The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 2 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the AlmanacHone, William
History
The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 2 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac
Hone, William
Days; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
For instance: 1. from the notch which represents January 13th, on the
feast of St. Hilary, issues a cross or badge of a bishop, as St. Hilary
was; from March 1st, a harp, showing the feast of St. David, by that
instrument; from June 29th, the keys for St. Peter, reputed the Janitor
of heaven; from October 25th, a pair of shoes for St. Crispin, the
patron of shoe-makers. Of class 2, are the axe against January 25th, the
feast of St. Paul, who was beheaded with an axe; the sword against June
24th, the feast of St. John Baptist, who was beheaded; the gridiron
against August 10th, the feast of St. Lawrence, who suffered martyrdom
on one; a wheel on the 25th of November, for St. Catherine, and a
decussated cross on the last of that month, for St. Andrew, who are said
also to have suffered death by such instruments. Of the 3d kind, are the
star on the 6th of January, to denote the Epiphany; a true lover’s knot
against the 14th of February, for Valentine’s-day; a bough against the
2d of March, for St. Ceadda, who lived a Hermit’s life in the woods near
Litchfield; a bough on the 1st of May, for the May-bush, then usually
set up with great solemnity; and a rake on the 11th of June, St.
Barnabas’-day, importing that then it is hay-harvest. So, a pot is set
against the 23d of November, for the feast of St. Clement, from the
ancient custom of going about that night to beg drink to make merry
with: for the purification, annunciation, and all other feasts of our
lady, there is always the figure of a heart: and lastly, for December
25th, or Christmas-day, a horn, the ancient vessel in which the Danes
use to wassail, or drink healths; signifying to us, that this is the
time we ought to rejoice and make merry.
II. Respecting this second volume of the _Every-Day Book_, it is
scarcely necessary to say more than that it has been conducted with the
same desire and design as the preceding volume; and that it contains a
much greater variety of original information concerning manners and
customs. I had so devoted myself to this main object, as to find no lack
of materials for carrying it further; nor were my correspondents, who
had largely increased, less communicative: but there were some readers
who thought the work ought to have been finished in one volume, and
others, who were not inclined to follow beyond a second; and their
apprehensions that it could not, or their wishes that it should not be
carried further, constrained me to close it. As an “Everlasting
Calendar” of amusements, sports, and pastimes, incident to the year, the
_Every-Day Book_ is complete; and I venture, without fear of disproof,
to affirm, that there is not such a copious collection of pleasant facts
and illustrations, “for daily use and diversion,” in the language; nor
are any other volumes so abundantly stored with original designs, or
with curious and interesting subjects so meritoriously engraven.
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