8 Flowers and Festivals 



as well as great, and neglects nothing that pertains 

 even to the meanest office of the Church." 



Stow, in his Survey of London," says, "that against 

 the feast of Christmas, every man's house, as also 

 their parish churches, were decked with holme, ivy, 

 bayes, and whatsoever the season of the year afforded 

 to be green." 



But the practice of adorning the Church with 

 garlands and flowers was not particularly confined to 

 Christmas-tide, but was also observed at the greater 

 festivals of the Church, and more especially upon the 

 feast-day of the Saint to whom the Church was 

 dedicated; for Barnabe Googe, in his translation of 

 the Regnum Papisticum of Naogeorgus," describing 

 a dedication feast, says : — 



*• From out the steeple high is hangde a crosse and banner fayre, 

 The pavement of the temple strowde with hearbes of pleasant 

 ayre, 



The pulpets and the aulters, all that in the Church are seene, 

 And every pewe and pillar grete are deckt with boughes of 

 greene." 



The use of flowers and wreaths for the decoration 



