CHRISTMAS JOTTINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1915, Page 9 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS JOTTINGS.

Christmas Day among Armenians i: celebrated on January 18.

Mince pie was originally known as "shred" pie, and was a savory rather than a sweet.

Christmas carols are much older than Christmas cards. They date, indeed, from the introduction of Christianity. Several very old ones are preserved in the Manuscript Department of the British Museum, the first printed collection being issued in 1521. 1

The first pantomime introduced to the English stage was "Tavern Bilkers," and was by John Weaver. This was in the year 1702, and it was produced at Drury Lane. The great originator of pantomime in England was, however, John Rich, who devised this form of entertainment as we know it in 1717.

Thousands of people in London earn their living by designing, painting and writing poetry for Christmas cards. A good design fetches three guineas, amj some popular poets are paid from one to five guineas for Christmas card poems. Tennyson was once offered £IOOO for twelve verses of, eight lines each, to accompany designs by celebrated artists.

Probably the biggest Christina* pie on record was that made for Sir Henrv Grey in 1770. It contained two bushels of flour, 201b of butter, four geese, two turkeys, two rabbits, four wild ducks, two woodcocks, six snipes, four partridges, two neats' tongues, two curlews, seven blackbirds and six pigeons. It was 9ft in eii'ciiinfei'evo and weighed l'2st, and was fitted with a case and four small wheels to facilitate moving to every guest that wished to partake of a portion.

The first Christmas card was issued in 1818' by a publisher named Crandall, who is said to have been indebted for the idea to Sir Henry Cole. The card was lithographed by Jobbms, of Warwick Court, and colored by hand. About 1000 were sold. Fishermen in various localities in Britain imagine that the luck of the coming year depends on certain observances during Christmas week. At Hastings, on New Year's Day, the fisherboys parade the Old Town in a band from the East Parade as far as Pelhani Prade, singing: Bundle 'em in, bundle 'em' out, New Year's in, Old Year's out. Oranges, nuts and coppers —the latter too hot for even the greediest to hold—are thrown from the windows.