"St Thomas Grey, St Thomas Grey, The longest night and the shortest day"
Today is Winter Solstice and also the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, patron of carpenters and masons.
Interestingly, each December 21st in medieval England, the Sheriffs of York proclaimed a Christmas amnesty for petty criminals in reverence of the high feast of Yule - 'til the twelve days be passed'. What happened after the yule cool-off for dice-players and 'unthrifty' folk is food for thought!
All around old England, poor women and children went 'Thomassing' on this day for Christmas 'goodenings', especially flour for yule bread and wheat for frumenty, a thick wheat porridge flavored with fruit and spices.
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