Christmas is a time of traditions passed down generation to generations. In past eras, it was also a time to ensure good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Maybe these superstitions and omens are just that, but some of them are just plain fun and good excuse to relax, eat and enjoy the Christmas season.

Yule Fire

• The Yule fire must burn continuously throughout the twelve days of Christmas for good luck in the coming year.
• Any difficulty lighting the Yule fire is a bad omen for the coming year.
• Keep a piece of the Yule log from the previous year for good luck.
• The yule log should be lit by a piece of the log used on the previous Christmas. Once that is done, no evil spirit can then enter into the house.

Decorations

• Hang mistletoe all over your house to keep evil spirits away.
• Bring holly in to the house at Christmas time for good luck and to protect against witches and thunder.
• Bring both holly and ivy in to the house in equal measures to ensure a balanced and harmonious home.
• Smooth holly means the wife will be the master of the household. Prickly holly means the husband will be the master.
• Make sure you take down your Christmas decorations before January 6th. It's bad luck to keep them up after Twelfth Night.

Christmas Dinner

• Keeping the plough underneath your dining table during the Christmas season brings good luck.
• Make sure that you include a dish with mushrooms in it, for mushrooms bring health and strength.
• Tie string around the legs of the Christmas dinner table to keep burglars and thieves away in the new year.
• You must also eat mince pie at Christmas dinner so you won't have bad luck in the coming year.
• For good luck, everyone must clean their plates at Christmas dinner and no one can leave the table until everyone is finished.
• Always set the Christmas dinner table for an even number of guests.
• Put a pot of honey on the table to protect against evil spirits.
• The more you eat at Christmas Eve dinner, the more pleasure you'll have in the future.

Foods

• Three sips of salted water before Christmas dinner brings good luck.
• Everyone in the household should participate in making the Christmas pudding. It should be stirred three times by each person and each time they see the bottom of the pot, they should make a wish.
• You must eat plum pudding during Christmas for good luck, and the more the better.
• You'll have good health for the entire year if you eat an apple on Christmas Eve.
• You will have as many happy months in the coming year, as the number of houses you eat mince pies in during Christmas time.

Shoes and Clothing

• Burning your old shoes during the Christmas season prevents bad luck in the coming year.
• Laundering a Christmas gift before giving it to the recipient removes all of the good luck of the present.
• Don't wear new shoes on Christmas Day.
• Place your families shoes side by side on Christmas Eve to prevent family quarrels.
• Never give anyone shoes for a Christmas present.

A Traditional English Christmas Eve Drink

During the Victorian era, each caroling guest was offered a posset cup and a piece of apple pie or tart on Christmas Eve.

4 cups milk
4 tablespoons sugar
4 slices toast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups of beer (preferably ale)

Heat the milk, sugar, and toast in a saucepan, nearly to a boil. Stir the cinnamon and beer into a punch bowl. Remove the toast and stir the hot milk mixture into the ale. Serve in mugs while warm. Serves 8-10.



Today's desktop wallpaper download is a vintage Christmas postcard, circa early 1900, showing maskers and displaying Walter Scott's poem.

To download: Select the link that best fits your computer monitor. When you see the image in your browser, simply right-click on the link and select "Set as Background". Merry Christmas!

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p.s. These images are high resolution and they are BIG! So be patient while the image downloads!