This is an accepted version of this page
166-518: Hoodening ( / ʊ d . ɛ n ɪ ŋ / ), also spelled hodening and oodening , is a folk custom found in Kent , a county in South East England . The tradition entails the use of a wooden hobby horse known as a hooden horse that is mounted on a pole and carried by a person hidden under a sackcloth . Originally, the tradition was restricted to the area of East Kent , although in
332-423: A "Daisy" rather than a "Mollie", but that this had been discontinued. Skardon had given up the tradition many years previously, and the hooden horse itself had come into the possession of Elbridge Bowles of Great Mongeham , who continued to lead a hoodening troupe after Christmas each year, visiting Deal as well as the neighbouring villages of Finglesham , Ripple , Tilmanstone , Eastry , and Betteshanger . Maylam
498-415: A "rational theory of tradition" applied to science which was fundamentally sociological. For Popper, each scientist who embarks on a certain research trend inherits the tradition of the scientists before them as he or she inherits their studies and any conclusions that superseded it. Unlike myth , which is a means of explaining the natural world through means other than logical criticism, scientific tradition
664-655: A 'continental' tradition, dominant in German and Romance speaking Europe. Increasingly central to continental philosophy is the project of deconstructing what its proponents, following Martin Heidegger , call 'the tradition', which began with Plato and Aristotle . In contrast, some continental philosophers - most notably, Hans-Georg Gadamer - have attempted to rehabilitate the tradition of Aristotelianism . This move has been replicated within analytic philosophy by Alasdair MacIntyre . However, MacIntyre has himself deconstructed
830-746: A Christmas custom in the United Kingdom. It is broadcast outside the UK via the BBC World Service , and is also bought by broadcasters around the world. In the Byzantine Rite , Christmas Eve is referred to as Paramony ("preparation"). It is the concluding day of the Nativity Fast and is observed as a day of strict fasting by those devout Byzantine Christians who are physically capable of doing so. In some traditions, nothing
996-591: A broom; when the company knocked on people's doors, it was the old woman's job to sweep the inhabitants feet away with her broom and to chase any girls until being paid off with money or refreshments. He was of the opinion that the custom had been restricted to the Isle of Thanet, noting that locals informed him that it had been carried out in Ramsgate, St. Lawrence, Minster, St. Nicholas, Acol , Monkton , and Birchington . Contradicting this were several letters published in
1162-489: A carp (baked or fried) and a potato salad. In French-speaking places, Réveillon is a long dinner eaten on Christmas Eve. In Guam and the Northern Marianas , dishes include shrimp kelaguen ; coconut crab; and kadon octopus (octopus stewed in sweet peppers and coconut milk ). Beef is a rarity, but a popular dish is tinaktak , ground beef in coconut milk. While other Christian families throughout
1328-512: A chiefdom might be recognized by a colonial power as traditional in order to favour their own candidates for the job. Often these inventions were based in some form of tradition, but were exaggerated, distorted, or biased toward a particular interpretation. Invented traditions are central components of modern national cultures, providing a commonality of experience and promoting the unified national identity espoused by nationalism . Common examples include public holidays (particularly those unique to
1494-533: A child being taken out on Christmas Eve to the High Street in Deal where the shops would be open very late, and it was the only time Deal children were allowed out in the evening, parents were very strict. As we would be looking at the lighted shops, and listening to the people selling their wares, a horrible growl, and a long horse's face would appear, resting on our shoulder and when one looked round, there would be
1660-399: A concept variously defined in different disciplines should not be confused with various traditions (perspectives, approaches) in those disciplines. Tradition is one of the key concepts in anthropology; it can be said that anthropology is the study of "tradition in traditional societies". There is however no "theory of tradition", as for most anthropologists the need to discuss what tradition
1826-595: A drink made from reconstituted dried fruits. Other typical dishes are borscht , varenyky , and dishes made of fish , phaseolus and cabbage . The twelve dishes symbolize the Twelve Apostles . Just as in Poland, it is obligatory to try a portion of all of the dishes. The table is spread with a white cloth symbolic of the swaddling clothes the Child Jesus was wrapped in, and a large white candle stands in
SECTION 10
#17327809423581992-446: A festive dinner is traditionally served for the family and close friends in attendance, when the first star (usually Sirius ) appears in the sky. Lithuanian Christmas Eve blends pagan and Christian traditions, as initially it was a celebration of the winter solstice. Traditionally, Lithuanians believed that animals could talk on that night, and it was possible to predict the future with charms and various games. Kūčios ("Holy Meal")
2158-447: A group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore , common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like lawyers' wigs or military officers' spurs ), but the idea has also been applied to social norms and behaviors such as greetings, etc. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years—
2324-450: A group) has been observed. Such behavioral traditions may have evolutionary significance, allowing adaptation at a faster rate than genetic change. In the field of musicology and ethnomusicology tradition refers to the belief systems, repertoire, techniques, style and culture that is passed down through subsequent generations. Tradition in music suggests a historical context with which one can perceive distinguishable patterns. Along with
2490-457: A group, that depends in part on socially aided learning for its generation in new practitioners", and has been called a precursor to "culture" in the anthropological sense. Behavioral traditions have been observed in groups of fish, birds, and mammals. Groups of orangutans and chimpanzees, in particular, may display large numbers of behavioral traditions, and in chimpanzees, transfer of traditional behavior from one group to another (not just within
2656-468: A holiday, which had stopped happening for several decades. In the Czech Republic, fasting on the day of Christmas Eve (or only eating meatless food) is a medieval tradition. The belief is that if one lasted until Christmas dinner, they would see a golden pig, which is a symbol of luck. A typical Christmas breakfast is a sweet braided bread vánočka . Christmas Eve dinner traditionally consists of
2822-611: A hooden horse being located at Balgowan School in the West Kentish town of Beckenham during the 1930s. At the 1945 celebration marking British victory in the Second World War, a horse was brought out in Acol; this instance has been described as "a kind of missing link between tradition and revival" because the horse had been used as part of the historical hoodening tradition up until the mid-1920s. Barnett Field (1912–2000)
2988-721: A hooden horse for the group to use, based in large part on the Deal horse photographed for Maylam's book, and unveiled it at the Folkestone celebrations for the coronation of Elizabeth II in June 1953. After this, it came to be used by both the East Kent Morris Men and the Folkestone District National Dance Group's Handbell Ringers, who took it with them for performances in various parts of continental Europe, including Austria,
3154-651: A horse, incorporating it into a play specially written for the purpose by Doel and Nick Miller. An annual conference of hoodeners was also established; initially meeting at the Marsh Gate Inn near Herne Bay, it subsequently moved to Simple Simon's in Canterbury. A member of the St. Nicholas-at-Wade hoodeners, Ben Jones, established a website devoted to the tradition. At the prompting of local residents, in December 2014
3320-460: A long row of teeth snapping at us with its wooden jaws. It was frightening for a child. Usually, there would be a man leading the horse, with a rope, and another covered over with sacks or blankets as the horse." — Naomi Wiffen of Edenbridge , interviewed in the early 1980s. Surviving sources testify to the fact that while there was some variation in the hoodening tradition as it was practised by various people in different parts of East Kent, it
3486-617: A new Hungry Horse location on the corner of Haine Road and Nash Road in Broadstairs was named the Hooden Horse after the folk custom. Commenting on the Kentish revival of hoodening, Hutton suggested that its success was due largely to the desire of many Kentish folk to culturally distinguish themselves from neighbouring London. Tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors ( folk custom ) passed down within
SECTION 20
#17327809423583652-595: A number of international agreements and national laws. In addition to the fundamental protection of cultural property, there is also cooperation between the United Nations , UNESCO and Blue Shield International in the protection or recording of traditions and customs. The protection of culture and traditions is becoming increasingly important nationally and internationally. In many countries, concerted attempts are being made to preserve traditions that are at risk of being lost. A number of factors can exacerbate
