Holidays in Great Nortend

Holidays in Great Nortend
King's Day fireworks on Whitsun Day
Observed by	Government, Church and individuals
Type	National
Date

Holidays in Great Nortend are days which are established or recognised by law for the commemoration of certain events, persons or causes. Great Nortend civilly marks 56 such holidays, including 16 full holidays, 28 half holidays and twelve especial days, all which can be broadly classified as Christian in nature. They are referred to by their associated feast days, or “holy days”, on the Church of Nortend calendar. In addition to any legal incidents attached to work and worship on such days, there are many cultural traditions associated with these and other holidays throughout the year, often blending agricultural or pre-Christian customs or superstition with Christian observances.

Red letter days

In accordance with the Holy and Especial Days Act, which superseded the 1893 act of the same name, “red letter days” are ranked in three categories, being an especial day, a half holiday and a full holiday. Only half holidays and full holidays are recognised by law as being days of rest and religious observance. No transaction in trade or legal process can occur on a holiday, and are deemed to occur on the day thereafter.

Full holidays

The Holy and Especial Days Act declared sixteen days to be full holidays. These sixteen days have, however, been considered particularly important holy days since the mediaeval period. Eight of these are term and half term days :—

• September 29th — Michaelmas Day
• November 1st — All Hallows' Day
• December 25th — Christmas Day
• February 2nd — Candlemas Day
• March 25th — Lady Day
• May 3rd — Roodmas Day
• June 24th — Midsummer Day (St. John Baptist's Day)
• August 1st — Petermas Day

The other eight full holidays are additional holy days principally including those holy days dependent of the computus for Easter, the date of which varies from year to year, as well as the Epiphany :—

• January 6th — Epiphany Day
• Varies — Good Friday
• Varies — Holy Sabbath
• Varies — Easter Sunday
• Varies — Easter Monday
• Varies — Ascension Day
• Varies — Whitsun Day
• Varies — Whit Monday

As Easter Sunday and Whitsun Day already fall on Sundays, which are already half holidays, there is a maximum of a fortnight of full holidays on what would otherwise be ordinary weekdays.

Half holidays

In addition to full holidays and excluding ordinary Sundays, there are twenty-eight additional half holidays . Whilst under the pre-Schism customary law all such feasts were holy days of rest, under Cardinal Frympell in 1672, it was declared that servile labour would be permitted on semidouble feasts other than Sundays. However, the prohibition on trade or legal processes remains in force. The list of half holidays include sixteen Biblical apostle, evangelist and martyr saints' days :—

• October 18th — St. Luke's Day
• October 28th — St. Simon and St. Jude's Day
• November 30th — St. Andrew's Day
• December 21st — St. Thomas's Day
• December 26th — St. Stephen's Day
• December 27th — St. John Evangelist's Day
• December 28th — Childermas Day
• February 24th — St. Matthias's Day
• April 25th — St. Mark's Day
• May 1st — St. Philip and St. James's Day
• June 11th — St. Barnabas's Day
• June 29th — St. Peter and St. Paul's Day
• July 22nd — St. Mary Magdalen's Day
• July 25th — St. James's Day
• August 24th — St. Bartholomew's Day
• September 21st — St. Matthew's Day

There are also twelve half holidays commemorating the remaining Marian feasts, Biblical events, associated seasons and other causes :—

• December 8th — Conception of Mary
• January 1st — Circumcision Day
• January 25th — Conversion of St. Paul Day
• Varies — Maundy Thursday
• Varies — Easter Tuesday
• Varies — Whit Tuesday
• Varies — Houselmas (Corpus Christi)
• May 6th — St. John Evangelist ante Portam Latinam
• July 2nd — Visitation of Mary
• August 6th — Transfiguration Day
• August 15th — Assumption of Mary
• September 8th — Nativity of Mary

Especial days

There are official commemorations for the twelve especial days of various saints' days of traditional significance, including the patron saints of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria, St. Edmund, St. George and St. Blaise. There is one such especial day per month, corresponding to the remaining semidouble feasts celebrated in the Cardican Rite :—

• October 25th — St. Crispin and St. Crispinian's Day
• November 11th — St. Martin's Day
• December 2nd — St. Edmund's Day
• January 13th — St. Hilary's Day
• February 3rd — St. Blaise's Day
• March 12th — St. Gregory's Day
• April 23rd — St. George's Day
• May 15th — St. Christopher's Day
• June 2nd — St. Elmo's Day
• July 28th — St. Samson's Day
• August 10th — St. Laurence's Day
• September 1st — St. Giles's Day

Concurrence

Additional civil holidays are not created when two or more holidays coincide, including when a holiday coincides with a Sunday, the latter being a half holiday. One holiday may be effectively lost, or alternatively, merged in one way or another with the other holiday, according to the rules of the Cardican Rite.

