Strange Ago shares some old Christmas superstitions that could add some charm or eeriness to your next holiday tale:
- The Crowing of the Cocks. Centuries ago, people believed that crows – normally quiet through the night – would begin cawing when the sun set on Christmas Eve and continue until Christmas morning. In Hamlet, Shakespeare suggested the birds kept ill spirits at bay for the holy night.
- Spinning on Christmas Day. In Scotland, people believed it sacrilegious to spin cloth on Christmas.
- The Devotion of Cattle. In England, people believed that cattle would low at midnight Christmas morning, for the obvious reason.
- Down with the Evergreens. According to the ecclesiastics, Christmas decorations must be removed before February 2. If any remained, it was considered an ill omen.
- The Burning of the Yule Log. One superstition suggested that preserving the remnants of a burned Yule log would prevent a house from catching fire during the year. After the following Christmas, those remains would be used as kindling to start the fire to burn the current year’s Yule.
- Luck of the Calendar. It was considered lucky for Christmas to fall on a Sunday, unlucky for a Saturday.