3818-769: A part of the ancient tradition. Tradition changes slowly, with changes from one generation to the other being seen as significant. Thus, those carrying out the traditions will not be consciously aware of the change, and even if a tradition undergoes major changes over many generations, it will be seen as unchanged. There are various origins and fields of tradition; they can refer to: Many objects, beliefs and customs can be traditional. Rituals of social interaction can be traditional, with phrases and gestures such as saying "thank you", sending birth announcements , greeting cards , etc. Tradition can also refer to larger concepts practiced by groups (family traditions at Christmas ), organizations (company's picnic ) or societies, such as
3984-441: A particular nation), the singing of national anthems, and traditional national cuisine (see national dish ). Expatriate and immigrant communities may continue to practice the national traditions of their home nation. In science, tradition is often used in the literature in order to define the relationship of an author's thoughts to that of his or her field. In 1948, philosopher of science Karl Popper suggested that there should be
4150-633: A particularly close association with the Morris dance to start with. In 1807 an anonymous observer suggested that the term hoden was linked to the Anglo-Saxon god Woden , and that the tradition might be "a relic of a festival to commemorate our Saxon ancestors landing in Thanet". In 1891 it was suggested that the custom had once been known as "Odining", a reference to the early medieval Scandinavian god Odin . The author of this idea further suggested that
4316-426: A period of time. The term is especially common in the study of American archaeology . Biologists, when examining groups of non-humans, have observed repeated behaviors which are taught within communities from one generation to the next. Tradition is defined in biology as "a behavioral practice that is relatively enduring (i.e., is performed repeatedly over a period of time), that is shared among two or more members of
4482-454: A photograph of the horse taken at Sarre in 1905. On Christmas Eve 1906, Maylam encountered a second hooden horse, this time at Walmer. This horse came into the local hotel tearoom at about 6.30 pm, accompanied by two musicians—one playing the tambourine and the other the concertina —and a man named Robert Laming who led the horse itself. They were wearing ordinary clothes, but informed Maylam that they had once worn smock frocks as part of
4648-816: A popular feature in some traditions. Midnight Mass is held in churches throughout the world and celebrates the birth of Christ, which is believed to have occurred at night. Midnight Mass is popular in Poland ( pasterka ) and Lithuania (piemenėlių mišios). In Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula , the Midnight Mass is also referred to as "Rooster's Mass" ( Misa de Gallo in Spanish, Missa do Galo in Portuguese and Missa del Gall in Catalan). In
4814-520: A powerful flame. In Cuban and Cuban-American tradition, the pig is sometimes cooked in a Caja China , a large box where an entire pig is placed below hot coals. The dinner features many side dishes and desserts, and often games of dominoes are played. The tradition is continued by Cuban families in Florida and the United States. The dinner on the 24th, Christmas Eve itself, is the center of
4980-477: A sense of history, traditions have a fluidity that cause them to evolve and adapt over time. While both musicology and ethnomusicology are defined by being 'the scholarly study of music' they differ in their methodology and subject of research. 'Tradition, or traditions, can be presented as a context in which to study the work of a specific composer or as a part of a wide-ranging historical perspective.' The concept of tradition, in early sociological research (around
5146-512: A short vowel. Maylam concluded that the hoodening tradition was "a mutilated survival" of a form of Morris dance. Noting that some medieval Morris dancers had incorporated games devoted to the English folk hero Robin Hood into their custom, he suggested that hoodening might have originally been a reference to Robin Hood. This idea was challenged by Burne, who noted that in his legends, Robin Hood
Hoodening - Misplaced Pages Continue
5312-600: A single highly publicized event, rather than developing and spreading organically in a population, as in the case of the white wedding dress , which only became popular after Queen Victoria wore a white gown at her wedding to Albert of Saxe-Coburg . An example of an invention of tradition is the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (location of the British Parliament ) in the Gothic style . Similarly, most of
5478-625: A society exhibiting modernity would value "individualism (with free will and choice), mobility, and progress." Another author discussing tradition in relationship to modernity, Anthony Giddens, sees tradition as something bound to ritual, where ritual guarantees the continuation of tradition. Gusfield and others, though, criticize this dichotomy as oversimplified, arguing that tradition is dynamic, heterogeneous, and coexists successfully with modernity even within individuals. Tradition should be differentiated from customs, conventions , laws, norms , routines, rules and similar concepts. Whereas tradition
5644-512: A song before being admitted entry. Once inside, the horse pranced and gnashed its jaw, while the Jockey attempted to mount it, and the Mollie swept the floor with a broom while chasing any girls present. Sometimes they would sing further songs and carols. Upon being presented with payment, the team would leave to repeat the process at another house. Historians have catalogued 33 recorded instances of
5810-436: A tail, and with a wooden figure of a horse's head, and plenty of horse hair for a mane ... The custom has long since ceased." Parish and Shaw did not mention what time of year the tradition took place or its geographical location. They also made no reference to a sack concealing the person carrying the horse. Doel thought it likely that neither Parish or Shaw had ever seen a hooden horse, and that instead their information
5976-661: A traditional family celebration featuring the New Year tree . In accordance with the Christmas traditions of the Serbs , their festive meal has a copious and diverse selection of foods, although it is prepared according to the rules of fasting. As well as a round, unleavened loaf of bread and salt, which are necessary, this meal may comprise roast fish, cooked beans, sauerkraut , noodles with ground walnuts, honey, and wine. Families in some Slavic countries leave an empty place at
6142-404: A true British king, has inspired many well loved stories." Whether they are documented fact or not does not decrease their value as cultural history and literature. Traditions are subject of study in several academic fields of learning, especially in the humanities and social sciences , such as anthropology , archaeology , history , and sociology . The conceptualization of tradition, as
6308-633: A woman in Broadstairs was so scared by the hooden horse that she died. He added that a horse's skull was rarely used, "owing to the difficulty procuring one", and that the wooden head was thus typically used as a replacement. He said the hoodening company typically consisted of a "Jockey" who placed himself on the back of the person carrying the horse, and that it was the "sport" that bystanders attempted to throw him off, resulting in violence. The horse and jockey were also accompanied by two singers, two attendants, and someone dressed as an "old woman" carrying
6474-540: Is a country masquerade at Christmas times", comparing it to mumming and the Winster Guisers of Derbyshire . The earliest known textual description of the tradition is provided by a letter that was published in a May 1807 edition of European Magazine . The letter, written anonymously, described an encounter with the hoodeners on a visit to the Kentish coastal town of Ramsgate in Thanet : I found they begin
6640-630: Is also a reminder of the cave in which Jesus was buried. The services of Christmas Eve are also similar to those of the Eve of Theophany (Epiphany), and the two Great Feasts are considered one celebration. In some Orthodox cultures, after the Vesperal Liturgy the family returns home to a festive meal, but one at which Orthodox fasting rules are still observed: no meat or dairy products (milk, cheese, eggs, etc.) are consumed (see below for variations according to nationality). Then they return to
6806-587: Is also the practice among the British Royal Family since it was introduced by Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort —while in Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Malta, English Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, this occurs mostly on the morning of Christmas Day. In other Latin American countries, people stay awake until midnight , when they open
Hoodening - Misplaced Pages Continue
6972-513: Is also used in varying contexts in other fields, such as history, psychology and sociology . Social scientists and others have worked to refine the commonsense concept of tradition to make it into a useful concept for scholarly analysis. In the 1970s and 1980s, Edward Shils explored the concept in detail. Since then, a wide variety of social scientists have criticized traditional ideas about tradition; meanwhile, "tradition" has come into usage in biology as applied to nonhuman animals. Tradition as
