The custom of decking our houses and churches with holly, &c. originates from ancient heathenish practices.  Mr. Brand says, that “holly was used only to deck the inside of houses at Christmas, while ivy was used not only as a vintner’s sign, but also among the evergreens at funerals.”  Archdeacon Nares mentions “the custom longest preserved, was the hanging up of a bush of mistletoe in the kitchen or servant’s hall, with the charm attached to it, that the maid who was not kissed under it at Christmas would not be married in that year.”  In the north a similar custom is observed, viz. that of kissing a maiden over a bunch of holly.  Polydore Virgil says, that “Trimmyng of the temples with hangynges, flowers, boughs, and garlandes, was taken of the heathen people, whiche decked their idols and houses with such arraye.”

Round about our Coal Fire.—­Formerly fires were in the middle of the room, and the company sat in a ring round about it, hence the proverb, “round about our coal fire,” which is as great a comfort as any at Christmas.

In the north they have their Yule log, or Yuletide log, which is a huge log burning in the chimney corner, whilst the Yule cakes are baked on a “girdle,” (a kind of frying pan) over the fire; little lads and maidens assemble nightly at some neighbouring friend’s to hear the goblin story, and join in “fortune telling,” or some game.  There is a part of an old song which runs thus:  and with which I shall conclude this custom

  “Now all our neighbours chimnies smoke,
    And Christmas logs are burning,
  Their ovens they with baked meate choke,
    And all their spits are turning.”

And in another place we hear that

  “The wenches with their wassell bowles
  About the streete are singing.”

Wassail-bowl.—­Formerly it was customary to wassail on Christmas Eve, or drink health to the apple trees.

  “Wassaile the trees that they may beare
  You many a plum and many a peare,
  For more or lesse fruits they will bringe,
  And do you give them wassailing.”

HERRICK.

Sir Thomas Acland informed Mr. Brand, in 1790, that at Werington, on Christmas Eve, “it was then customary for the country people to sing a wassail or drinking song, and throw the toast from the wassail-bowl to the apple-trees, in order to have a fruitful tree.”

In many towns in Cumberland it is the practice on Christmas Eve to roast apples before the fire on a string, and hold under them a bowl of spiced ale (called there mulled ale) and let them roast on until they drop into the ale.