Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2B
^Reporter
December 17,2008
Monroe County Outdoors
Unusual Christmas customs
throughout
I Uthe world engage in
a number of tradi-
I tions during the
Christmas holiday
season. Some of this customs
seem bit strange
to those of us liv
ing in Middle
Georgia as they
don’t seem to have
much to do with
the ways in which
we celebrate this
joyous time of the
year.
On such tradi
tion is known as
the
Hunting
the Wren
or Going on
the Wren.
That’s
right, a
wren hunt. I just can’t
imagine anybody wanting
to hunt something as small
as a wren especially at
Christmas. These hunts
were popular is some of
the more rural areas of
Ireland a little over a cen
tury ago. For some reason,
the celebration in enjoying
a resurgence in recent
years. The hunts are
staged on December 26th
on what is called St.
Stephens Day.
This holiday, also known
as the Feast of Stephen
has been immortalized in
my favorite Christmas
carol - Good King
Wencelas. The appearance
of wrens on Christmas
cards and decorations is a
reminder of this odd tradi
tion.
On the day after
Christmas bands of young
boys (an now girls) scatter
across the countryside in
search of these tiny song
sters. Once they capture
or kill a wren the hunters
return to village and place
the hapless bird atop a
pole decorated with bright
ly colored paper and rib
bons. Today artificial
wrens have replaced the
real thing. The revelers
then don straw masks,
smear burnt cork on their
faces and dress in old
clothes and parade around
their village while they
sing. The lyrics of one
Celtic song entitled Wren
in the Furze goes some
thing like this, “So it’s up
with the kettle and down
with the pan. Won’t you
give us a
penny and buy
a wren?” The
money collect
ed by the chil
dren is used to
support local
schools and
other worth
while projects.
The origins
of this strange
custom
are lost
in the
mists of
time.
Some
suggest
that the tradition can be
traced back to the first
Christian missionaries
that came to Britian. It is
said that they were so
enraged that the pagan
druids deemed the wren
the King of the Birds that
they ordered that wrens be
hunted on Christmas Day.
Another tale tells us that
the calls of a wren revealed
alerted the enemies of St.
Stephen to his hiding place
where he was captured
and stoned to death.
According to the Bible,
Stephen was the first per
son to be martyred for his
faith in Jesus. He is now
considered the patron saint
of the deacons.
America’s version of the
wren hunt was the
Christmas Side Hunt.
These hunts were popular
at the turn of the 20th cen
tury. On Christmas Day,
large groups of hunters
would divide themselves
up into teams. The goal of
each team was to bag as
many birds and other ani
mals that they could.
In 1900, the noted
ornithologist Frank
Chapman decided to stage
a protest to these hunts.
Instead of shooting robins,
sparrows and other ani
mals, he proposed that
wildlife enthusiasts count
birds on Christ’s birthday.
The first survey, called the
Mustang wrestlers
off to strong start
The 2008-09 Monroe
Academy wrestling team is
off to a fast start. In three
meets this year, the
Mustang wrestling team
has a record of 17 wins, 12
losses, with 14 of the wins
coming on pins. The team
is led by sophomores Trey
SAnders and Austin
Anderson, junior Dane
Adams and senior Micah
Gilbert.
Anderson has six wins,
all being by pin. Sanders
also has six wins, five of
which were by pin. Adams
has tree wins, two by pin
and Gilbert has two wins,
with one pin.
The next meet will be in
January at FPD in Macon.
MP
continued from IB
The Bulldogs traveled to Thomaston on Saturday and
lost to Upson-Lee, 75-56.
The Dogs have a record of 2-4.
The Lady Dogs are faring a little better, with a record
of 5-2 so far this season. The ladies lost to a tough
Jackson team last week, 52-36. But, the LAdy Dogs
rebounded with two wins, beating South Atlanta at
home Friday, 55-43. UP NEXT: THe Bulldogs and Lady
Bulldogs are home Tuesday night against Jones County
(1B-AAAA) and Friday night against Monticello (4-AA).
The girls play at 6 p.m. and the boys play at 7:30 p.m.
Time to sign up
for REC b'ball
The 2009 Monroe County
Recreation basketball season
begins with the draft Jan. 10.
Register to play at theRec
Dept. Monday - Thursday
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Friday and Saturday from 9
a.m. to noon. The deadline to
register is Jan. 3.
Christmas Bird Census
was held December 26,
1900. Twenty-seven folks
tallied roughly 18,500
birds representing 90
species on this inaugural
event.
Nobody that participated
in the survey could have
ever imagined what the
census would become.
Now known as the
Christmas Bird Count, it is
recognized as the longest
running wildlife survey in
the world. This year marks
the 109th anniversary of
the count. In 2008 approxi
mately 58,000 volunteers
participated in 2113 counts
were held in 13 countries.
They spotted more that 53
million birds representing
2267 species.
In Norway guns have
long been a part of
Christmas Holiday. Many
people in this
Scandinavian County
believe that the spirits of
their departed ancestors
return at Christmas.
Plates of food are prepared
and set out for these ghost
ly guests.
They also believe that
evil spirits appear at the
holiday season.
Consequently, groups of
men walk about from
house to house shooting off
firearms to scare away
these unwelcomed guests.
Strange at it may sound
to some, watching the
movie A Christmas Story
has become a Christmas
tradition in thousands of
American homes. This
movie has become so popu
lar that Turner Network
Television (TNT) annually
broadcasts the film for 24
hours during the holiday
season.
While you might not
remember the film by its
name, I am sure that you
have seen it. It is a story
about a young Midwestern
boy that wants Santa to
bring him a Red Ryder BB
gun for Christmas.
Christmas is indeed a
special time of the year.
Over the centuries scores
of seemingly bizarre ways
to celebrate this holiday
have emerged throughout
if nETkl^J
the world. While we may
not understand them, our
customs may seem just as
odd to those they don’t
share our Christmas tradi
tions. However, the impor
tant thing for all of us to
remember the true mean
ing of Christmas. This spe
cial holiday is the celebra
tion of the birth of Christ.
I hope you and your fami
ly have a great Christmas!
Terry Johnson is the
retired Program Manager
of the Georgia Nongame-
Endangered Wildlife
Program. He is currently
Executive Director of
TERN (The Nongame
Wildlife Section's Friends
Group) and conducts
wildlife research and sur
vey projects, presents pro
grams and writes about
wildlife. Email him at
TJWoodDuck@aol.com.
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