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Folktales around the fire, gooding & mumping and the terrifying Hooden Horse are just some of England's winter folk traditions from history. In this episode, Dan explores the unlikely and often dark origins of some of our Christmas traditions that can be traced back thousands of years. He's joined by folk historian Vikki Bramshaw to discover what midwinter legends were brought over with the Anglo-Saxon invasion, the origins of the Yule log and some of the unusual ways people passed the long nights in rural England (fortune-telling chestnuts).

He also explores the New Forest, Hampshire, with local historian Richard Reeves to find out more about how medieval people survived cold winters in the woods.

This is episode 4 of our 'Origins of Christmas' series. This December, Dan explores the history behind our Christmas traditions鈥攆rom extravagant Tudor feasts and carolling to midwinter Solstice celebrations, the bawdy entertainment of the Georgians, and the family-focused customs of the Victorians.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges.