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Witch Weekly · December 24, 2020 – 8:25 AM

5 Christmas Traditions to Avoid This Holiday Season
Traditions are part of what makes the holiday season so charming, but not every tradition adds to the joy of this particular time of year. Check our list of a few well known holiday traditions one might want to avoid this year...

1. Caroling
The Tradition: A group gathers — sometimes men, sometimes women, sometimes both — and wanders through the neighborhood singing beloved Christmas carols for the edification of their neighbors.
Why Avoid It: Aside from getting quite cold, this tradition was co-opted last year by a group of "gentlemen" from the club Excalibur who were nearly too intoxicated to stand, leaving Bartonburg residents scandalized. As a result, many of the typical boons available to carolers such as cocoa or biscuits will not be available as neighbors plan to keep their doors firmly shut against any shenanigans. Caroling this year may cause your character to be called into question, if the streets are once again filled with rabble-rousers disguised as carolers.

2. Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts
The Tradition: Originally a children's poem, the Twelve Days of Christmas has inspired some families to give small gifts during the eleven days leading up to the holiday, not just on Christmas morning.
Why Avoid It: Getting a gift each day, even a small gift such as candies, can spoil your children. If you do use a series of small gifts, mix it up by occasionally hiding tiny pieces of coal or spring-loaded jinxes in the boxes so that your children don't grow too complacent and demanding.

3. Mistletoe
The Tradition: When a man and woman find themselves beneath a sprig of mistletoe, they must exchange a kiss in order to move on, or face bad luck.
Why Avoid It: If you're already in a relationship such as a marriage or courtship, engaging in public displays of affection is accomplishing nothing but making others uncomfortable. If you aren't, it's a risk you out to avoid. Some women gamble on the chance that getting a kiss will spur a potential beau to propose sooner, but if it doesn't pay off you'll be seen as damaged goods forevermore.

4. Sleigh Rides
The Tradition: Due to the beauty of the snow, it has become tradition to ride in an open carriage in order to take in the scenery.
Why Avoid It: Horses trotting over snowy paths such as the ones frequented on sleigh rides will give a bumpier ride to any ladies in the carriage, which increases the risk of a wandering uterus and hysteria. Additionally, the lack of cover means that a particularly nasty bump in the road could send you flying towards an icy death as you're trampled under the sleigh immediately behind you!

5. Stockings
The Tradition: Another tradition inspired by a poem, children hang their stockings by the fireplace in the hopes of having them filled with candies, small toys, or coins.
Why Avoid It: The family in the original poem was poor and had their stockings hanging by the fire because that was the only place available to dry their laundry. Hanging stockings out for Christmas will make you look poor, too; stick to presents beneath the tree.

Don't get stuck in the past; ditch these traditions while you can!

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Issue #249 - Most Likely to be Trapped Under the Mistletoe (On Purpose!)