London Markets on Christmas Eve; the Yule-clog; Christmas Candles; Wassail Bowl; Omens and Superstitions; Old Christmas Eve; Midnight Mass. CHRISTMAS DAY 285 Religious Services; Plum Pudding; Charities of the Season; Old English Gentleman; Ancient Baronial Hall; Bringing in the Boar's Head; Modern Christmas Dinner. ST. STEPHEN'S DAY 302 Boxing Day (origin of the name); Christmas-boxes; Christmas Pieces; Hunting the Wren (Isle of Man); Droleens, or Wren Boys (Ireland); Greek Songs of the Crow and Swallow. NEW YEAR'S EVE 315 Scottish Observances; Night of Omens; Hogmanay; Seeing-in the New Year. NEW YEAR'S DAY 335 Morning Congratulations; New-Year's Gifts. TWELFTH DAY AND TWELFTH NIGHT 339 Observances on the Virgil of the Epiphany; Humors of the Street; Twelfth Night Party; Twelfth Cake; Drawing for Characters; Three Kings of Cologne. SAINT DISTAFF'S DAY 351 Rustic Sports. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE CHRISTMAS AND HIS CHILDREN _Frontispiece_ THE BOOK OF CHRISTMAS _Titlepage_ "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU" 29 SNAP-DRAGON 31 BARONIAL HALL 42 ENJOYING CHRISTMAS 46 MUMMERS 65 GATE OF THE "OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN" 109 FAMILY CONGRATULATION 134 COUNTRY CAROL SINGERS 157 COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL 163 NORFOLK COACH AT CHRISTMAS 170 TOO LATE FOR THE COACH 172 BRINGING HOME CHRISTMAS 173 THE MISTLETOE BOUGH 191 WAITS 197 LONDON CAROL SINGERS 215 BELL-RINGING 219 THE LORD OF MISRULE 223 CHRISTMAS PRESENTS 224 ST. THOMAS'S DAY 233 STORY TELLING 239 CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME 249 GALANTEE SHOW 266 MARKET--CHRISTMAS EVE 267 WASSAIL BOWL 275 OLD CHRISTMAS 285 CHRISTMAS PUDDING 286 COUNTRY CHURCH, CHRISTMAS MORNING 290