About traditional ceremonies and customs

England has and had 100s of special ceremonies, traditions and customs. Some are group events some private, some ancient and unfathomable, some recent and understandable. For the last 30 years I have been travelling across the country and experiencing these unique curiosities which sprinkle British eccentricities into an otherwise mundane life. Each month we’ll be looking at customs survived those 100 years or older, revived those newer customs many reestablished and those demised, lost but not always forgotten. Join me in these travels.

2013 I’ve added customs contrived, that is new customs that have no traditional aspect yet. Why? Two reasons one because they deserve attention and secondly it allows me to keep the three posts a month up especially in August and January when there are few surviving customs.

2014, I’ve added customs transcribed, that is old customs from overseas. Why? Because many such as Chinese New Year and Divali have become just as widespread and important as native customs, others such as the Australia Breakfast deserve wider knowledge.

2015 I’ve added customs occasional for customs which are based around one off events or a number of dates or days in the year.

I’ve also added a link to Calendarcustoms.com website as well so you can find out when the events are on next. It’s good to see that this site is expanding as a result of my exploits here!

Links to customs covered

2012
January	Custom survived: Haxey Hood Game Custom revived: Nottinghamshire plough Monday plays Custom demised: Cream of the well
February	Custom survived: Winster Pancake race Custom revived: Blidworth Baby Rocking Custom demised: 29^thFebruary
March	Custom survived: Tichborne Dole Custom revived: Hercules Clay sermon Custom demised: Washing Molly Grime
April	Custom survived: Hungerford Hocktide Custom revived: Easter heaving Custom demised: Watching the sun
May	Custom survived: Minehead hobby Custom revived: Lambley Cowslip Sunday Custom demised: Pinch bottom
June	Custom survived: Youlgreave well dressing Custom revived: Gate to Southwell Custom demised: White black and ram nights
July	Custom survived: Dunmow Flitch Trial Custom revived: Shell grottoes Custom demised: Ilford Flitch
August	Custom survived: Burning Bartle Custom revived: Saddleworth Rush bearing Custom demised: Harvest Home
September	Custom survived: Preston Guild Custom revived: Wirksworth clypping Custom demised: Newcastle Mock mayor
October	Custom survived: Goose fair Custom revived: Trick or Treat Custom demised: St Crispin day and cobblers
November	Custom survived: Firing the Fenny Poppers Custom revived: Warburton Soulcakers Custom demised: Stamford Bull run
December	Custom survived: Beeston Carols Custom revived: Ripley Guisers Custom demised: Kissing Bush

2013
January	Custom survived: Mappleton Jump Custom revived: Straw bear Custom demised: Pilgrimage to the Holy Thorn
February	Custom survived: Blessing Throats Custom revived: Valentine cards Custom demised: Wooton Penny Day
March	Custom survived: Mary Mallatrat’s dole Custom revived: Old Bolingbroke Candle auction Custom demised: Burning Judas
April	Custom survived: Hallaton Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle kicking Custom revived: Egg rolling Fountain’s Abbey Custom demised: Primrose Day
May	Custom survived: Merrie May Queen Festival Custom revived: Calder Valley Spa Sunday Custom demised: Empire Day
June	Custom survived: Rothwell Proclaimation Day Custom revived: Knolly’s rose Custom demised: Scouring the White Horse
July	Custom survived: Selston tower sermon Custom Contrived: John Clare cushions Custom demised: Little Edith’s Treat
August	Custom survived: Bourton Water Football Custom revived: Woodstock Mock Mayor Custom demised: Tutbury Bull run
September	Custom survived: Matlock Illuminations Custom revived: Gloucester day Custom demised: Kissing the old man
October	Custom survived: Redcliffe Pipe walk Custom contrived: Fright Night Custom demised: The Rhyne Toll of Chetwode Manor
November	Custom survived: Lewes Bonfire Night Custom contrived: Oasby Baboon Night Custom demised: Squirrel hunt
December	Custom survived: Handsworth Sword Dance Custom revived: Poor Old Horse Custom demised: Thomasing on St. Thomas’s Day

2015

2016

2017

Enjoy

8 responses »

Moira Ruff on October 5, 2013 at 5:50 pm said:

Boxing Day 26th December: Rattlejag Morris Boxing Day Tour. Rattlejag Morris have never failed to appear at a couple of north Nottinghamshire pubs on Boxing Day, whatever the weather, for the last 11 years of their existence. They continue a tradition started by the now defunct Broadstone Morris, a men’s Cotswold Morris side, both centred on Retford, Notts. In 2013 they will yet again be at the Blue Bell in Gringley-on-the-Hill at 12 noon and at the Blacksmith’s Arms in Everton at 1.00pm. Both historic hostelries serve good ale and food, the Blacksmith’s serving a Hog Roast on the day especially, and their will be traditional music sessions in both pubs after the dancing. Come along and bring all the family!

