There are many peculiar customs appertaining to Christmas eve. Burton, in his _Anatomy of Melancholy_, says, "'Tis their only desire, if it may be done by art, to see their husband's picture in a glass; they'll give anything to know when they shall be married; how many husbands they shall have, by _Cromnyomantia_, a kind of divination, with onions laid on the altar at Christmas eve." This seems to be something like that which we have seen practised on St. Thomas's day--or that described in Googe's _Popish Kingdome_. In these same days, young wanton gyrles that meet for marriage be, Doe search to know the names of them that shall their husbands be; Four onyons, five, or eight, they take, and make in every one Such names as they doe fancie most, and best to think upon. Then near the chimney them they set, and that same onyon then That firste doth sproute doth surely beare the name of their good man. In Northamptonshire another kind of divination, with the same object, used to be practised: the girl who was anxious to ascertain her lot in the married state, went into the garden and plucked twelve sage leaves, under the firm conviction that she would be favoured with a glimpse of the shadowy form of her future husband as he approached her from the opposite end of the ground; but she had to take great care not to damage or break the sage stock, otherwise the consequences would be fearful. But then, in this county, the ghosts of people who had been buried at cross roads had liberty to walk about and show themselves on Christmas eve, so that the country folk did not care to stir out more than necessary on the vigil. At Walton-le-Dale, in Lancashire, the inmates of most of the houses sat up on Christmas eve, with their doors open, whilst one of the party read the narrative of St. Luke, the saint himself being supposed to pass through the house.