ST STEPHEN'S DAY,HUNT THE WREN- CRITTERS SUNDAY

I'm a baby Blackbird not a Wren, Babooshka

Yesterday was Boxing Day, St Stephen's Day and also Wren Day/Hunt The Wren Day. I had never heard of Wren day until I moved to the Isle of Man. Unfortuntately I have no Wren images so I chose my smallest bird image a baby blackbird.

What is Hunting The Wren ?

Hunting the Wren was quite a bloodthirsty ritual as gangs of youths, boys would scour the countryside looking for a defenceless wren to trap and kill. Now a more humane option is to use an artificial bird you will be glad to hear.

The wren then became the centrepiece for a "bush" - two wooden hoops set at right angles and placed on top of a pole and covered with ribbons and evergreens.

 'The "bush" would then be carried from house to house while the group sang the Hunt the Wren song and hoped to collect some money or treats for their troubles. 

'The song charts the progress of the wren from being hunted, caught, cooked and then eaten. There are many suggestions as to why the poor wren should be singled out for such treatment, such as it being a commemoration of the martyrdom of St Stephen and revenge on the wren because it is the reincarnation of an enchantress who lured men to their death in droves. 

'The feathers of the wren are distributed amongst the wren boys as a good luck charm, being particularly potent against witchcraft and to prevent a shipwreck.' 

What wiki has to say click here 

Do you know any other Wren Day connections?

or more cute and crazies see MISTY DAWN and her own beauties and others more cute and crazies see MISTY DAWN and her own beauties and others