Hull Christmas Traditions

According to ‘County Folk-Lore Volume VI – Examples of Printed Folk-Lore Concerning The East Riding of Yorkshire (1911)’ edited by Eliza Glutch. ‘On Christmas morning in Hull the children come in droves, pealing at your door-bell in order to wish you “a merry Christmas.” The following is a favourite doggerel:

“I wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy new year,
A pocket full of money and a cellar full of beer,
A good fat pig and a new calved cow,
Please will you give me a Chrismiss box!”

Here is another from the country:

“Ah wish ya a merry Kessenmass an’ a happy new year,
A poss full o’ monney an’ a cellar full o’ beer.
An’ a good fat pig, at’ll sarve ya all year.
Maisther an’ missis hoo d’ye do?”

There is another, one stanza of which may be quoted, on account of the wonderful word that is used for children:

“God bless the maysther of this hoose
The mistheress also.
An’ all the lahtle intepunks (children)
That round the table go.”

… At Christmas parties in the country the young men have the privilege of kissing any of the opposite sex they can get hold of. When Sir Roger de Coverley is danced, the chief guests are expected to dance with the cook and butler.