TO-DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20676, 24 December 1928, Page 4

TO-DAY IN HISTORY

DECEMBER 24. CHRISTMAS GAMES: SNAPDRAGON. Some interesting particulars relative tt the indoor diversions of our ancestors at Christmas, occur in the following passage* quoted by Brand from a tract entitled “Round About Our Coal-fire, or Christmas Entertainments,” which was published in the early part of the eighteenth century. “The time of the year being cold and frosty the diversions are within doors either in exercise or by the fire-side. Dancing is one of the chief exercises; or else there is a match at Blindman’s Buff, or Puss in the Corner. The next game is Questions >nd Commands, when the Commander may oblige his subjects to answer any lawful question, and make the same obey him instantly, under the penalty of being smutted (having the face blackened), or paying such forfeit as may be laid on the aggressor. Most of the other diversions are cards and dice.” From the above we gather that the sports on Christmas evenings two hundred years ago, were not greatly dissimilar to those in vogue at the present day. The names of almost all the pastimes then mentioned must, be familiar to every reader, who has probably also participated in them himself at some period of his life. Let us only add charades, that amusement that came in vogue in.* the ’sixties and little has been added since the days of Queen Anne and the first Georges. One favourite sport has been handed down to us from time immemorial under the name of “Snapdragon.” To the English this amusement is perfectly familiar, but it is almost unknown in Scotland. A quantity of raisins are deposited in a large dish or bowl (the broader and shallower it is the better), and brandy or some other spirit is poured over the fruit and igniter!. The bystanders now endeavour by turns, to grasp a raisin, by plunging their hands through the flames; and as this is somewhat of an arduous feat, requiring both courage and rapidity of action, a considerable amount of humour is derived at the expense of the unsuccessful competitors. The following is an old song composed for the occasion:

Here he comes with flaming bowl, Don’t he mean to take his toll, Snip! Snap! Dragon! Take care you don’t take too much, Be not greedy in your clutch. Snip! Snap! Dragon! With his blue and lapping tongue Many of you will be stung, Snip! Snap! Dragon! For he snaps at all that comes Snatching at his feast of plume, Snip! Snap! Dragon! But Old Christmas makes him come, Though he looks so fee! fa! fum! Don’t ’ee fear him, be but bold— Out he goes, his flames are cold, Snip! Snap! Dragon! While the sport is going on it is usual to extinguish the lights in the room so that the lurid glare from the flaming spirits exercises to the full its weird effects. There seems little doubt, that in this amusement we retain a trace of a still remoter epoch. A curious reference to it occurs in the quaint old play of “Lingua,” quoted by Mr Sandys in his work on Christmas. “MEMORY. Oh I remember this dish well; it was first invented by Pluto to entertain Proserpine withal. “PHANTASES. I think not so. Memory; for when Hercules had killed the flaming dragon of Hesperia with the apples of that orchard he made this fiery meat; in memory wherof he named it Snapdragon.” There is another sport favourite among the people of the west counties of England called “Flapdragon,” which consists of placing a lighted candle in a can of ale or cider and drinking up the contents of the vessel, a feat which of course involves the risk of having the face severely singed or even burned.