On Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:53:49 -0000, Joni Saunders <josaun@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > Every year at this time I can't help but wonder how my ancestors in > England celebrated Christmas and what traditions would have been handed > down to me if they had not immigrated once to Canada and again to the > US... My father's > g-grandmother family came from the Shepton Mallet and Gurney Slade areas > of Somerset. Hi Jo, The custom of Wassailing in Somerset springs to mind. The following web site is about Wassailing, which takes place between Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night. http://www.england-in-particular.info/orchards/o-wass.html More information on Wassailing is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassailing Wassailing events in Somerset for last year, January 2009, are listed here: http://www.england-in-particular.info/new/n-wass.html Scroll down for the Somerset information. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com