Black letter days

In addition to the officially commemorated red letter days, there remain a large number of so-called “black letter days” in the Cardican Rite, so-called because they are customarily printed in the Calendar in black ink as they rank as mere simple feasts. Hence, though these days are marked liturgically, and with traditional customs, they are not recognised as ordinary days of rest. Popular black letter days include the feasts of All Souls', St. Nicholas, St. Lucy, St. Anne, St. Alban, St. Silvester, St. Valentine, St. Ursula, St. Boniface, St. Elisabeth, St. Uncumber, St. Xavier and St. Dominic.

Traditions

Michaelmas

Michaelmas Day is the official start of the year in Great Nortend as the first day of Michaelmas Term. It is also commemorates St. Michael the Archangel, and is associated with thanksgiving for the harvest. At the evening before, after vespers, New Years' festivities occur, with parties, fireworks, singing and dancing.

On Michaelmas Day itslf, after the noon high mass, there is often a street parade featuring local dignitaries, farmers and the like with floats with harvest vegetables, bread, cakes, crops &c. This is followed by a harvest or Michaelmas Dinner for one's workers serving foods such as bread, carrots, honeycomb and the local type of Michaelmas cake, usually involving the last blackberries of the season. There are also other local traditions, such as various sports and games.

All Hallows'

All Hallows' Day commemorates all of the saints and martyrs of the Church. It is marked by a procession after vespers on All Hallows' Eve of long poles which are topped a flaming cross of wood. These poles are inserted in the graveyard ground and the crosses are allowed to burn away. Vigil is often kept. On the day proper, apart from prayer dedicated to the prayers to the saints and unrecognised martyrs, and graves are also cleaned, flowers placed and blessed by families and priests in preparation for All Souls' Day.

On All Souls' Day all departed Christian souls are commemorated with prayers for deceased family members, and many people will leave flowers and taper candles at graves. Children and the poor will often go around houses praying for the dead in return for a soul cake, a sort of unleavened flatbread flavoured with spices and dried fruits. Soul cakes are also left at graves, along with wine for the dead and a sixpence on graves of relatives who have died in one's lifetime. After nightfall, people go to graves barefoot and kneel before the gravestones praying and burning small wooden crosses.

Christmas

Putting up a Christmas tree during Advent is a popular custom, although they are only decorated on Christmas Even.

For the twelve days of Christmas, or Christmastide, people often go wassailing, singing carols and wassail songs in exchange for a cup of wassail or a few coins.

Traditionally, children are given gifts on Christmas day itself. Normally, Christmastide gifts are small trinkets, clothing, toys, books or tools. Servants are given gifts on St. Stephen's Day, known also as Boxing Day. Friends and neighbours are sent gifts on St. John the Evangelist's Day on the 27th of December. Parents are given gifts on Childermas, the 28th of December. On St. Thomas of Canterbury's day, the 29th of December adult male relatives are given gifts. On the 30th of December, St. Wenlock's day, adult female relatives are given gifts. On the 31st of December, St. Silvester's day, girl relatives are given gifts. On the 1st of January, the feast of the Circumcision, boy relatives are given gifts.

During Christmastide, Christmas cakes, breads and mince pies are also eaten. Christmas decorations remain up until the Twelfth Night, on which date they are taken down, with all foliage being burnt and other decorations stored away. The end of the Christmas season is marked on the Twelfth Night with the consumption of wassail and edible Christmas decorations, although this is also drunk throughout Christmastide, and with the baking of a variety of local Epiphany breads and cakes.

On Epiphany, children are given special Epiphany coins, minted in silver, which are given annually until their 21st birthday. The amount is determined by the child's age. It symbolises the arrival of the wise men bearing gifts.

Candlemas

Candlemas marks the Purification of Mary and Presentation of Jesus in the Temple as recounted in the Gospel of St. Luke, as well the traditional beginning of Spring. It is associated thus with light, after the darkness of Winter. It is customary to bring candles to church to be blessed. It is also traditional to eat Candlemas cakes, a type of crisp pancake. Children often make Candlemas cakes to sell to their neighbours in return for candles, which is said to represent communal charity.

