My m-in-law was telling me of her tradition of keeping a sprig of holly from Christmas until Shrove Tuesday. This is something that she had from her mother.She seems to think it was a Cheshire/Staffordshire custom. I have found out that it was also known in Lincolnshire and wondered if it was also known in Norfolk. Has anyone any ideas about or knowledge of this custom? I suspect that the sprig would be burned in the grate, as had all other green decorations. I have some vague memory of burning something (not palm crosses) around Shrove Tuesday/Ash Wednesday but as my mother's ancestry is from the NW and Italy I doubt that it had anything to do with Norfolk. David David Mills -- Please note that this e-mail and any files transmitted with it may be privileged, confidential, and protected from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or other use of this communication or any of its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message and then delete this message, any attachments, and all copies and backups from your computer.