Yellow Star of Bethlehem. _Tragopogon pratensis._
Dedicated to _St. Yvo_.
~May 23.~
_St. Julia_, 5th Cent. _St. Desiderius_, Bp. of Langres, 7th Cent.
_St. Desiderius_, Bp. of Vienne, A. D. 612.
~Whitsuntide.~
Mr. Fosbroke remarks that this feast was celebrated in Spain with
representations of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of thunder from
engines, which did much damage. Wafers, or cakes, preceded by water,
oak-leaves, or burning torches, were thrown down from the church roof;
small birds, with cakes tied to their legs, and pigeons were let loose;
sometimes there were tame white ones tied with strings, or one of wood
suspended. A long censer was also swung up and down. In an old Computus,
anno 1509, of St. Patrick’s, Dublin, we have iv^{s}. vii^{d}. paid to
those playing with the great and little angel and the dragon; iii^{s}.
paid for little cords employed about the Holy Ghost; iv^{s}. vi^{d}. for
making the angel (_thurificantis_) censing, and ii^{s}. ii^{d}. for
cords of it--all on the feast of Pentecost. On the day before
Whitsuntide, in some places, men and boys rolled themselves, after
drinking, &c. in the mud in the streets. The Irish kept the feast with
milk food, as among the Hebrews; and a breakfast composed of cake,
bread, and a liquor made by hot water poured on wheaten bran. The
_Whitson Ales_ were derived from the _Agapai_, or love-feasts of the
early Christians, and were so denominated from the churchwardens buying,
and laying in from presents also, a large quantity of malt, which they
brewed into beer, and sold out in the church or elsewhere. The profits,
as well as those from sundry games, there being no poor rates, were
given to the poor, for whom this was one mode of provision, according to
the christian rule that all festivities should be rendered innocent by
alms. Aubrey thus describes a Whitson Ale. “In every parish was a
church-house, to which belonged spits, crocks, and other utensils for
dressing provisions. Here the housekeepers met. The young people were
there too, and had dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, &c. the ancients
sitting gravely by, and looking on.” It seems too that a tree was
erected by the church door, where a banner was placed, and maidens stood
gathering contributions. An arbour, called Robin Hood’s Bower, was also
put up in the church-yard. The modern Whitson Ale consists of a lord and
lady of the ale, a steward, sword-bearer, purse-bearer, mace-bearer,
train-bearer, or page, fool, and pipe and tabor man, with a company of
young men and women, who dance in a barn.