clustering in groups round every
pillar.... At last, from under the altar, the senior priest ... took out
the image of the Babe New-born, reverently and slowly, and held it up in
his hands for adoration. Instantly every one crossed himself, and fell on
his knees in silent worship."{72} The crib is very popular in Spanish
homes and is the delight of children, as may be learnt from Fernan
Caballero's interesting sketch of Christmas Eve in Spain, "La Noche de
Navidad."{73}

|118| In England the Christmas crib is to be found nowadays in most
Roman, and a few Anglican, churches. In the latter it is of course an
imitation, not a survival. It is, however, possible that the custom of
carrying dolls about in a box at Advent or Christmas time, common in some
parts of England in the nineteenth century, is a survival, from the
Middle Ages, of something like the crib. The so-called "vessel-cup" was
"a box containing two dolls, dressed up to represent the Virgin and the
infant Christ, decorated with ribbons and surrounded by flowers and
apples." The box had usually a glass lid, was covered by a white napkin,
and was carried from door to door by a woman.{74} It was esteemed very
unlucky for any household not to be visited by the "Advent images" before
Christmas Eve, and the bearers sang the well-known carol of the "Joys of
Mary."{75} In Yorkshire only one image was carried about.{76} At
Gilmorton, Leicestershire, a friend of the present writer remembers that
the children used to carry round what they called a "Christmas Vase," an
open box without lid in which lay three dolls side by side, with oranges
and sprigs of evergreen. Some people regarded these as images of the
Virgin, the Christ Child, and Joseph.[41]

* * * * *

In this study of the feast of the Nativity as represented in liturgy and
ceremonial we have already come close to what may strictly be called
drama; in the next chapter we shall cross the border line and consider
the religious plays of the Middle Ages and the relics of or parallels to
them found in later times.

|119| |120| |121|

CHAPTER V

CHRISTMAS DRAMA

Origins of the Mediaeval Drama--Dramatic Tendencies in the
Liturgy--Latin Liturgical Plays--The Drama becomes
Laicized--Characteristics of the Popular Drama--The Nativity in the
English Miracle Cycles--Christmas Mysteries in France--Later French
Survivals of Christmas Drama--German Christmas Pla