According to my Santa Claus: Last of the Wild Men book (iirc, that is) the YulBuck is from 15th-16thC Sweden, and the tradition was for the entire family to move their bedding down to in front of the main hearth, and sleep en masse in front of the fire, for the night, like a puddle of cats.
Which could be a different sort of fun.
(And when I was first reading these of traditions, I was kind of horrified at the idea of deliberately scaring kids to make them behave. ....And then I thought about how big a kick modern kids get out of the ghosts and ghoulies we bring out on Halloween. And I don't imagine it was much different, a few centuries ago).
Up on the HarperCollins web site, there's an amusing video of author Neil Gaiman talking about a Christmas tradition from his childhood that he'd like to see revived.
(Um. Now I can't remember whether your computer can do videos. Let me know if you'd like a textual synopsis.)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 07:30 pm (UTC)"Oh noes! It's Christmas eve and I have nobody to share my bed with, whatever will I do?" *much sighing and batting of eyelashes*
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 08:02 pm (UTC)Which could be a different sort of fun.
(And when I was first reading these of traditions, I was kind of horrified at the idea of deliberately scaring kids to make them behave. ....And then I thought about how big a kick modern kids get out of the ghosts and ghoulies we bring out on Halloween. And I don't imagine it was much different, a few centuries ago).
no subject
Date: 2008-12-01 11:48 am (UTC)(Um. Now I can't remember whether your computer can do videos. Let me know if you'd like a textual synopsis.)