Topsy-turvy Fun

Hengist Journey #2

The second Nature’s tribe book delves deeply into the traditions surrounding the “12 Days of Yule,” many of which have found their way into our modern celebration of Christmas.
Unfortunately, none of these made the cut:

Hoodening:

A motley crew would travel from house to house, playing out a short sketch featuring a man dressed as the Hoden Horse, who terrorises the children, snapping at them with great wooden jaws. He’s accompanied by the whip-cracking Waggoner, a tiny jockey who can’t quite seem to mount this terrifying beast and Mollie – a man dressed as a woman who wields a broom and chases the women around the room. Musicians play well known ditties which everyone joins in, and they are rewarded with gifts of food and coin before besieging the next household. 

Lord of Misrule - Topsy-Turvy:
Similar to Saturnalia, an ancient tradition dating back to Roman times, also the Feast of Fools - a Christian adaptation in Medieval Europe.
For many villages it was the height of the season, where everything was shaken up. Lords and masters would dress as peasants and serve their people, who donned airs and graces to match their borrowed finery for the day. Husbands and wives would swap clothes, people would wear garments back-to-front, inside out or all of the above.
A Lord of Misrule would be appointed to preside over the revelries, and he would decree a set of rules which people had to obey or pay a forfeit. The emphasis was on fun and mischief as people ate, drank and played tricks.

Freya-Day and the Queen of Winter
One of twelve days was dedicated to Freya, where people would greet each other with a traditional greeting involving a hug, kiss and even a small dance to spread the warmth and love of the season. The main feast would be split between households, with groups of neighbours banding together and each one providing one of the courses, then all moving to the next house for subsequent houses. And a different beverage would be served at each one – the original “pub crawl.”
Usually on a different day, women would be treated like queens, wearing their finery, topped with an ivy crown. Their menfolk and children would take over the cooking and household duties while they took a day off to visit with their friends.