Lady Day

Lady Day marks the Annunciation of Mary and the beginning of Whitsun Term. It is principally marked by a Ladymas play where the Annunciation is re-enacted. According to folklore, sparrows return from their winter migration on this day. The arrival of the sparrow is analogised to the Annunciation. Marian prayers are popular on this day, often imploring intercession for the coming season.

Roodmas

Villagers erecting a traditional Mayrood.

Roodmas, sometimes known as Crouchmas, commmorates the Invention of the Holy Cross by St. Helen. It is also more commonly associated now with the beginning of Summer, and with associated “May Day” customs. A Lady of the May, addressed as Lady Helen, is chosen from amongst the unmarried women, and is crowned with a floral crown. A Mayrood is often the centrepiece of traditional celebrations, being a maypole in the form of a Latin cross. It is often decorated with greenery and ribbons. Dancers led by the Lady of the May dance around the Mayrood, sometimes holding with ribbons, singing traditional Roodmas songs exalting the cross and the coming of Summer. There is in some areas a custom of boys climbing the Mayrood (which is provided with steps), to throw large flower hoop wreaths onto their sweethearts below. In other areas, boys secretly place wreaths of flowers on doors, or present them directly.

Easter

The Three Days consisting of Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday are all full holidays in Great Nortend. Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year, and it is customary to wear mourning. Passion plays are popularly held. Black Saturday is a day of half mourning upon which nothing much occurs. Easter eggs may be made on this day by boiling in various natural dyes.

Easter Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection. It is marked by eating roast lamb and jugged hare at an Easter dinner, Easter fruit buns and Easter nut rolls and cakes. The decorated Easter eggs are used to play egg tapping or egg rolling. They are also eaten in the morning as a mass collation. Emptied eggs are used as decoration. Chocolate Easter eggs are also popular to eat in the afternoon. It is popular to wear Easter bonnets. There is also a custom of unmarried women filling decorated eggs with holy water and throwing them at their lovers.

Whitsun

The Royal Tournament is a highlight of Whitsun Week festivities.

Whitsun Day commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles, and is also a civil festival commemorating the King's birthday. Whitsun Day is also the tradtional day for confirming children at the bishop's seat given its association with the Holy Ghost. This carries with it an extra significance insofar as children swear the oath of liegance to the King immediately prior to the confirmation. After the noon mass, large processions and parades are ubiquitous where patriotic songs are sung. The largest is in the middle of Lendert-with-Cadell, on Edcheap, where nearly 200,000 people assemble each year with 100,000 soldiers in a massive parade through the city. The King also gives an annual speech at this parade, which is read out across the country.

During the week after Whitsun Day, although principally on Whit Monday and Tuesday, various other festivities occur, such as races, fairs, pageants, walks, dances &c. The day following Whitsun Day, Whit Monday, the Royal Tournament with jousting is held at Hameford.

Midsummer

The traditional St. John's Eve ring dance involves jumping over a fire in pairs.

Midsummer Day, or St. John's Day, is a traditional term day marking the beginning of Midsummer Term and commemorating the nativity of St. John . Associated with it are traditions attached to St. John's Eve mainly involving fire. One common tradition is a St. John's Fire and ring dance. Whilst singing traditional songs, young sweethearts jump over the fire whilst making the sign of the cross to bless their love and drive away evils. Various other superstitious practices also occur on this day, some of which are condemned by the Church although most are thought of as being harmless traditions.

Petermas

Petermas, also known as Lammas, marks the feast of St. Peter ad vinculum commemorating his delivery from prison. It traditionally marks the end of the haymaking season, the beginning of Autumn and the wheat harvest season. As such, it is associated with the first fruits of the harvest, from which Petermas loaf is made. This loaf is taken to Church and blessed. In the afternoon, a Lammas fair is common to celebrate the beginning of the harvest. An ox is also traditionally slaughtered on this day for the Petermas dinner, eaten with the Petermas loaf.

Leave

Leave refers to the taking of periods of leave from work or ordinary life, usually for the purposes of visiting friends or family, rest, recreation, touring, pilgrimage or other exercise or undertaking. There is no guaranteed paid annual leave, although most masters and employers are required to grant “reasonable” leave. Common times for leave are around the major holiday seasons of Christmastide and Eastertide, as well as during summer.