Note 34 — April 7.] HOCK, OR HOKE DAY.
Reading edition
Some have supposed that the term hock-day is equivalent to “dies irrisionis,” or irrisiorius, a day of scorn and triumph, or, as we now say, “a day of hoaxing”—Med. Ævi Kalend., 1841, vol. ii. p. 198. Verstegan derives Hoc-tide from Heughtyde, which, he says, in the Netherlands means a festival season.
Denne conjectures the name of this festivity to have been derived from Hockzeit, the German word for a wedding. Skinner mentions a derivation from the Dutch hocken, desidere, and adds, “mallem igitur deducere ab A.S. Heah-tid.” Kennett (Paroch. Antiq. p. 495) suggests the Saxon headœg, which answers to the French haut-jour.—See Brand, Pop. Antiq. 1849, vol. i. pp. 184-191.