Ellington

Many folks jerk their Christmas décor down as soon as the turkey stupor wears off. Others, though, think it's bad luck to take it down before the evening of Jan. 5, also known as Twelfth Night in Christian traditions derived from the Old English. (Twelfth Night is actually on the 11th day of Christmas, the eve of Epiphany, which is considered the 12th Day of Christmas. Confused, yet?)

Much of the post-Christmas Day traditions from the English have to do with lords finally getting around to doing nice stuff for their servants (such as Boxing Day on Dec. 26). So it was true with Twelfth Night, when the Normans (whom rumor has it my Ladd ancestors descend from) likely brought the tradition of celebrating Christmas to England. The lord-feudal togetherness (at least for a night or two) evolved into a more democratic celebration on the eve of the day that is considered the anniversary of the Three Wise Men's visit to the baby Jesus—and is also the start of Carnival season, culminating in Mardi Gras and the following fasts (and hangovers).

Several traditions revolve around Twelfth Night, including eating "King Cakes" (Epiphany is called Le Jour des Rois in France, "the Day of Kings") and wassailing—drinking a warm punch of dark ale and apple cider and getting a bit rowdy with song and revelry. The original purpose of wassailing (amid the apple groves of west England) was to ward off evil spirits and drink "to the health" of the trees on which their livelihood depended. So, essentially, it was about economic development, community and good luck: three things we like to wish and pray for here in Jackson.

If you're in the mood to extend your holiday old English style, brew up a vat of wassail. This recipe is from Sarah Ban Breathnach's delightful book, "Romancing the Ordinary: A Year of Simple Splendor" (Simon & Schuster, Out of Print); this recipe is for a crowd:

2 quarts apple cider
6 cans dark English ale
2 cinnamon sticks
spice ball (metal tea ball filled with a teaspoon each of whole cloves and whole nutmeg)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 lemon, sliced
6 small lady apples (or 3 regular apples, sliced)

Simmer all ingredients in a large saucepan for 20 minutes. Don't let it boil. Roast the apples, sprinkled with brown sugar for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. When ready, pop them into the punch. Eliminate the ale for a non-alcoholic version.