It was an ordinary day. Reading "The Scribbler" column in my morning newspaper and found something that I never knew before. It is said in the South-Eastern part of Pennsylvania that the day after Christmas is known as "Second Christmas" and is a day known for shenanigans. And...in case you might not know the definition of shenanigans...it is a secret or dishonest activity or maneuvering. Stuff that you wouldn't normally associate with Christmas! Second Christmas is an add-on holiday that always falls on December 26 and began in Europe in the Middle Ages as a commemoration of St. Stephen's Day. St. Stephen was a kind, generous man who preached cleverly and was stoned to death for blasphemy. During the past two centuries religious and recreational celebrations of the holiday have vied for primary attention from generation to generation, especially among the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brought the tradition here from Germany. This definition of St. Stephen's Day is entirely from Jack Brubaker, aka The Scribbler. Second Christmas began in the early 19th century with the fancy Dutch rather than the Plain sects. The holiday was observed by hunting foxes, staging shooting matches or dancing and drinking. Turtledoves were not involved! Second Christmas seemed to be celebrated just as much as regular Christmas according to the newspaper editorialists in the 1850s. The local newspaper at the time..."The Express", commented at length on a particularly wild Second Christmas in 1866. Seems a "Winter Ball" was held at the Normal School in Millersville and ended with "some bloody noses and black eyes, considerable drunkeness, with a sprinkle of rowdyism." Perhaps that is why even today, there are so few places where anyone can buy a drink in Millersville, a remarkably atypical college town. Then in 1872, "The Express", which by now seems to have coverage of Second Christmas all to itself, discussed a freak incident in which a youth named Stahl ate an entire goose before the sun set on December 26. Happened to be the same guy who according to "The Express" had eaten 17 dry pretzels without taking a drink of any liquid. By the end of the 19th century, celebration of Second Christmas, or at least newspaper coverage of it, seems to have been limited to church services and fox chases. It is said that several European countries still mark Second Christmas today. Those in Lancaster County who still continue to celebrate are primarily Amish. They break free of the religious services of December 25 to spend time exchanging good with family and neighbors. Amish youngsters go off to play volleyball or more daring games while Lancaster County roads are filled with horse-and-buggy teams traveling to and fro. As far as non-Amish...well most went back to work on Second Christmas, leaving their kids alone to play with new toys that Santa hauled down their chimney on the first day of Christmas. If you happened to miss Second Christmas this year, make sure you put it on your calendar for next year so you don't miss out on all the fun. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy,
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