St Crispin's Day

 If they existed St Crispin and Crispinian were brothers who lived devout Christian lives in Rome until they were driven out to Gaul where they became missionaries, they had given up all their possessions and became shoemakers and lived in peace until Emperor Maximian visited and some Pagans complained about the brothers preaching Christianity. They were tortured and then beheaded around AD285. 

But it was much later before they were heard about in this country where they became known as the patron saints of leatherworkers. 

It was Shakespeare, whose lines in Henry V Act IV remembered the day, as it was the day that the Battle of Agincourt was fought in 1415

This day is called the feast of St Crispian.He that outlives this day and come safe home will stand a tip-toe when the day is named. And rouse him at the name as Crispian. He that shall live this day, and see old age, will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours and say 'Tomorrow is Saint Crispian'. Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, and say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day '.

In some places customs remembering the saints carried on until the mid 1800's at least. This was recorded in 1852

 In the parishes of Cuckfield and Hurst-a-point in Sussex. It is still the custom to observe St Crispins Day and is kept with much rejoicing. The boys go round asking for money in the name of St Crispin, bonfires are lighted, and it passes off very much in the same way as the fifth of November does.

   

St Crispin's Day: Shoemakers having a holiday in honour of their patron saint. (George Cruickshank Comic Almanac 1836)

And an old saying from Herefordshire 

"The twenty-fifth of October, Cursed be the cobbler who goes to bed sober". 

A reminder to shoemakers and cobblers to celebrate appropriately!

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Thanks everyone for comments over the last two days, especially for all the ideas for A-Z posts for November, and to Jan, who went above and beyond with two long lists, although the AI one was a bit random! I got my lap top back with it's windows update, nothing changed really but I guess being on windows 11 updates security.

Have a good weekend, it's clocks back weekend here - not a fan, but  I'll be back Monday.