Heritage Christmas

This time of year, you might spot some Jèrriais around – on gifts, at Jersey Museum and on cards at the Christmas Market.  You might even hear a cheerful “Bouan Noué!” (Merry Christmas) wishing you well.

Several old Island customs have faded, like ‘La Longue Veil’ye’ on 23 December — an evening of work, games, songs, and last-minute making of goods before families made their sometimes once-a-year trip to St Helier on Christmas Eve to sell them.

Prefer roast pork to turkey? You’re in keeping with tradition. Jersey families served ‘du lard au fou’ and swapped today’s pudding for the lighter ‘podîn d’Noué’.

Children used to wander door to door chanting:
“Man Noué, s’i’ vos pliaît! Un morcé d’gâche sus l’but d’l’ais!” (My Christmas, please! A piece of cake on the end of the shelf!)

Some families even kept Old Christmas Day on 6 January — a relic of the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.

Noué est long à v’nîn, mais il est bein vite pâssé  /Christmas is long in coming, but passes very quickly.

À forche dé crier Noué, i’ veint  / Shout Christmas long enough and along it comes.

À La Saint Miché les pithots et à Noué les picots / Eat geese at Michaelmas and turkeys at Christmas.

À Noué à ses pîngnons, à Pâques à ses tisons / If you spend Christmas outside because it’s warm, you’ll spend Easter at your fireside because you’ll be cold.

D’l’aube gélée d’vant Noué ch’est d’la plyie toute pathée / Frost before Christmas means rain coming soon.