Can the smilies have their festive SANTA hats please Trystan?

[Mike in Cumbria]

It's traditional to take Christmas decorations down at Epiphany (yesterday).

Yes, Christmas decorations come down on my birthday. It was also often the day we went back to school.

It only made matters seem worse when I realised that many European countries have a national holiday on my birthday.

[Maiden Stone]

Smileys are less smiley without their Santa hats.
Today is Plough Monday. We could cheer January by dressing-up and visiting houses of rich folks to solicit gifts of money or food & drink. A sort of ancient rural trick or treat. Anyone got a spare plough which needs decorating?

[BumbleB]

Interesting!  In a way it is very sad that these old traditions have disappeared 

[Maiden Stone]

Interesting!  In a way it is very sad that these old traditions have disappeared 

Modern ploughs probably too big and expensive to drag around a village.
The tradition had a serious side - obtaining food, drink and cash at a time of year when ag. labs were short of work.

[BumbleB]

In actual fact probably easier to drag a plough around now,  than when it was drawn by horses - there might be a lot less furrows in the local roads

I do remember being placed on the horse's back whilst ploughing and I was "helping" the local farmer - at least he knew where I was!  I had been known to hide the bag of turnip seed down a rabbit hole, BECAUSE no-one took any notice of me (and then I couldn't remember which hole it was)