Fun Facts

From November into December…

November

November 5th celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Newick has celebrated ‘The Fifth’ for at least 150 years. Since 1936 the bonfire celebrations have been organised by Newick Bonfire Society and enjoy a countywide reputation as one of the best and most traditional events in Sussex. The Village Green gives Newick’s bonfire night a unique atmosphere, just as it does when our huge marquee is erected there for our Annual Show! These are village tradition held dear. Long may they continue.

November 11th. A minute’s silence to commemorate the end of World War I and honor all those who have died in conflict. The main observance this year is held on Remembrance Sunday, 9th November. 

The Act of Supremacy was passed by Parliament on November 3rd, 1534, which declared the King of England as the head of the Church of England and severed ties with Catholic Rome.
In 1919, Nancy Astor was elected as the first female Member of Parliament in the UK. 

December:-

December contains the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere- when the North Pole experiences NO daylight at all!

Originally, December was the 10th month in the Roman calendar. When January and February were added, December still kept its name but became the 12th month. In ancient Rome, December included the festival of Saturnalia, a period of feasting and gift-giving that preceded the celebration of the ‘Unconquered Sun’ on December  25th. This is a literal translation of ‘Sol Invictus’, a sun god in the late Roman Empire.  Emperor Aurelian elevated Sol Invictus to a position of importance around 274 AD and established a feast day for him on December 25th. This date corresponds with the winter solstice, a time when the days begin to get longer, symbolising the sun's "rebirth" and unconquered power.

Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th. Although some evidence suggests that Jesus' birth may have occurred in the Spring. Pope Julius 1 was responsible for choosing December 25th, possibly in an effort to absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.

Yule, a winter solstice festival, and Saturnalia, the Roman festival, contributed to modern Christmas customs such as feasting, decorating with greenery, and the spirit of merrymaking.

December 26th. Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities. It originated in the United Kingdom. The date is also concurrent with the Christian festival Saint Stephen’s Day.

Historical Facts:- On December 1st 1135, King Henry I of England died after a ‘too-rich' meal of lampreys (a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth, whose name derived from lampetra- "stone licker"…they don’t look or sound  tasty to me at all!)

On December 10th 1901, the first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death

December 1, 1941: The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, bringing the United States into World War II.