7138-514: Is an admirable piece of work, careful, thorough, unambitious, and complete in itself. Mr. Maylam has all the humour and sympathy and unfeigned enjoyment of his informants' society and doings that go to the making of a genuine [folklore] collector, and adds to them the skill in weighing and marshalling evidence that belongs to his legal training; and he has left no point untouched that could serve to throw light on his subject." — Charlotte Sophia Burne, 1910. Maylam also interviewed those involved in
7304-451: Is called, provincially , a Hodening. Later commenting on this source, Maylam highlighted that its author did not appear to be from Kent and that, from their use of wording, it appeared that they had been told about the tradition by locals but had not actually witnessed it first hand. As such, Maylam suggested that the author may have been wrong in describing the use of a horse's skull in the Ramsgate tradition, given that both later sources and
7470-551: Is composed of figurines depicting the infant Jesus resting in a manger, Mary, and Joseph. Other figures in the scene may include angels , shepherds , and various animals. The figures may be made of any material, and arranged in a stable or grotto. The Magi may also appear, and are sometimes not placed in the scene until the week following Christmas to account for their travel time to Bethlehem . While most home nativity scenes are packed away at Christmas or shortly thereafter, nativity scenes in churches usually remain on display until
7636-651: Is eaten until the first star appears in the evening sky, in commemoration of the Star of Bethlehem . The liturgical celebration begins earlier in the day with the celebration of the Royal Hours , followed by the Divine Liturgy combined with the celebration of Vespers , during which a large number of passages from the Old Testament are chanted, recounting the history of salvation. After the dismissal at
7802-423: Is my excuse for my attempt to record the custom as now existing before it is utterly lost to us." The period in which Maylam conducted his research was one that was witnessing increased interest in the recording of Britain's rural folk culture, in particular by members of the professional classes—of which Maylam was a member—in part due to the fear that such traditions were rapidly dying out. Such folklore collecting
7968-413: Is no apparent reason why the custom did not spread further afield". Hoodening was part of a wider "hooded animal" tradition that Cawte identified in various forms across Britain. Features common to these customs were the use of a hobby horse, the performance at Christmas time, a song or spoken statement requesting payment, and the use of a team who included a man dressed in women's clothing. In South Wales,
8134-468: Is often accompanied with wine or Bulgaria's traditional alcoholic beverage rakia , in the past olovina (a type of homemade rye beer). The meals used to be put on top of hay, directly on the floor, together with a ploughshare or a coulter . In Cuba, roasted pig ( lechón ) is often the center of Christmas Eve ( Nochebuena ). It is believed that the tradition dates back to the 15th century when Caribbean colonists hunted down pigs and roasted them with
8300-423: Is often the unchanging form of certain arts that leads to their perception as traditional. For artistic endeavors, tradition has been used as a contrast to creativity , with traditional and folk art associated with unoriginal imitation or repetition, in contrast to fine art , which is valued for being original and unique. More recent philosophy of art, however, considers interaction with tradition as integral to
8466-409: Is popular in the early evening, and Midnight Masses are also widespread in regions which are predominantly Lutheran. The old Lutheran tradition of a Christmas Vigil in the early morning hours of Christmas Day (Christmette) can still be found in some regions. In eastern and middle Germany , congregations still continue the tradition of " Quempas singing": separate groups dispersed in various parts of
SECTION 50
#17327809423588632-413: Is presumed. It is presumed that at least two transmissions over three generations are required for a practice, belief or object to be seen as traditional. Some traditions were deliberately introduced for one reason or another, often to highlight or enhance the importance of a certain institution or truth. Traditions may also be adapted to suit the needs of the day, and the changes can become accepted as
8798-631: Is referred to simply as "the Third Day of the Nativity". The Saturday and Sunday following 25 December have special Epistle and Gospel readings assigned to them. 29 December celebrates the Holy Innocents . Byzantine Christians observe a festal period of twelve days , during which no one in the Church fasts, even on Wednesdays and Fridays, which are normal fasting days throughout the rest of
8964-482: Is seems unnecessary, as defining tradition is both unnecessary (everyone can be expected to know what it is) and unimportant (as small differences in definition would be just technical). There are however dissenting views; scholars such as Pascal Boyer argue that defining tradition and developing theories about it are important to the discipline. In archaeology , the term tradition is a set of cultures or industries which appear to develop on from one another over
9130-623: Is supposed to be invariable, they are seen as more flexible and subject to innovation and change. Whereas justification for tradition is ideological , the justification for other similar concepts is more practical or technical. Over time, customs, routines, conventions, rules and such can evolve into traditions, but that usually requires that they stop having (primarily) a practical purpose. For example, wigs worn by lawyers were at first common and fashionable; spurs worn by military officials were at first practical but now are both impractical and traditional. The legal protection of tradition includes
9296-495: Is the most important event of the year and family reunion. Dead relatives are remembered with an empty plate set at the table. The feast starts after the rise of the evening star. No products made from meat, milk and alcohol are allowed during the Kūčios. In all, 12 dishes are served, all of them rustic, made from grains, fish, dried fruit or mushrooms including kūčiukai . Small biscuits soaked in poppy seed milk are served. After
9462-452: Is the one that relates to rationality. It is also related to the works of Max Weber (see theories of rationality ), and were popularized and redefined in 1992 by Raymond Boudon in his book Action . In this context tradition refers to the mode of thinking and action justified as "it has always been that way". This line of reasoning forms the basis of the logical flaw of the appeal to tradition (or argumentum ad antiquitatem ), which takes
9628-536: Is traditionally 12, but has been an odd number in the past. According to the Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego ( Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language ) by Aleksander Brückner , the number of dishes was traditionally related to social class: the peasants' vigil consisted of 5 or 7 dishes, the gentry usually had 9, and the aristocracy, 11 dishes, but the even number 12 is also found today to remember
9794-627: Is usually accompanied by traditional Christmas music known as " aguinaldos "; in Venezuela, the traditional music is known as joropo . During the Reformation in 16th- and 17th-century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl , and the date of giving gifts changed from 6 December to Christmas Eve. It is the night when Santa Claus makes his rounds delivering gifts to good children. Many trace
9960-574: Is usually contrasted with the goal of modernity and should be differentiated from customs, conventions, laws , norms , routines, rules and similar concepts. The English word tradition comes from the Latin traditio via French , the noun from the verb tradere (to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping); it was originally used in Roman law to refer to the concept of legal transfers and inheritance . According to Anthony Giddens and others,
10126-658: The Church Times in January 1891 which attested to the continuing practice of the hooden horse tradition at both Deal and Walmer. Percy Maylam was born into a farming family in 1865 at Pivington Farm in Pluckley and, in 1890, became a solicitor of the Supreme Court before working as a solicitor at Canterbury . As well as being a keen cricketer and coin collector, Maylam was an amateur historian and in 1892 joined
SECTION 60
#173278094235810292-583: The Alphabet of Kenticisms , a manuscript authored by Samuel Pegge , an antiquary who served as the vicar of Godmersham in Kent from 1731 to 1751. After Pegge died, the manuscript was obtained by the palaeographer Sir Frederic Madden , and after his death it was purchased by the English Dialect Society , who published it in 1876. In this manuscript Pegge noted simply that "Hoodening (huod.ing)
10458-755: The Canon of the Nativity that was chanted the night before during the Vigil). This greeting, together with many of the hymns of the feast, continue to be used until the leave-taking of the feast on 29 December. The first three days of the feast are particularly solemn. The second day is known as the Synaxis of the Theotokos , and commemorates the role of the Virgin Mary in the Nativity of Jesus . The third day
