Parkin (cake) in November had many Christian festivals, and like Celtic festivals that preceded them they were celebrated with a fire and ritual cakes. November starts with All Hallows Eve, that runs into All Saints Day (1 November), which is followed by All Souls Day (2 November). Little Lent and the forty-day fast until Christmas, started at Martinmas. (11 November). On All Souls Day soul cakes were baked. The Martinmas fair was important being the traditional day when cattle were bought and sold, and servants were hired for the following year. It was also the date that cattle were slaughtered and salted
St. Knut's Day St. Knut's Day Tjugondag jul ("Twentieth Day Yule"), or Tjugondag Knut ("Twentieth Day Knut"), or Knutomasso, or Nuutinpäivä ("Knut's Day"), in English Saint Knut's Day, is a traditional festival celebrated in Sweden and Finland on 13January. It is not celebrated on this date in Denmark (the Knut day was moved in Sweden, not in Denmark) despite being named for the Danish prince Canute Lavard, and later also associated with his uncle, Canute the Saint, the patron saint of Denmark. Christmas trees are taken down on "Tjugondag jul", and the candies and cookies that decorated the tree are eaten. In Sweden,