Wren's Day

Although Westerners know it as Boxing Day, in many countries December 26 is known as the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr ("Good King Wenceslas looked out/On the feast of Stephen...").  In Ireland, they even refer to it as Wren's Day, due to the legends associating the life of Jesus with the wren.  Groups of people called Wrenboys or Mummers would travel capture a live wren, tie it to a decorated pole, and then parade it from house to house, accompanied by a wren, singing, dancing and playing music.  At each stop, the mummers would ask for a donation to be used later for a dance in the town square.  Extra money was often donated to a charity.  The following is a popular rhyme the wrenboys would recite.

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,

St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,

Although he was little his honour was great,

Jump up me lads and give us a treat.

As I was going to Killenaule,

I met a wren upon the wall.

Up with me wattle and knocked him down,

And brought him in to Carrick Town.

Drooolin, Droolin, where's your nest?

Tis in the bush that I love best

In the tree, the holly tree,

Where all the boys do follow me.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,

And give us a penny to bury the wren.

I followed the wren three miles or more,

Three miles or more three miles or more.

I followed the wren three miles or more,

At six o'clock in the morning.

I have a little box under me arm,

Under me arm under me arm.

I have a little box under me arm,

A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.

Mrs. Clancy's a very good woman,

a very good woman, a very good woman,

Mrs. Clancy's a very good woman,

She give us a penny to bury the wren.

Drawing courtesy http://2.bp.blogspot.com.