10624-465: The First World War which effectively ended the tradition. Field noted that the first revival of the custom after the war took place at the 1936 Kent District Folk-Dance Festival at Aylesford . A new horse was specially created for this festival, and was modelled on an older example that had been used at Sarre. The hobby horse had not previously had any connection with Morris dancing, although
10790-586: The Kent Archaeological Society . During the 1880s, Maylam came upon the hoodening tradition and began undertaking research into it, searching for textual references to the tradition in books, periodicals, and newspapers, and interviewing those involved in three extant traditions, at St Nicholas-at-Wade, Walmer , and Deal . He expressed the opinion that "in these days Kent possesses so few genuine popular customs of this kind that we cannot afford to be indifferent to those still in existence. This
10956-979: The Mari Lwyd tradition featured troupes of men with a hobby horse knocking at doors over the Christmas period. In an area along the border between Derbyshire and Yorkshire , the Old Tup tradition featured groups knocking on doors around Christmas carrying a hobby horse that had a goat's head. The folklorist Christina Hole drew parallels between hoodening and the Christmas Bull tradition recorded in Dorset and Gloucestershire . In south-west England, there are two extant hobby horse traditions—the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss festival and Minehead Hobby Horse —which take place not at Christmas time but on May Day . Although
11122-499: The Philippines , the custom has expanded into the nine-day Simbang Gabi , when Filipinos attend dawn Masses (traditionally beginning around 04:00 to 05:00 PST ) from 16 December, continuing daily until Christmas Eve. In 2009 Vatican officials scheduled the Midnight Mass to start at 10 pm so that the 82-year-old Pope Benedict XVI would not have too late a night. A nativity scene may be erected indoors or outdoors, and
11288-421: The Twelve Apostles . It is obligatory to try a portion of all of them. Some traditions specify that the number of guests cannot be odd. In Poland, gifts are unwrapped on Christmas Eve, as opposed to Christmas Day. It comes from fusing the traditions of Saint Nicholas Day (6 December) and Christmas. In the past, gifts were opened on the morning of Saint Nicholas Day. In the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico ,
11454-421: The W would be lost from Woden in the Kentish dialect, citing the example of Woodnesborough , a Kentish village whose name is often interpreted as having derived from Woden and which clearly retains its use of W . He concluded that "one feels that the theory is based on inferences and analogies not strong enough for a foundation to carry the building erected on them". The idea of linking the tradition to Woden
11620-404: The theological point that the purpose of the Incarnation was to make possible the Crucifixion and Resurrection . This is illustrated in Eastern icons of the Nativity, on which the Christ Child is wrapped in swaddling clothes reminiscent of his burial wrappings . The child is also shown lying on a stone, representing the Tomb of Christ , rather than a manger . The Cave of the Nativity
11786-451: The yuca con mojo [Cuban side dish made by marinating yuca root (also known as cassava) in garlic, sour orange, and olive oil], the roasted pork or the stuffed or unfilled guanajo that, along with homemade desserts, such as Christmas fritters, and a wide range of sweets in syrup and Spanish nougat. The visit to the archipelago of Pope John Paul II , in 1998, promoted the Cuban State, in a gesture of goodwill, to declare December 25 again as
11952-604: The 1850s under the leadership of Henry Brazier; it was subsequently taken over by his son John, until the tradition ended locally in 1892. In a January 1868 edition of the Kentish Gazette , an anonymous author mentioned that hoodening had taken place in Minster, Swale , on the Christmas Eve of 1867. The author noted that the tradition featured carol singing and the ringing of handbells , which were accompanied by
12118-566: The Fourth Sunday of Advent is only commemorated. The festivities of Christmas Day have, however, extended farther and farther back into Christmas Eve. While Roman Catholics , Lutherans , and some Anglicans traditionally celebrate Midnight Mass , the first mass of Christmas, either at or near midnight on Christmas Eve, some churches have in recent decades scheduled their "Midnight" Mass as early as 7 pm in an effort to better accommodate young children, whose choral singing has become
12284-719: The Japanese government to be a precious legacy of the Japanese people, and are protected under the Japanese Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. This law also identifies people skilled at traditional arts as " National Living Treasures ", and encourages the preservation of their craft. For native peoples like the Māori in New Zealand, there is conflict between the fluid identity assumed as part of modern society and
12450-693: The Mass for the Vigil of the Nativity being that of the Annunciation to Joseph in Matthew 1 . The Vigil of the Nativity is not so much the first day of Christmas as it is the last day of Advent , and so it traditionally retains the liturgical color of violet. In traditional western liturgical practice, when the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve occur on the same day, the Sunday mass is of Christmas Eve and
12616-480: The Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia, developing what came to be known as "handbell hoodening". The Handbell Ringers also brought out the horse to accompany them as they went around in public collecting money for charity at Christmas time. From 1954, the horse was also brought out for a Whitsun celebration in which it was paraded from Charing to the village green at Wye . A special service
12782-485: The State and local community. This view has been criticised for including in its notion of tradition practices which are no longer considered to be desirable, for example, stereotypical views of the place of women in domestic affairs . In other societies, especially ones experiencing rapid social change, the idea of what is "traditional" may be widely contested, with different groups striving to establish their own values as
12948-494: The appearance of a hooden horse; they expressed surprise at this latter event because they had thought that the horse was "as extinct as the megatherium ". In their 1888 Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect , W. D. Parish and W. F. Shaw claimed that Hodening was a term used in Kent to refer to a custom involving the singing of carols, but that in the past Hoodening had been applied to "a mumming or masquerade" involving
13114-473: The area at the time could recall it taking place in the area back to the 1840s. In December 1889 a letter written by a resident of St. Lawrence named Charles J. H. Saunders appeared in the Bromley Record . Saunders said he had conversed with many elderly residents of Thanet on the subject of hoodening, and that they informed him that the custom had been discontinued around fifty years previously, after
13280-493: The celebration. That day—it may also be 31—for many it is important to wear a new piece of clothing, be it a jacket or underwear. The Cuban family does not have a fixed time for dinner. It is necessary, yes, in most of the Island, to have it as a family, and it is expected to be all at the table to start tasting the frijoles negros dormidos [sleeping black beans] and the arroz blanco desgranado y reluciente [shredded white rice],
13446-630: The center of the table symbolizing Christ the Light of the World . Next to it is a round loaf of bread symbolizing Christ Bread of Life . Hay is often displayed either on the table or as a decoration in the room, reminiscent of the manger in Bethlehem . In Venezuela , hallacas are normally the staple dish for Noche Buena alongside of either ham or pork leg known as "pernil", panettone , rum and "Ponche Crema" (a form of alcoholic eggnog ). The night
13612-628: The centrality and legitimacy of conservative religious values. Similarly, strands of orthodox theological thought from a number of world religions openly identify themselves as wanting a return to tradition. For example, the term " traditionalist Catholic " refers to those, such as Archbishop Lefebvre , who want the worship and practices of the Church to be as they were before the Second Vatican Council of 1962–65. Likewise, Sunni Muslims are referred to as Ahl el-Sunnah wa Al-Jamā‘ah ( Arabic : أهل السنة والجماعة ), literally "people of
13778-419: The century following his death Maylam's book on hoodening became difficult to obtain and expensive to purchase, and so to mark the centenary of its first publication, it was republished in 2009 by The History Press , under the altered title of The Kent Hooden Horse . Writing an introductory article for the second publication, Doel, a specialist in Kentish folklore, praised Maylam's book as a "classic study" which
13944-595: The charter holds that these languages "contribute to the maintenance and development of Europe's cultural wealth and traditions". The Charter goes on to call for "the use or adoption... of traditional and correct forms of place-names in regional or minority languages". Similarly, UNESCO includes both "oral tradition" and "traditional manifestations" in its definition of a country's cultural properties and heritage. So therefore it works to preserve tradition in countries such as Brazil. In Japan , certain artworks, structures, craft techniques and performing arts are considered by
