We thought that a few stories of Christmas past may be of interest and these extracts (paraphrased) from the Newsletter of The Cornish Association of Victoria (Ballarat Branch) of December 2025, caught our eye.
Cornish Christmas Customs
In Cornwall, there is a time-honoured observance attached to the early hours of Christmas morning. The adults unloose the left shoe of the first child they meet who, in return, asks a small contribution which it is thought most unlucky to refuse.
This quaint practise is believed to bring prosperity and freedom from every kind of fatal illness throughout the approaching year, and is therefore kept up in many districts.
(From the Advertiser [Adelaide, SA: 1889-1931] Wednesday 25th December 1907 pg 6 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page933883)
The Cornish Christmas by S Trevena Jackson
There are about four hundred thousand people living in Cornwall which is bound on the east by Devonshire, on the north and west by the Atlantic and on the south by the British Channel [mostly referred to as the British Sea and then, surreptitiously, as the English Channel].
The Cornish custom of making Christmas the day of days is worth much to their home life.
Eight or ten weeks before Christmas much is done with a view to make the season a time of joy and goodwill. The mothers are making their yuletide puddings and the boys and girls are placing their pennies in little tin boxes, not to be touched until Christmas Eve. The miners are bringing home the Christmas blocks from the mines to burn in the open fireplace on the night of the celebration of the Saviour’s birth.
Boys of the various parts of the town are falling themselves into groups of about six or seven to practise carols for Christmas. Some of these boys are quite young, others are able to read but little, while some who cannot read at all can sing many Christmas carols. They meet in some woodshed, empty chicken coop, wash house or barn with a miners’ candle for a light, repeating over and over again the great selections they desired to sing from house to house on Christmas night.
Find the Cornish man or boy where you may, he is well versed in great hymns and Christmas carols. The young men meet in the churches and chapels and have a most careful training to sing well on the morning of Christ’s birth. Certainly the young woman joined with the men. Many of these young men have remarkable voices. They gather weeks before the celebration on the corners, under lighted street lamps, and sing, each one taking his part.
About two weeks before Christmas, the mothers are as busy as Beavers. The Cornish saffron cake must be made; the home will be dark and dead without its Christmas saffron cake. The Cornish women are experts in this part of cookery and in some homes they make as many as twenty or thirty loaves. They are careful to have the cake very rich, with a beautiful golden colour. The poor must not be forgotten, so an extra loaf is made for the needy. The Christmas saffron cake is the main thing in a Cornish home at christmastide, they have many things but nothing in such quality and quantity as this golden cake.
On Christmas Eve, everyone that is able goes to the market: it is one of the busiest beehives in the world. The streets are thronged with young and old making their last purchases of fruit, nuts, candy and other dainties at the shops, for all must be closed on Christmas Day.
At twelve o’clock every person must be out of the public houses and it is an interesting sight to see the men come out of these places. Joining in groups, they sing most heartily Christmas carols, then go to their homes, sleep until about four in the morning, arise and hasten to the chapels to hear the singing. Three thousand persons have often been crowded in one of these places of worship at five o’clock and at six o’clock they go to another Chapel. There is no preaching, simply singing the glory of God for the gift of his Son.
The Christmas dinner in the Cornish home is a dinner indeed. No stint anywhere for even if they are poor, someone has been abundant in good deeds. The meal done, the family gather around the fire in the little parlour, while someone tells a story of old Father Christmas, and then joining singing the anthems of the season.
About four o’clock in the afternoon these folks must have their cup of tea and a piece of Christmas cake.
About seven in the evening, the boys, who for eight weeks have been doing their level best to know the carols by heart, are starting out to sing in the homes. The boy who can repeat the verses best is the leader. At some homes they get a cool reception, and are not admitted; at another you will hear a dear old Cornish mother say, “Come in my dears, give us a carl. The Lord bless ee, what can ee sing my dears?”
Then the leader gives out the first verse of the first Carol at the Cornish boys have learned: ‘The Lord is come, the heavens proclaim…’
This having been sung with real vim, the dear old mother asks, “What more can ee sing, my dears?”
Then the leader gives out ‘While shepherds watched their flocks by night…’
Then the cake and lemonade are passed around; the boys enjoys all there is for them.
One of the company suggests they sing ‘Christians Awake’ but the leader says, “That’s a trifle hard for we boys.”
Someone responds, “Go ‘ead, an try un Sam” and the leader announces ‘Christians awake, salute the happy morn…’
It was well sung and it was time to pass the hat and when it came back there was a silver piece in it with some pennies.
Thus the Cornish boys from year to year become the songsters of God’s best gift to this world.
This is one of the means of making boys better, girls purer, mother’s nobler and fathers more fervent in fidelity to the Christian faith.
(From the Australian Christian Commonwealth [SA: 1901-1940] Friday 23rd December 1910 pg 6 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page23944749)