I am wondering which cities/places do or did this.
In Liverpool, there is a tradition (that is dying out) of wearing brand new clothes on Xmas day and Easter Sunday. Wearing new clothes on Easter has mostly died out due to religion dying out. Wearing new clothes on Xmas day includes both kids and adults. Depending on gender on Xmas day you wear a new coat, a new dress, a new shirt or jumper, new trousers, a new skirt, new footwear, new knickers, new boxer shorts, new socks, etc.
I thought this was an English/British tradition. Then one time living in Amsterdam I was out drinking with a fellow Scouser in December. With us was a MF couple from Hull we were friends with. My friend from Liverpool asked me if I had bought my Christmas clothes yet. I told him I was waiting to get home to Liverpool to buy my Christmas clothes. The couple from Hull asked what were where talking about. They asked what Christmas clothes are. We then explained it’s a tradition in Liverpool on Xmas day to wear new clothes and both adults and children do this. They were surprised we did this and said they didn’t do it in Hull. At the time this happened there was no search engine such as Google to find out if this was a Liverpool-only tradition. We also told them it was a tradition to wear new clothes on Easter Sunday. The couple from Hull told us wearing new clothes on Easter Sunday is also not a tradition in Hull.
Anyway I now know from asking my parents and using the Internet I know the tradition of wearing new clothes on Xmas day and Easter Sunday in Liverpool was due to poverty and religion. In England in every city Protestants outnumbered Catholics. Due to the influx of Irish people coming and living in Liverpool Catholics outnumbered Protestants 2 to 1 in Liverpool. As the crow flies the nearest city to Dublin is Liverpool. My parents were born during WW2. At the time of WW2 and all through my parent’s childhood, Liverpool was a poor city. Of course, we had rich prosperous people in Liverpool but the majority of families were financially poor.
Sorry if I am teaching my grandmother to eat eggs. In the Catholic religion, Xmas day and Easter Sunday are important dates. Due to poverty my parents only got new clothes on Xmas and Easter. It was important on Xmas day and Easter Sunday you went to church dressed smartly. In between Easter Sunday and Xmas day you made do and mend your clothes.
I believe the tradition of wearing new clothes on Xmas day is also a Manchester tradition.
What other cities or places have the new clothes on Xmas day tradition?
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I skimmed the majority. Is it that people aren't wearing new clothes on Christmas anymore?
We used to get a nice shirt or jumper, mostly as kids. That we'd have to wear for Christmas lunch. Normally covering in gravy.
Step dad's a scouser. He normally wore old linen shirts/trousers. Was more pirate. |
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"I skimmed the majority. Is it that people aren't wearing new clothes on Christmas anymore?
We used to get a nice shirt or jumper, mostly as kids. That we'd have to wear for Christmas lunch. Normally covering in gravy.
Step dad's a scouser. He normally wore old linen shirts/trousers. Was more pirate. "
No. What I am asking is, in short, there is a tradition in Liverpool of wearing new clothes on Xmas day. By new clothes I mean everything you wear is a new coat, top, pants, footwear underwear, etc.
I thought this was a British tradition and was surprised to find out it isn't.
I am now wondering which cities/towns/places have the tradition of wearing new clothes on Xmas day.
Even to this day if I turned up on Xmas day at my mother's house on Xmas day and I wasn't in new clothes my mother would be very upset. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I skimmed the majority. Is it that people aren't wearing new clothes on Christmas anymore?
We used to get a nice shirt or jumper, mostly as kids. That we'd have to wear for Christmas lunch. Normally covering in gravy.
Step dad's a scouser. He normally wore old linen shirts/trousers. Was more pirate.
No. What I am asking is, in short, there is a tradition in Liverpool of wearing new clothes on Xmas day. By new clothes I mean everything you wear is a new coat, top, pants, footwear underwear, etc.
I thought this was a British tradition and was surprised to find out it isn't.
I am now wondering which cities/towns/places have the tradition of wearing new clothes on Xmas day.
Even to this day if I turned up on Xmas day at my mother's house on Xmas day and I wasn't in new clothes my mother would be very upset. "
Step dad (effectively my second dad for over 20 years) is from Liverpool and he didn't do this. But I appreciate I only closely know one loverpudlian.
My mum would be upset if we weren't smart but not brand new. |
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