14110-579: The church for the All-Night Vigil. The next morning, Christmas Day, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated again, but with special features that occur only on Great Feasts of the Lord. After the dismissal of this Liturgy, the faithful customarily greet each other with the kiss of peace and the words: "Christ is Born!", to which the one being greeted responds: "Glorify Him!" (the opening words of
14276-517: The church sing verses of the song "He whom shepherds once came Praising" ( Quem pastores laudavere ) responsively. Methodists celebrate the evening in different ways. Some, in the early evening, come to their church to celebrate Holy Communion with their families. The mood is very solemn, and the only visible light is the Advent Wreath , and the candles upon the Lord's Table . Others celebrate
14442-417: The cloth under which the carrier was concealed was too large to be considered a hood. In his History of Kent the antiquarian Alfred John Dunkin suggested that Hodening was a corruption of Hobening , and that it was ultimately derived from the Gothic hopp , meaning horse. Maylam opined that Dunkin's argument could be "ignored", stating that it rested on the erroneous assumption that Hodening began with
14608-570: The congregation receives a candle and passes along their flame which is first received from the Christ Candle. Lutherans traditionally practice Christmas Eve Eucharistic traditions typical of Germany and Scandinavia. "Krippenspiele" ( Nativity plays ), special festive music for organ, vocal and brass choirs and candlelight services make Christmas Eve one of the most beloved days in the Lutheran Church calendar. Christmas Vespers
14774-538: The custom had begun either with the ritual wearing of the skins of horses sacrificed to Odin, or as an early Christian mockery of such Odinic practices. Maylam noted that he was initially attracted to the idea that the term hodening had derived from Woden —an Old English name that he thought a more likely origin than the Old Norse Odin —but that upon investigating this possibility found "no sufficient evidence" for it. He added that it would seem unlikely that
14940-858: The custom of giving gifts to the Magi who brought gifts for the Christ child in the manger . In Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, where Saint Nicholas (sv. Mikuláš/szent Mikulás) gives gifts on 6 December, the Christmas gift-giver is the Child Jesus ( Ježíšek in Czech , Jézuska in Hungarian, Ježiško in Slovak and Isusek in Croatian ). In Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland, presents are traditionally exchanged on
15106-445: The custom—as a "natural and spontaneous observance" among the people—was clearly going to die out, expressing his hope that the hooden horses could be preserved in Kentish museums and brought out for specially arranged public processions so as to maintain their place in Kentish culture. In later life, Maylam focused his attentions on exploring his family history, privately publishing Maylam Family Records in 1932, before dying in 1939. In
15272-455: The development of new artistic expression. In the social sciences, tradition is often contrasted with modernity , particularly in terms of whole societies. This dichotomy is generally associated with a linear model of social change, in which societies progress from being traditional to being modern. Tradition-oriented societies have been characterized as valuing filial piety , harmony and group welfare, stability, and interdependence , while
15438-462: The dinner is over the table is left uncleared overnight for the feast of vėlės (spirits or soul). In Peru , turkey and panettone are the stars of Christmas Eve. In the Philippines , the traditional dinner (known as noche buena or nochebuena ) is served at midnight after the family attends the late evening Mass known as Misa de Gallo (sometimes referred to as Misa de Aguinaldo , "Gift Mass"). Common traditional dishes served for
15604-465: The discussed context, passed through generations. The term " invention of tradition ", introduced by E. J. Hobsbawm , refers to situations when a new practice or object is introduced in a manner that implies a connection with the past that is not necessarily present. A tradition may be deliberately created and promulgated for personal, commercial, political, or national self-interest , as was done in colonial Africa; or it may be adopted rapidly based on
15770-465: The early twentieth century the folklorist and historian Percy Maylam documented what survived of the tradition and traced its appearances in historical documents, publishing his findings as The Hooden Horse in 1909. Although deemed extinct at the time of the First World War , the custom was revived in an altered form during the mid-twentieth century, when the use of the hooden horse was incorporated into some modern Kentish folk traditions. "I remember as
15936-637: The end of the service, a new candle is brought out into the center of the church and lit, and all gather round and sing the Troparion and Kontakion of the Feast. In the evening, the All-Night Vigil for the Feast of the Nativity is composed of Great Compline , Matins and the First Hour . The Byzantine services of Christmas Eve are intentionally parallel to those of Good Friday , illustrating
16102-686: The evening of 24 December. Children are commonly told that presents were brought either by the Christkind (German for Christ child), or by the Weihnachtsmann . Both leave the gifts, but are in most families not seen doing so. In Germany, the gifts are also brought on 6 December by "the Nikolaus " with his helper Knecht Ruprecht . In Estonia Jõuluvana , Finland Joulupukki , Denmark Julemanden , Norway Julenissen and Sweden Jultomten , personally meets children and gives presents in
16268-488: The evening of Christmas Eve. In Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Quebec (French Canada), Romania, Uruguay, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland, Christmas presents are opened mostly on the evening of the 24th—following German tradition, this
16434-474: The evening with services of light, which include singing the song Silent Night as a variety of candles (including personal candles) are lit. Other churches have late evening services perhaps at 11 pm, so that the church can celebrate Christmas Day together with the ringing of bells at midnight. Others offer Christmas Day services as well. The annual " Nine Lessons and Carols ", broadcast from King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve, has established itself
16600-667: The evening; for example, the Nordic Lutheran churches. Since tradition holds that Jesus was born at night (based in Luke 2:6-8), Midnight Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve, traditionally at midnight, in commemoration of his birth. The idea of Jesus being born at night is reflected in the fact that Christmas Eve is referred to as Heilige Nacht (Holy Night) in German, Nochebuena (the Good Night) in Spanish and similarly in other expressions of Christmas spirituality, such as
16766-670: The feast of the Baptism of the Lord . Whilst it does not include any kind of Mass, the Church of Scotland has a service beginning just before midnight, in which carols are sung. The Church of Scotland no longer holds Hogmanay services on New Year's Eve, but the Christmas Eve services are still very popular. On Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is traditionally lit in many church services . In candlelight services, while singing Silent Night , each member of
16932-602: The festivities of Christmas by a curious procession: a party of young people procure the head of a dead horse, which is affixed to a pole about four feet in length; a string is affixed to the lower jaw; a horse-cloth is also attached to the whole, under which one of the parts gets, and by frequently pulling the string, keeps up a loud snapping noise, and is accompanied by the rest of the party, grotesquely habited, with hand-bells; they thus proceed from house to house, ringing their bells, and singing carols and songs; they are commonly gratified with beer and cake, or perhaps with money. This
17098-716: The first Folkestone International Folklore Festival as a biannual celebration of folk customs; it continued for 28 years. Since the end of the Second World War, the hooden horse's use has been revived in Whitstable , where it is often brought out for the Jack in the Green festival each May, and is owned by a group called the Ancient Order of Hoodeners. Since 1981, the Tonbridge Mummers and Hoodeners have made use of
17264-498: The form "this is right because we've always done it this way." In most cases such an appeal can be refuted on the grounds that the "tradition" being advocated may no longer be desirable, or, indeed, may never have been despite its previous popularity. The idea of tradition is important in philosophy. Twentieth century philosophy is often divided between an 'analytic' tradition, dominant in Anglophone and Scandinavian countries, and
17430-475: The groups establishing a new folk custom, "hop hoodening", which was derived in part from an older hop-picking ceremony found in the Weald area. Their new custom involved the different groups joining together on a tour around the villages of East Kent, beginning at Canterbury Cathedral and going through Ramsgate, Cliftonville , and Herne Bay before ending in a barn dance at Wickhambreaux. In October 1957 Field
17596-544: The hooden horse having a wooden head appeared in Mackenzie E. C. Walcott's Guide to the Coast of Kent , published in 1859, where he referred to a "curious custom [which] used to prevail" in Ramsgate. Maylam later suggested that the Ramsgate hooden horse tradition died out between 1807 and 1838, for he had interviewed elderly town residents in the early twentieth century and while several were aware that it had once taken place in
