Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales MARCH

March A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folk, facts and sayings about March Tichborne Dole, Tichborne, Hampshire The Tichborne Dole is one of the eccentric British traditions and dates back to the thirteenth century. It takes place every year on March 25th the Feast of the Annunciation (Lady’s Day). The dole was flour and it was given to the poor until 1796. From 1796 Tichborne family have given money to the church instead. You can read the story behind the tradition on our Folk, Fact and Sayings about March webpage Oranges and Lemon's Children's Service In the days when the River Thames at London was wider than it is now, barges carrying oranges and lemons landed just below the churchyard of St. Clements Dane. On the last day of March, local primary school children gather at the church to attend a service. They recite the famous nursery ' rhyme and, on occasions, play the tune on hand bells. At the end of the service the children are presented with an orange and a lemon from a table outside the church . The nursery rhyme Oranges and lemons Say the bells of St Clement’s You owe me five farthings Say the bells of St Martin’s When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey When I grow rich Say the bells of Shoreditch When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney I’m sure I don’t know Says the great bell at Bow Here comes a candle to light you to bed Here comes a chopper to chop off your head Chop chop chop chop the last man’s head! Many adults remember this rhyme from playing a playground games: Two children would form an arch and become the choppers. They secretly decide who would be orange and who would be lemon. A line of other children singing the song would pass under the arch and the child passing when the song goes chop, chop, chop would be caught between the falling arch (arms). The caught child then chooses either orange or lemon and lines behind the child he/she chose. When all children lined behind the choppers they have a tug war.

Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales FEBRUARY

February A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folk, facts and sayings about February Imbolc Fire Festival Huddersfield. Imbolc is based on a 2000 year old Celtic festival, marking the first signs of spring. It features a procession, fire 'circus' drama and music. Starts at Marsden Station. Lantern & torch parade with fire-jugglers, antler-wearing drummers, Celtic characters, fire druids, a 12ft Jack Frost and spring's Green Man. Blessing the Throats, St Ethelreda, London Two candles are tied together, lit, and touched on to the necks of people suffering from sore throats. Hurling the Silver Ball, St Ives Cornwall (First Monday after Candlemas (2nd) ) The game starts at 10.30am. The silver ball is thrown from the wall of the parish church by the mayor into the waiting crowd, then passed from one to another on the beaches and through the streets of the town. The person holding the silver ball at 12.00pm takes it to the mayor at the Guildhall and receives the traditional reward of five shillings. Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival - Biennial Event ( next one 2011) Street procession and theatre, starting at 18:00. Based on a village tale about two 19th century smugglers who were collecting barrels of the illegal ‘moonshine’ drink from the canal. The smugglers hid the barrels and told the police they were trying to rake the moon’s reflection out of the canal. Thinking they were fools, the police let the smugglers go. Shrove Tuesday Click here to read about Shrove Tuesday Pancake Races Pancake races are held all over England on or near Shrove Tuesday. The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first whilst flipping a pancake in a frying pan a pre-decided number of times. The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney. The Olney pancake race is world famous. Competitors have to be local housewives and they must wear an apron and a hat or scarf. Annual Pancake Grease At the famous Westminster School in London, the annual Pancake Grease is held. A verger from Westminster Abbey leads a procession of eager boys into the playground where the school cook tosses a huge pancake over a five-metre high bar. The boys then race to grab a portion of the pancake and the one who ends up with the largest piece receives a cash bonus from the Dean. The Ringing of the Pancake Bell More than a hundred years ago, Shrove Tuesday used to be a half-day holiday. A church bell, called the ‘Shriving Bell’, would have been rung signalling the start of the holiday and to call people to church to confess their sins. The church bell was rung at eleven or twelve o’clock in the morning, as a signal to housewives to start frying the traditional pancakes. The Pancake bell is still rung in some towns including Scarborough. Skipping In Scarborough, on Shrove Tuesday, everyone assembles on the promenade to skip. Long ropes are stretched across the road and there maybe be ten or more people skipping on one rope. The origins of this customs are not known but skipping was once a magical games, associated with the sowing and spouting of seeds, which may have been played on barrows (burial mounds) during the Middle Ages. Shrovetide Football, Ashbourne, Derbyshire 16 February 2010 Shrove Tuesday sees the start in Ashbourne, Derbyshire of the world’s oldest, largest, longest and maddest football game. The game is played over two days and involves thousands of players. The goals are three miles apart and there are only a few rules. The ball is a hand-painted, cork-filled ball. www.ashbourne-town.com/events/football.html Pancake Race - London The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race. . Ash Wednesday 2010 (the day after Shrove Tuesday) A playground tradition was to carry a piece of twig from an ash tree in your pocket or down your sock. Anyone who didn't have an ash twig had his or her feet trodden on. Find out more about Ash Wednesday Kissing Friday (the Friday after Ash Wednesday) Friday of Shrove Week, English schoolboys were once entitled to kiss girls without fear of punishment or rejection, a custom that lasted until at least the 1940s. In Sileby, Leicestershire, this day was also known as Nippy Hug Day. There men could demand a kiss from the woman of their choice, but if their petition was denied, they had the right to louse, or pinch, the woman's posterior-- perhaps mimicking the pinching of lice.

Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales JANUARY

January A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folk, facts and sayings about January First Saturday in January Wassailing, Old Mill Farm Bolney, Sussex 18:00 Apple Howling or Wassailing is an ancient custom in which the evil spirits are driven out and the good spirits are encouraged to produce a good apple crop for the following year's cider. Second Saturday in January Firle Wassail, East Sussex 18:00-23:00 Middle Farm BN8 6LJ. Hunters Moon Morris Men. Torch procession, bonfire, food, haystack stage, dance floor. Click here to read more about Wassailing the apple tree Twelfth Night (information about Twelfth Night) There many customs and traditions which ake place on or around Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night Celebrations - London Twelfth Night is an annual seasonal celebration held on the Bankside by Shakespeare's Globe, in London. It is a celebration of the New Year, mixing ancient Midwinter seasonal customs with contemporary festivity. It is free, accessible to all and happens whatever the weather. Click here to find out more Mummers Plays Click here to find out more about Mummers Plays Baddeley Cake, Drury Lane Theatre, London On Twelfth Night the cast of the current play eat cake and drink wine in memory of an actor from the 18th Century who bequeathed money to the theatre's hardship fund. Fireball-Whirling Ceremony, Stonehaven, Scotland On the night of the Old New Year's Eve, young men whirl balls of burning rope around their heads. Haxey Hood Game, Haxey, Lincolnshire - In the 13th century a gust of wind whipped off the hood of the Lady de Mowbray.Farm workers chased and retrieved the hood, so delighting her that she ordered the pursuit be repeated. Blessing the Plough This church tradition can be found across the country, notably at Chichester and Exeter on the first Sunday after 6th January. Plough Monday The first Monday after Twelfth Night is Plough Monday, a day when ploughmen traditionally blackened their faces and marked the end of the Christmas period for the agricultural communities. See Plough Monday for more information Straw Bear Festival Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire Weekend near Plough Monday The Whittlesea Straw Bear is maintaining the folklore tradition of parading a man dressed in straw around the streets near to Plough Monday. Molly Dancers and Morris Dancers dance in the streets Click here to find out more about the Straw Bear Festival Click here to find out more about the Straw Bear Festival Wassailing the Apple Tree, Carhampton, Somerset - Mid January Wassailing the apple tree is one of the oldest traditions at Christmas time. Cider and cake is offered to tree feted as guardian of the orchard. Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Largest fire festival in Europe, celebrated on the last Tuesday of January every year. Torch-light procession through the streets of Lerwick, followed by the burning of a full-size replica Viking longship.

Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales DECE;BER

December A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folklore, facts and sayings about December Mummers Plays Mummers' Plays are one of the oldest surviving features of the traditional English Christmas. Mumming in England goes back for over a thousand years. Mumming is best described as early pantomime. The plays are based loosely on the legend of St. George and the dragon. The plays are intended to show the struggle between good and evil. Click here to find out more about Mummers Plays Winter Solstice Burning the Clocks, Brighton Annual lantern parade held on 21 December, the shortest day. www.visitbrighton.com 25 December Christmas Day Christmas Day Morning Hundreds of British swimmers get into the festive spirit and dress up in fancy dress for a bracing Christmas swims. Peter Pan Swim Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park - 9am This event dates back to 1864, when the author of the children’s classic, J M Barrie presented the Peter Pan Cup. Dozens of men and women swim the 100 yards in temperatures just above freezing and spectators are welcome on the banks. Only members of the Serpentine Swimming Club may take part in the race. Brighton beach swim - 11 am More than 700 spectators gather on Christmas morning to watch 100 brave souls plunge into the icy surf for up to 15 minutes off the South Coast. Fancy Dress is optional. The Christmas morning swim has been an annual event for the Brighton Swimming club since 1895. Sandy Bay in Porthcawl, South Wales christmasswim.org Around 1,000 people brave the icy cold waters of Sandy Bay in Porthcawl for the annual Christmas Morning Swim. The Sandy Bay Swim tradition started in 1964. 26 December Boxing Day Tenby Boxing Day Swim, Dyfed, Wales www.tenbyboxingdayswim.co.uk Tenby Boxing Day Swim started in 1970 and has snowballed into Tenby's main Christmas attraction. With around 600 swimmers with most in fancy dress and thousands of onlookers each year, this fantastic spectacle is not to be missed. The charity event takes place on the North Beach, and the swim itself is at 11.30am. Nippy Dipper Boxing Day Dip, Aberdeen More than 100 swimmers – usually in fancy dress, from Santa suits to mermaid costumes – take to the sea for a Boxing Day dip. It starts at Beach Esplanade, opposite Beach Leisure Centre, at 10am. Grantchester barrel rolling, Cambridgeshire The tradition of Boxing Day barrel rolls dates back to the 60s, but was revived in 2003. Four teams compete from Grantchester, just outside Cambridge The races start at midday and last around 40 minutes, with prize-giving taking place at the Rupert Brooke pub.   The Keynsham Mummers, Somerset Every Boxing Day the streets of Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath, you can watch the Keynsham Mummers Play, which has been performed in the town since the beginning of the 19th century. It's performed at 11.30am at the Keynsham Centre and at noon at the New Inn. Haslemere run, Surrey www.boxingdayrun.org A three-and-a-half-mile fun run with a pint of winter ale for each runner two miles into the race. The race begins at 11am at the Crown & Cushion pub on Wey Hill. Beach football, Scarborough, North Yorkshire The traditional Comedy Football Match on Scarborough Beach dates back to the late 19th century, when the game was first played as a charity fundraiser for the wives and children of fishermen who went down in a serious storm. Today players are in fancy dress and forced dunkings in the sea afterwards. After the final whistle, there's a raft race in the harbour 27 December Maldon mud race, Essex www.maldonmudrace.com Hundreds of people wading through muddy lagoons and marshes around Maldon. The event takes place at Promenade Park, at 1pm, with all money raised going to local charities. 31 December New Year's Eve Swinging the Fireballs, Stonehaven, Grampian. "The Fireballs" is a colorful annual festival, unique to Stonehaven. The ceremony isStonehaven's way of welcoming the New Year in. www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk Tar Barrels, Allendale, Northumberland At 11.30pm on New Years Eve, 30 or so men in costume carry burning tar barrels on their heads to the bonfire in the market square where they are thrown at midnight.

Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales NOVEMBER

November A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folk, facts and sayings about November 1st and 2nd November Soul-caking Soul Cakes would be taken door to door by children, who would exchange them with householders for gifts of sweets, pennies, and this would be good luck for both parties. Soul-caking has survived throughout the west midlands, from Coventry to Manchester to Sheffield Find out more Bonfire Night 5 November Fireworks can be hward all over the UK on and around the 5 November. The most famous Bonfire Night celebrations take place at Lewes East Sussex, where there is a torch light procession bfore the lighting on the bonfire. Tar-Barrel Racing Ottery St Mary, Devon Ottery St. Mary is internationally renowned for its Tar Barrels, an old custom said to have originated in the 17th century. The annual event involves people racing through the streets of the town, carrying flaming wooden barrels of burning tar on their backs.   Turning the Devil's Stone - Shebbear, near Holsworthy On Guy Fawkes night, the villagers of Shebbear in Devon, turn over a six feet long stone under an ancient oak tree. While it is not known for how long the practice of turning the stone has been going on, there is a wealth of legend surrounding it and as to how it arrived. One theory is that it was dropped by the Devil himself when he was cast out of heaven by St Michael. 23 November Old Clem's Night The traditional blacksmith's day Held in honour of St Clement, patron saint of Blacksmiths.

Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales OCTOBER

October A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folk, facts and sayings about October First Sunday Pearly King Harvest Festival Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Dating from the 19th century, the Pearly Kings & Queens are a much-loved Cockney tradition. It started when a young boy covered a suit with pearly buttons to attract attention and to raise money for the poor at charity events and fairs. Other boroughs were so impressed that they got their own Pearly King or Queen. The tradition continues to thrive today and Pearly Kings and Queens can be seen in their full spectacle at the annual Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival. The annual Harvest Festival Service at the church of St. Martin-in-the Fields offers a spectacular display of historical London in all its glory. Second Sunday World Conker Championship Ashton, Northamptonshire Information about the game of conkers 4th Thursday Punky Night Traditionally on this night, children in the South of England would carve their ‘Punkies’,(pumpkins) into Jack O'Lanterns. Once carved the children would go out in groups and march through the streets, singing traditional ‘punky’ songs, calling in at friendly houses and competing for best lantern with rival groups they meet. The streets would be lit with the light of the Punkies. Today, in Hinton St George, Somerset, the children still carry candle-lanterns made from hollow out pumpkins through the streets in the evening. Michaelmas Fair, Abingdon, Oxon The Michaelmas Fair (also known as the Ock Fair) was originally a 'hiring mart' for those seeking employment. October Plenty Bankside outside Shakespeare's Globe "October Plenty is an Autumn harvest celebration held annually in Southwark. Beginning on the Bankside, by Shakespeare's Globe, October Plenty mixes ancient seasonal customs and theatre with contemporary festivity, joining with historic Borough Market, Southwark." The LionsPart The Berry Man The Berry Man is the Lions Part Autumn incarnation of the original Green Man. The berry man is coverd with wild fruits and foliage. The Corn Queene effigy The Corn Queene effigy A Corn Queene effigy made from wheat, barley and other grains, and apples, root vegetables and foliage from the Borough Market, is paraded

Calendar of unusual Customs and Traditions in England, Scotland and Wales SEPTEMBER

September A long time ago the year was marked out with special days which marked the passing year. These were days of celebrations where people would do things, eat things or make things which they would not normally do. See also folklore, facts and sayings about September The Horn Dance Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire The ancient Horn Dance is an annual event held traditionally on the first Monday after the first Sunday after September 4th! The famous Horn Dance is performed by six Deer-men who wear reindeer horns. The dancers follow a 10 mile course and perform the ritual in 12 different locations in and around the village, whilst the musician plays tunes such as “The Farmers Boy” and “Uncle Mick” on a melodeon, with accompaniment from a triangle. More information Church Clipping It involves surrounding a Church by holding hands. The custom is supposed to be an outward display of affection by the parishioners, for their church. Its origins are unknown. Painswick Church Clipping, Painswick, Gloucestershire 3rd week in September Wirksworth Clipping the Church, Peak Districton Sunday nearest to the 8th of September. Hop Hoodening - Canterbury Kent - Early September The county of Kent was the main hop growing area in the country. Hop Hoodening celebrates the harvesting of the hops. The celebration begins with a Procession through the shopping precincts into the Cathedral by the Hop Queen in a Hop Bower, followed by country dancers and Morris Men. The procession is usually accompanied by two Hooden Horses . Horseman's Sunday - Hyde Park Church - Third Sunday The vicar of St John's Church appears before his congregation on horseback and blesses a hundred or so horses. He then leads a cavalcade of over 100 horses and riders to the church to celebrate horse riding in the heart of London. At noon the horses begin to arrive in procession, lining up along the forecourt of the church and on Hyde Park Crescent for a blessing, before taking part in a ride-past and a presentation of rosettes.