comes with its own celebrations for many. One tradition, known as chalking, originated in medieval Europe. Folks would write patterns on their doors or lintels with chalk, generally blessings, Christian symbols and Biblical references. Le gâteau des Rois is consumed in many countries around Epiphany, though here in the United States, it’s much more closely with Mardi Gras. In the Eastern Orthodoxy, polar bear plunges are an Epiphany tradition.
What about Twelfth Night, the conclusion of Christmastide and the day when you’re traditionally set to receive the indentured servitude of twelve drummers from your true love? The date of this one is another headache. Some traditions begin counting the first day of Christmas as December 25th while others start the day after. Since it’s a night celebration, the whole thing is even more confusing; some churches only count full days, whereas some start counting from sundown. It’s a lot of mess. For many, Twelfth Night is meant to celebrate Christmas… but it’s also traditional to take down Christmas decorations. So a lot of folks split the difference, partying on the night of the 5th then cleaning it all up on the 6th. (Other traditions hold that you take them decorations down at Candlemas, which is the end of Epiphanytide and also Groundhog Day. Whew.)