17762-589: The hooden horse visiting them at Christmas time during the 1850s and up until 1865. Maylam's researches also found recollections of a hooden horse that had appeared in Herne and Swalecliffe but which had been discontinued in the 1860s, another that was active from Wingate Farm House in Harbledown during the 1850s, and one that had been active at Evington but which had ceased by the 1860s. He found another based at Lower Hardres that had been active from at least
17928-462: The hooden horse. They added that they had gained information on this older custom in 1876 from the Reverend H. Bennett Smith of St Nicholas-at-Wade , who had in turn learned from a retired farmer in his parish that "the farmer used to send annually round the neighbourhood the best horse under the charge of the wagoner, and that afterwards instead, a man used to represent the horse, being supplied with
18094-441: The hoodeners of his own time all used a wooden model of a horse's head. At the same time, Maylam noted that the use of a horse's skull was not impossible, for such skulls had also been used in the hobby horse traditions of other parts of Britain. The anonymously authored account was repeated almost verbatim in a range of other publications in the coming decades, giving its description far wider exposure. The first printed reference to
18260-410: The hoodeners with whom he communicated were aware of the etymology of the term, and that similarly they were unaware of the tradition's historical origins. The term hoodening is thus of unknown derivation. One possible explanation for the origin of hooden was that it had emerged as a mispronunciation of wooden , referring to the use of the wooden horse. Maylam was critical of this idea, expressing
18426-404: The hoodening tradition at Deal, whom he encountered in the summer of 1909. One elderly gentleman, Robert Skardon, related that his father had once led the town's hoodening troupe, in which he personally carried the head, his father the drum, his "Uncle John Beaney" the fiddle , and "old Harry Chorner" the piccolo . For many years they had included a man dressed in woman's clothing, who was known as
18592-452: The hoodening tradition extant in Kent prior to the twentieth-century revival. These are clustered in a crescent shape along the eastern and northern coasts of the county, and all were found within the area historically defined as East Kent , the tradition being unknown in neighbouring West Kent . More specifically, the folklorist Percy Maylam noted that there were no records of the tradition having been found west of Godmersham . This region
18758-500: The horse through the streets. This team included the horse operator, a "Groom", "Driver", or "Waggoner" who carried a whip and led the horse by a bridle, a "Jockey" who would attempt to mount the horse, a "Mollie" who was a man dressed as a woman, and one or two musicians. All of the men were farm labourers, usually being those who worked with horses. The team performed the custom at Christmas time, and usually on Christmas Eve . The team would arrive at people's houses where they would sing
18924-401: The idea of 'the tradition', instead posing Aristotelianism as one philosophical tradition in rivalry with others. The concepts of tradition and traditional values are frequently used in political and religious discourse to establish the legitimacy of a particular set of values. In the United States in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the concept of tradition has been used to argue for
19090-503: The information that follows is known only through oral tradition, and is not supported (and perhaps may be refuted) by physical documentation, artifacts, or other reliable evidence. " Tradition " refers to the quality or origin of the information being discussed. For example, "According to tradition, Homer was born on Chios , but many other locales have historically claimed him as theirs." This tradition may never be proven or disproved. In another example, " King Arthur , according to history,
19256-443: The legitimate traditional ones. Defining and enacting traditions in some cases can be the means of building unity between subgroups in a diverse society; in other cases, tradition is a means of othering and keeping groups distinct from one another. In artistic contexts, in the performance of traditional genres (such as traditional dance ), adherence to traditional guidelines is of greater importance than performer's preferences. It
19422-497: The local area, and although the makeup of such groups varied, they typically included someone to carry the horse, a leader, a man in female clothing known as a " Mollie ", and several musicians. The team would then carry the hooden horse to local houses and shops, where they would expect payment for their appearance. Although this practice is extinct, in the present the hooden horse is incorporated into various Kentish mummers plays and Morris dances that take place at different times of
19588-536: The loss of tradition, including industrialization, globalization , and the assimilation or marginalization of specific cultural groups. Customary celebrations and lifestyles are among the traditions that are sought to be preserved. Likewise, the concept of tradition has been used to defend the preservation and reintroduction of minority languages such as Cornish under the auspices of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . Specifically,
19754-1113: The main course include: lechón , various types of pancit (noodles), Filipino spaghetti , hamonado , jamón , queso de bola , morcón , embutido , chicken galantina , almondigas (meatballs), paelya ( arroz valenciana , bringhe , etc.), lumpia , menudo , mechado , caldereta , callos , chicken pastel , relyenong bangús (stuffed milkfish), lengua estofado , adobo , and various types of barbecue ( inihaw ). Almost all of these dishes are eaten with white rice. Desserts and side dishes include úbe halayá , turon , leche flan , macaroni salad , membrilyo , fruit salad , buko salad , crema de fruta , ensaymada , champorado , mango float , fruitcake , castañas ( roasted chestnuts ), and various other kakanin (rice cakes) like puto bumbong , bibingka , suman , biko , and sapin-sapin . Popular beverages are tsokolate as well as coffee, soda , wine, beer, alcoholic drinks, and fruit juices. A tradition similar to Italy ( Wigilia , or 'Christmas Vigil') exists in Poland. The number of dishes
19920-505: The modern meaning of tradition evolved during the Enlightenment period, in opposition to modernity and progress . As with many other generic terms, there are many definitions of tradition. The concept includes a number of interrelated ideas; the unifying one is that tradition refers to beliefs, objects or customs performed or believed in the past, originating in it, transmitted through time by being taught by one generation to
20086-661: The most culturally significant celebrations in Christendom and Western society . Christmas celebrations in the denominations of Western Christianity have long begun on Christmas Eve, due in part to the Christian liturgical day starting at sunset, a practice inherited from Jewish tradition and based on the story of Creation in the Book of Genesis : "And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." Many churches still ring their church bells and hold prayers in
20252-408: The need for the principles of natural law and transcendent moral order, hierarchy and organic unity , agrarianism , classicism and high culture , and the intersecting spheres of loyalty. Traditionalists would therefore reject the notions of individualism , liberalism, modernity, and social progress , but promote cultural and educational renewal, and revive interest in the Church, the family,
20418-449: The next, and include handmade textiles, paintings, stories, legends, ceremonies, music, songs, rhythms and dance." Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas , the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus . Christmas Day is observed around the world , and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day. Together, both days are considered one of
20584-527: The notion of holding on to a previous time, is also found in political and philosophical discourse. For example, it is the basis of the political concept of traditionalism , and also strands of many world religions including traditional Catholicism . In artistic contexts, tradition is used to decide the correct display of an art form . For example, in the performance of traditional genres (such as traditional dance), adherence to guidelines dictating how an art form should be composed are given greater importance than
20750-573: The origins of these "hooded animal" traditions are not known with any certainty, the lack of any late medieval references to such practices may suggest that they emerged from the documented elite fashion for hobby horses in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this, the hooded animal traditions may be comparable to England's Morris dance tradition, which became a "nation-wide craze" in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries before evolving into "a set of sharply delineated regional traditions". Maylam noted that most nineteenth-century sources describing
