Hunting the peaceful little wren

Perhaps the most likely explanation is that it was upon that day the churches opened their collection boxes, hoping to discover that the Christmas congregations had been especially generous, although another story is that apprentices would visit their boss's customers to collect monies which were due, and such funds were placed in custom-made earthernware boxes.

It was also the day for giving presents to tradesmen in gratitude for their past year's work; we still do that around Christmas.

In the religious calendar, it is known as St Stephen's Day, while within the sporting world there are traditional football and rugger matches, along with hunting and other sports which range from tug-of-war contests to swimming with even a bizarre cricket match at Thornton Watlass, near Bedale.

From a rural point of view, this was also the day when horses and cattle were bled, hopefully to benefit their health, but perhaps the most peculiar event was the Boxing Day wren hunt. It might seem strange that gangs would wish to hunt down and kill such a small, charming and harmless little bird, but that is exactly what happened; indeed the bird's body was hung on a pole and carried ceremoniously through the streets.

This odd ritual was not restricted to England. It was prevalent in some continental countries on Boxing Day as well the Isle of Man, Wales and Ireland. I believe wren processions can still be seen in some parts of Ireland, although the wren is no longer a carcase - it is a potato with feathers stuck into it to resemble the real creature, or even a plastic replica, for the wren is no longer hunted.

But why was the wren hunted so cruelly? One clue is lies in the fact that Boxing Day is the feast day of St Stephen, the day King Wensleslas looked out and saw the snow lying deep and crisp and even while a poor man gathered winter fuel.

Stephen was the first of seven deacons chosen by the apostles, but was caught by the Jews and then stoned to death. This made him the first Christian martyr, but the story is that Stephen was on the point of escaping from his captors when a wren sang and roused the sleeping warders. Had it not been for the loud singing of that little bird, Stephen would have survived, and so the wren became an object of hatred.

There are other stories of a similar nature. One says that when Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffering mental agonies because He knew He was soon to be executed on the cross, a wren kept Him company but sang so loudly that the authorities were able to locate Christ in that vast parkland. Another version of the tale is that the armies of the Catholic James II were about to surprise the soldiers of the Protestant King William of Orange at dawn when a wren awoke them, not by its loud singing but by beating on a drum.

It seems the soldiers had used a drum as a table for one of their meals and the wren was attracted by the scraps, its pecking on the drum producing a noise loud enough to rouse the slumbering men.

As with most legends, there is no firm basis for any of these curious beliefs but the tales did result in youths hunting wrens and killing them, even though several nations such as France, Sweden and Germany regard the wren as the king of birds.

Such activities are illegal in this country but now the wren has another enemy - the chill of winter. A severe winter will quickly kill thousands of these tiny birds, their small size offering no protection against the worst weather. If conditions are extremely severe, dozens of wrens will find a dry and sheltered place in which they can huddle together for warmth but even so, thousands will perish.

There were huge losses in the bad winter of 1963, for example, but a few milder winters soon enabled the species to re-establish itself.

For a bird which so readily succumbs to cold weather, the wren does not migrate from our shores during the winter as do many other species, and quite surprisingly, it is widespread throughout these islands, from the tip of Cornwall to John O'Groats and beyond into the Shetlands. It does, however, migrate within these islands, the chief reason being the need to find food and so, while one might have wrens in the garden during the spring and summer, they may disappear, perhaps temporarily, during the chill days of winter.

Recently, we had a wren sleeping in one of our hanging baskets; he had burrowed into the moss to create a warm and dry hollow, but during the past week or so, with winter growing colder, he seems to have moved to pastures new. Perhaps he will return in the spring to build his eight or nine beautifully constructed nests, only one of which will be selected by his very choosy mate.

Tall, dark strangers

As we head for 2002, some of us will be preparing to celebrate on New Year's Eve and I would not be surprised to learn that, even in the 21st century, a high proportion of us will ensure that the traditional custom of first footing is faithfully undertaken.

In some places, generally in towns and villages north of the Humber, this is regarded as an essential opening to the coming year, although the ritual does not appear to be followed in the south of England. Indeed, one must ask whether adherence to this long-standing custom marks the true dividing line between north and south!

The First Foot is, as the name suggests, the first person to enter a house after midnight on New Year's Eve. Because he is the first arrival within the new year, he must bring good luck and prosperity to the household and for this, he must bring certain gifts with him.

They are a piece of coal to symbolise fire which produces warmth, light and the means to prepare food, a piece of bread which symbolises food and a small coin which symbolises money or wealth. In some cases, the First Foot may bring a pinch of salt - also an ancient symbol of wealth - and in others, he may carry a twig of evergreen like holly or ivy, this being the symbol of continuing life.

These gifts are placed on the hearth of the home, sometimes without a word being spoken. In some places, a sprig of mistletoe was brought into the house and placed on the mantelpiece.

There are rules about the appearance of the First Foot. He must be a man and it is always believed that a woman in the role would bring bad fortune. Ideally, he should have dark hair, and his eyebrows should not meet across the nose. He must not be cross-eyed or flat-footed either.

In Northumberland and some parts of East Yorkshire, a fair-haired man is acceptable, but it seems red-haired men are never tolerated in this role.

To provide the best of good fortune, the First Foot should also be a stranger to the household and in the fairly recent past, a newcomer to a village might find himself asked to perform this duty in several houses, and, of course, it was bad luck to refuse him entry.

It is a sad fact of modern life that we would now be very wary of strangers knocking on our doors in the early hours of the morning, and so the modern First Foots are usually invited to call and are usually someone known to the householders, whereas in the past people waited for a dark-haired stranger to arrive, sometimes being disappointed.

I've known policemen, postmen, milkmen and others act as First Foots a long time after New Year's Day, when householders wanted to be sure to attract such a character into the house as their luck-bringing first caller. In some cases, usually in the absence of a stranger, members of the family will be asked to perform this ritual.

Another practice, widespread until recently, was never to allow the fire to go out on New Year's Eve, and never to clear away the ashes on New Year's Day. This dates to the time when fire was a precious commodity, especially in winter, and it was thought unlucky to take fire out of the house as the old year became the new.

I am sure there were lots of other superstitions and customs at this time, but it just remains for me to wish all readers a very happy and prosperous new year