CHRISTMAS Eve has always generated a good deal of traditional activity that ranges from carol singing before midnight mass to the Northern custom of eating frummety (also called frumenty) after the service, often during a party atmosphere.

Due to the gradual abandonment of the Christian focus of these seasonal celebrations, our responses may take a different form – perhaps in the shape of parties at home or in some other venue, invariably with a good deal of feasting and drinking among displays of colourful lights. These will appear both inside and outside our homes but also in some places of work, not forgetting the displays in shops that now appear to have generated their own form of religion.

Interestingly, many Christmas cards and even postage stamps continue to reflect the Christian roots of the Christmas celebrations, and many events add to that atmosphere, sometimes attracting a lot of interest in the form of large crowds. Events like the carol services in our churches and cathedrals are an example, and another popular form of expression is shown in the nativity plays so often delightfully performed in school by very small children.

These appear to have stemmed from the crib or praesepio which depicts the scene in the stable at Bethlehem with the Baby Jesus lying on a bed of straw in a manger with Mary and Joseph looking on with an ox and ass tethered nearby. It is a powerful story when we realise that the baby in that humble scene grew up to become one of the world’s greatest religious leaders and an inspirational teacher.

Many cathedrals, churches, schools and even private homes may display such a scene, some with life-size figures and others making use of dolls or statues.

The idea was initiated in 1224 in a village church at Greccio in Italy by the man who became St Francis of Assisi. Mary and Joseph were represented by real people with a figure of the Holy Child lying on straw in the manger with live animals – an ox and an ass – looking on. Francis wanted something to bring the biblical story to life in a manner that could be understood by the people, and he achieved it in a way that remains popular around the world.

It was inevitable that successive re-staging of this famous scene around the world should result in it becoming a form of a short play with characters moving and speaking. Some later included the arrival of the three wise men bearing gifts and others coming to pay homage to the new-born child. This was the beginning of the famed nativity plays although there is a suggestion that nativity plays preceded the cribs by a few years.

There is record of such a play as early as the 12th century, some years before Francis introduced the crib. In Rouen Cathedral, an image of the Virgin Mary and Child was placed in a stable behind the altar. A small boy stood before the choir while impersonating an angel, and he announced the nativity to the assembled priests when they entered the altar dressed as shepherds.

As they moved in procession, more choirboys high behind the altar began to sing “Glory to God in the Highest” to which the shepherds responded, “Peace on earth to men of good will.” More characters appeared, some being priests in period costume, and they asked where they might find the Child so they could pay homage to the Newborn King.

This is thought to be the first such enactment in a medieval church and it resulted in thousands of such nativity plays in churches around the Christian world. Later, they were performed in places other than churches, sometimes on moving stages such as large horse-drawn vehicles.

In turn, they generated other religious plays based on Biblical stories as a consequence of which religious drama flourished in England until the 16th century when it seems the Reformation put an end to that.

It seems the York Mystery Plays developed from these, being first known as Corpus Christi plays because they were celebrated on or around the feast of Corpus Christi. This was a moveable feast in the Catholic Church, being based on the date of Easter, like so many other festivals. The feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1264. Those celebratory plays were banned by the Reformation but revived later. York, Coventry, Chester and Middlesbrough have since staged such plays.

There were many other forms of celebration in this region. For example, at Boroughbridge, waits toured the town singing and playing musical instruments and a similar custom was exercised at Stokesley. In Pickering the waits were accompanied by a shouter whose job was to arouse sleepy householders.

In the North York Moors, however, they produced a miniature type type of portable crib. This involved placing in a small box a doll dressed as the Virgin Mary, or perhaps three dolls representing the Holy Family. They were surrounded by red berries, sweets or small cakes. The boxes, known as Milly (My Lady) Boxes, were then carried by Vessel Singers (wassail singers) who toured the houses while singing a short carol. They sought cash or gifts while wishing everyone a Happy Christmas.

Carol conundrum

One of the questions that often comes my way is “Why do we sing carols at Christmas time? Aren’t they associated with dancing?”

The word carol does indeed have its origins in dancing, probably from the Greek choros which meant singing and dancing as part of the

performance of a Greek tragedy, leading to chorus in Latin and carolle in Italian. In general terms, carol means a ring-dance accompanied by singing children – Here we go round the mulberry bush, or Ring a Ring o’ Roses are usually quoted as examples.

One of the earliest songs known as a carol was an English drinking song traditionally sung at Christmas around the 12th century.

As interest in religion tended to decline due to its serious and sombre teachings so it was decided to sing happier songs at Christmas.

It is widely thought that Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) produced the earliest carols, these being careful adaptations of the merry drinking and dancing songs, but geared up to present the Christian message, especially at Christmas. As these Christmas songs became popular in Italy, so they spread to Spain, France and Germany, always as simple cheerful songs rather than gloomy and serious hymns.

One of the earliest in English was written around 1410, a lullaby sung to Baby Jesus by the Virgin Mary. Happy cheerful carols are now an essential part of Christmas even when we go shopping.

A happy Christmas to all readers.