Throw Away the Warming Pan - It's Saint Joseph's Day!

After March 19th if you're cold in bed, don't expect any help from the maid!

The tradition of the removal of the warming pan from your bed on March 19th is one that has long been adhered to by maids, landladies and housekeepers up and down the land.

The connection to Saint Joseph is thought to be coincidental. However one apocryphal Christian tradition (as outlined in the first book of Saint Andrew)  suggests that the Christ child moved from the family bed to his own cot in mid March of his first year. It is often thought that the godlike warmth of Christ is linked to the comfort of a warming pan.

"And Lo, the Christ child was taken from his Mother's bed but his holy warmth remained forever within." - 1 Andrew Chapter 2 Verse 15. 

It is more likely that this tradition is linked to the fact that the weather is becoming more clement and so the warming pan becomes redundant.

It was thought that to keep your bed warm in late spring was a sign of decadence and would invite a demon to slip beneath the covers with you.

This poor unfortunate soul kept using a warming pan into mid April.

For this reason it is wise that you refrain from warming your bed after today.

To help you to remember print off and display the handy sign below.