20916-724: The other, and are performed or believed in the present. Tradition can also refer to beliefs or customs that are Prehistoric , with lost or arcane origins, existing from time immemorial . Originally, traditions were passed orally, without the need for a writing system . Tools to aid this process include poetic devices such as rhyme , epic stories and alliteration . The stories thus preserved are also referred to as tradition, or as part of an oral tradition . Even such traditions, however, are presumed to have originated (been "invented" by humans) at some point. Traditions are often presumed to be ancient , unalterable, and deeply important, though they may sometimes be much less "natural" than
21082-399: The performer's own preferences. A host of factors can exacerbate the loss of tradition , including industrialization , globalization , and the assimilation or marginalization of specific cultural groups. In response to this, tradition-preservation attempts and initiatives have now been started in many countries around the world, focusing on aspects such as traditional languages . Tradition
21248-463: The practice of national and public holidays. Some of the oldest traditions include monotheism (three millennia) and citizenship (two millennia). It can also include material objects, such as buildings, works of art or tools. Tradition is often used as an adjective , in contexts such as traditional music , traditional medicine , traditional values and others. In such constructions tradition refers to specific values and materials particular to
21414-440: The present and as a form of rationality used to justify certain course of action. Traditional society is characterized by lack of distinction between family and business, division of labor influenced primarily by age, gender, and status, high position of custom in the system of values, self-sufficiency, preference to saving and accumulation of capital instead of productive investment, relative autarky . Early theories positing
21580-514: The presents. In Spain, gifts are traditionally opened on the morning of 6 January, Epiphany day ("Día de Los Tres Reyes Magos"), though in some other countries, like Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay, people receive presents both around Christmas and on the morning of Epiphany day. In Belgium and the Netherlands Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas and his companion Zwarte Piet deliver presents to children and adults alike on
21746-428: The regionalised popularisation of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century fashion for hobby horses among the social elite. The earliest textual reference to the hoodening tradition comes from the first half of the eighteenth century. Scattered references to it appeared over the next century and a half, many of which considered it to be a declining tradition that had died out in many parts of Kent. Aware of this decline, in
21912-399: The simple, unilineal evolution of societies from traditional to industrial model are now seen as too simplistic. In 1981, Edward Shils in his book Tradition put forward a definition of tradition that became universally accepted. According to Shils, tradition is anything which is transmitted or handed down from the past to the present. Another important sociological aspect of tradition
22078-621: The song "Silent Night, Holy Night" . Many other varying cultural traditions and experiences are also associated with Christmas Eve around the world, including the gathering of family and friends, the singing of Christmas carols , the illumination and enjoyment of Christmas lights , trees, and other decorations, the wrapping, exchange and opening of gifts, and general preparation for Christmas Day. Legendary Christmas gift-bearing figures including Santa Claus , Father Christmas , Christkind , and Saint Nicholas are also often said to depart for their annual journey to deliver presents to children around
22244-539: The table for guests (alluding to Mary and Joseph looking for shelter in Bethlehem ). In Ukraine, Sviatyi Vechir ( Ukrainian : Святий Вечір , Holy Evening) is traditionally celebrated with a meatless twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper , or the Holy Supper ( Ukrainian : Свята Вечеря , Sviata Vecheria). The main attributes of the Holy Supper in Ukraine are kutia , a poppy seed, honey and wheat dish, and uzvar ,
22410-446: The time, there was only one hooden horse still in active use in Thanet, that stored at Hale Farm in St. Nicholas-at-Wade, which he noted was brought out each Christmas to visit Sarre , Birchington, and St. Nicholas-at-Wade itself. The members included a man in female garb, known as the Mollie, in their procession, but added that this had not been done for some time and was thus reintroduced for Maylam's benefit. In his book, Maylam included
22576-453: The town, none could recall it happening in their own lifetime. Many years after the event, the Kentish antiquarian J. Meadows Cooper related that while sitting in a pub on the outskirts of Margate on Boxing Day 1855 he had encountered a party carrying a hooden horse that entered the building. Another local resident, Mrs. Edward Tomlin, later related that as a child she had lived at a house named Updown, near Margate, and that she remembered
22742-471: The tradition [of Muhammad ] and the community", emphasizing their attachment to religious and cultural tradition. More generally, tradition has been used as a way of determining the political spectrum , with right-wing parties having a stronger affinity to certain ways of the past than left-wing ones. Here, the concept of adherence tradition is embodied by the political philosophy of traditionalist conservatism (or simply traditionalism ), which emphasizes
22908-404: The tradition had spelled the word as hoden , but that he favoured hooden because it better reflected the pronunciation of the word with its long vowel . He added that "the word 'hooden' rhymes with 'wooden' and not with 'sodden' as some writers appear to think". Given this pronunciation, Cawte suggested that oodening was a better spelling for the tradition's name. Maylam also noted that none of
23074-665: The tradition. A more widely accepted explanation among scholars is that the term hooden relates to hooded , a reference to the sackcloth worn by the person carrying the horse. The absence of late medieval references to such practices and the geographic dispersal of the various British hooded animal traditions—among them the Mari Lwyd of south Wales, the Broad of the Cotswolds , and the Old Ball , Old Tup , and Old Horse of northern England—have led to suggestions that they derive from
23240-557: The tradition. They had no Mollie, and the members could not recall a Mollie ever having been part of their custom. The hotel owner's daughter placed a gratuity in the horse's mouth, before the troupe moved on to the local shops, where they were also given gratuities in a similar manner. Maylam talked to the troupe about the tradition, and eventually organised the photographing of the Walmer horse and those who accompanied it in March 1907. "This
23406-1111: The traditional Christmas Eve dinner consists of arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), lechón asado ( pig roast ) or pernil asado (pork roast shoulder), morcilla (rice-filled pork blood sausage ), pasteles (root vegetable-based dough, meat-filled tamale ), guineitos en escabeche (marinated, sliced green bananas ), ensalada de papa puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican potato salad ), and ensalada de coditos puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican macaroni salad ). The traditional Christmas Eve desserts are arroz con dulce (coconut rice pudding), tembleque (coconut pudding), flan de queso o coco (cheese or coconut caramel custard ), tierrita (chocolate mousse ), turrón , galletas florecitas (small meringue-topped biscuits ), Danish butter biscuits , nueces surtidas (assorted shelled nuts ), bombones dulces de navidad surtidos (assorted Christmas hard candy ). The traditional Christmas Eve beverages are coquito (coconut eggnog), Don Q or Bacardi ( rum ), and Pitorro ( moonshine rum). Rozhdenstvenskiy sochelnik ( Russian : Рождественский сочельник )
23572-535: The traditional identity with the obligations that accompany it; the loss of language heightens the feeling of isolation and damages the ability to perpetuate tradition. The phrase " traditional cultural expressions " is used by the World Intellectual Property Organization to refer to "any form of artistic and literary expression in which traditional culture and knowledge are embodied. They are transmitted from one generation to
23738-465: The traditions associated with monarchy of the United Kingdom , seen as rooted deep in history, actually date to 19th century. Other examples include the invention of tradition in Africa and other colonial holdings by the occupying forces. Requiring legitimacy , the colonial power would often invent a "tradition" which they could use to legitimize their own position. For example, a certain succession to
23904-455: The turn of the 19th and 20th century), referred to that of the traditional society , as contrasted by the more modern industrial society . This approach was most notably portrayed in Max Weber 's concepts of traditional authority and modern rational-legal authority . In more modern works, One hundred years later, sociology sees tradition as a social construct used to contrast past with
24070-422: The twentieth century it spread into neighbouring West Kent . It represents a regional variation of a "hooded animal" tradition that appears in various forms throughout Britain and Ireland. As recorded from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries, hoodening was a tradition performed at Christmas time by groups of farm labourers. They would form into teams to accompany the hooden horse on its travels around
24236-676: The use of the horse in the tradition may have some connections to either the use of the white horse as the symbol of Kent , and the use of Hengist and Horsa (literally "stallion" and "horse" in Old English) as prominent characters in the origin myths of the early medieval Kingdom of Kent. However, the white horse did not become commonly associated with Kent until the beginning of the eighteenth century, and James Lloyd regards any suggestion of an ancient connection with hoodening as "wishful thinking and in defiance of all historical evidence". The oldest known textual reference to hoodening comes from
24402-419: The view that such a mispronunciation was unlikely to emerge from the Kentish dialect. A second possibility is that the name hooden was a reference to the hooded nature of the horse's bearer. The historian Ronald Hutton deemed this to be the "simplest" derivation, while folklorists Cawte and Charlotte Sophia Burne also considered it the most likely explanation. Maylam was also critical of this, suggesting that
24568-468: The word tradition itself derives from the Latin word tradere literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is reportedly assumed that traditions have an ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether it be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Various academic disciplines also use the word in a variety of ways. The phrase "according to tradition" or "by tradition" usually means that
24734-462: The world celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with various meats, Italians (especially Sicilians) celebrate the traditional Catholic " Feast of the Seven Fishes " which was historically served after a 24-hour fasting period. Although Christmas fasting is no longer a popular custom, some Italian-Americans still enjoy a meatless Christmas Eve feast and attend the Midnight Mass. In various cultures,
24900-526: The world on Christmas Eve, although until the Protestant introduction of Christkind in 16th-century Europe, such figures were said to instead deliver presents on the eve of Saint Nicholas' feast day (6 December). Western churches have traditionally observed Christmas Eve (properly the Vigil of the Nativity) as a liturgical observance distinct from the masses of Christmas Day, with the proper Gospel at
25066-502: The year. The origins of the hoodening tradition , and the original derivation of the term hooden , remain subject to academic debate. An early suggestion was that hooden was related to the Anglo-Saxon pre-Christian god Woden (Odin), and that the tradition therefore originated with pre-Christian religious practices in the early medieval Kingdom of Kent . This idea has not found support from historians or folklorists studying
25232-553: The year. During this time one feast leads into another: 25–31 December is the afterfeast of the Nativity; 2–5 January is the forefeast of the Epiphany . In Bulgaria, the meal consists of an odd number of lenten dishes in compliance with the rules of fasting. They are usually the traditional sarma , bob chorba (bean soup), fortune kravai (pastry with a fortune in it; also called bogovitsa , vechernik , kolednik ), stuffed peppers , nuts , dried fruit, boiled wheat. The meal
25398-504: Was "a well populated area" during the period in which the hoodeners were active, and Maylam noted that all of the areas in which the tradition was found contained the East Kentish dialect. The folklorist E. C. Cawte analysed the historical distribution of the hoodeners and found that it did not correspond with the areas of early Anglo-Saxon settlement in Kent, nor did it accord with the county's coal mining areas. He concluded that "there
25564-411: Was "impressive for its separation of fact from speculation as to the origins and significance of the custom." Writing in 1967, the folklorist Barnett Field claimed that at some point after Maylam's book was published, hoodening had "died out. The Horses were hung up in the stables, and when the tractors came, were taken out and burnt on the bonfire." Doel and Doel later suggested that it was the impact of
25730-528: Was a common Eastern Orthodox tradition in the Russian Empire , but during the era of the Soviet Union it was greatly discouraged as a result of the official atheism of the former regime. In modern-day Russia, the church has a service on that day, but the celebration itself has not yet regained its popularity among the people. Instead of the Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve is considered to be
25896-649: Was adopted as a totem animal for several Morris sides after the Second World War . This revival in the usage of the horse was heavily influenced by Maylam's book. The Aylesford horse was adopted by the Ravensbourne Morris Men , a Morris troupe based in the West Kentish village of Keston , in 1947. The Ravensbourne Morris's hoodening tradition is the earliest known variant of the custom to exist in West Kent, although there are accounts of
26062-528: Was also dismissed as unlikely by both Burne and Cawte. Believing it likely that the hoodening tradition "substantially pre-dates" its earliest textual appearances, the folklorist Geoff Doel suggested the possibility that it had originated as a Midwinter rite to re-energise the vegetation. As evidence for this claim, Doel noted that other English winter folk customs, such as the Apple Wassail , have also been interpreted in this manner. He also suggested that
26228-681: Was also informed that at the time of Britain's involvement in the Second Boer War , the horse had been decorated with military equipment. The fourth hooden horse that Maylam encountered was owned by the men who worked at George Goodson's farm in Fenland, Word, near Sandwich . They informed him that it had been made by a farm hand in Cleve , Monkton, before being brought to Word when one of the Cleve farm workers relocated there. Maylam believed that
26394-490: Was always depicted as an archer rather than a horse-rider, thus questioning how he had come to be associated with the hooden horse. She further noted that the medieval games devoted to Robin Hood all took place in May rather than at Christmas, as hoodening did. Cawte also criticised Maylam's argument, noting that there was no evidence of Morris dancing in Kent prior to the twentieth century, and that neither hoodening nor Robin Hood had
26560-424: Was based on older written sources. He also thought it noteworthy that they described the tradition using the past tense , indicating that they considered it to be either dead or dying at the time of writing. Maylam believed that the information regarding the decline of the tradition was erroneous, because hoodeners were still active in St. Nicholas-at-Wade during the early twentieth century and various locals living in
26726-792: Was born at Wych Cross in the Ashdown Forest and subsequently educated at Tunbridge Wells . He trained as a banker before working as manager of the Hythe and Folkestone branches of the Westminster Bank until his retirement in 1979. Field and his wife, Olive Ridley, had a keen interest in folk dances; she established the Folkestone National Folk Dance Group in 1950, and he founded the East Kent Morris Men in 1953. Field constructed
26892-643: Was encouraged by The Folklore Society , with whom Maylam was associated, and also by the widely read book The Golden Bough , a work of comparative folkloristics authored by the anthropologist James Frazer . Maylam published his research in 1909 as The Hooden Horse , in an edition limited to 303 copies. The book was reviewed in the journal Folklore by Burne, who described it as "an admirable piece of work, careful, thorough, unambitious, and complete in itself". Cawte later described it as "unusually good", while Fran and Geoff Doel regarded it as "a very enlightened piece of Edwardian folk research". Maylam concluded that at
27058-417: Was held in the Charing Church, in which the Morris Men danced in the chancel and through the aisle, while the vicar put a bridle on the horse itself. The horse was also brought out for a July 1956 ceremony in which The Swan Inn, a pub at Wickhambreaux , was officially renamed as The Hooden Horse; present were the East Kent Morris Men, the Handbell Ringers, and the Ravensbourne Morris Men. This venture led to
27224-513: Was inherited from Socrates, who proposed critical discussion, according to Popper. For Thomas Kuhn , who presented his thoughts in a paper presented in 1977, a sense of such a critical inheritance of tradition is, historically, what sets apart the best scientists who change their fields is an embracement of tradition. Traditions are a subject of study in several academic fields in social sciences —chiefly anthropology, archaeology , and biology—with somewhat different meanings in different fields. It
27390-402: Was introduced to Jack Laming of Walmer, who as a boy had performed in a hoodening troupe earlier in the century. Laming taught Field more about the historical hoodening tradition, and together they unearthed an old hooden horse that was stored at Walmer's Coldblow Farm; this artefact was later placed on display at Deal Maritime and Local History Museum . In June 1961 Field and his wife established
27556-434: Was nevertheless "on the whole remarkably uniform". The hooden horse, which was at the centre of the tradition, was usually made out of a wooden horse's head affixed to a pole about four feet long, with a hinged jaw that was moved by a string. This horse was then carried aloft by a person concealed beneath a dark cloth. As part of the hoodening custom, a team of "hoodeners", consisting of between four and eight men, would carry
#357642