Saint Clement's Day was traditionally, and in some places still is, celebrated on 23 November, a festival between Halloween and Christmas. Pope Clement I is the patron saint of metalworkers and blacksmiths, and so these workers traditionally enjoyed a holiday on his feast day.
Festivities
"Old Clem's Night" started literally with a bang and showers of sparks during the ritual "firing of the anvil." The smith packed gunpowder into a small hole in an anvil, and then struck it soundly with a hammer, causing a small explosion. Anvil firing was also a test of the anvil's durability: weak anvils would break under pressure, and had to be re forged.
The smith, or apprentice, dressed up in wig, mask and cloak to represent "Old Clem", led a procession of smiths through the streets, stopping at taverns along the way. Boisterous singing was followed by demands for free beer or money for the "Clem feast". Traditional toasts included "True hearts and sound bottoms, check shirts and leather aprons" and "Here's to old Vulcan, as bold as a lion, A large shop and no iron, A big hearth and no coal, And a...
Veronica Brandt
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