And don’t forget they have also continued the Broadstone tradition of dancing out at dawn on 1st May on the ancient castle mound in a field next to Laxton, Notts – the last area working the Anglo-Saxon strip farming methods. Barbecued bacon butties and beer served after the dancing and you can also go on a Dawn Chorus nature ramble across the Laxton fields afterwards.
Many morris sides across the country carry out these two traditions, both recorded in history – didn’t Cecil Sharp become interested in collecting morris dances on early 20thC Boxing Day? – but modern sides are creating new local customs around these dates in the spirit of the old also.
Rattlejag often accompany Muskham Pinkies plough players when they perform in Newark and pubs in Nth Muskham and Bathley, usually on the Saturday before the Epiphany, 6th January.

Rattlejag Morris are a mixed side and the only one performing dances from Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire – see their website at http://www.rattlejagmorris.org.uk for more information.
Cheers
Moira Ruff

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- pixyledpublications on October 5, 2013 at 6:57 pm said:
  
  Thanks Moira. Hope to see ringing the bells and sweeping the floor soon…it’ll soon be plough Monday.
  
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Nigel Strudwick on June 1, 2016 at 9:35 am said:

Here’s one you may have missed and be interested in:

http://www.whaddon.org/whaddon_whitsun

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Quentin Haversack Cooper on April 26, 2017 at 5:18 pm said:

Sorry about putting you off investigating Purim….I think it’s rather more “out” now than it was when we wrote Maypoles, Martyrs and Mayhem…

cheers

Quentin

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- pixyledpublications on April 26, 2017 at 8:10 pm said:
  
  Hi no need to apologise 🙂 Your book has been a constant and at one point only source of information…so much most of the pages have fallen out!! Now its been over 20 years perhaps you can reveal the made up one – I’ve always thought it was larding the otter was I right!
  
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Graeme Cruickshank, Edinburgh on November 14, 2017 at 12:02 am said:

Hi, I was very interested in your coverage of the Clavie fire festival at Burghead in Moray. I went there a few years back, but couldn’t get near to the start because of the crush, so missed seeing and photographing the building process. I am giving a talk about the Clavie next week in a series on the heritage of the Picts ~ could I please have your permission to use a couple of your photos? The two which I would particularly like to include in my presentation are (1) sawing the barrel in half, and (2) the close up of the hammer stone. Proper credit will of course be given. Thank you.
Cheers, Graeme Cruickshank

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- pixyledpublications on November 14, 2017 at 8:49 pm said:
  
  Hi Graeme. Its a great festival isn’t it. More than happy for you to use the pictures….shame you didn’t get near…I was treated right royally when I intended including being invited to see it being made which was an unexpected treat. Mind I was black from head to toe being so near the inferno! Let me know when the event is and I can publicise it for you too on some appropriate Facebook groups. I presume you have photos of the well as well.
  
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Betty Hagglund on January 15, 2018 at 2:56 pm said:

Re Coventry Fair

From The Life of Mrs Sherwood (London: Darton & Co., 1854), p. 45, writing of a visit she made to Coventry in 1782.

‘Coventry Fair occurred whilst we were there. The singular pageant by which the memory of Lady Godiva has been, I believe, groundlessly scandalized for ages past in Coventry, was omitted that year. This pageant is a triennial one. And though I did not witness it, I however enjoyed what I thought a vast privilege — I drank tean in the house where the figure of Peeping Tom was kept, and had the pleasure of being introduced into the very closet from which the figure obtrudes itself. At this same fair at Coventry I had the pleasure, for the first and last time, of taking a turn in a whirligig, being placed in a small chair, whilst my brother was mounted on a wooden horse. My sister’s nurse allowed us this indulgence. My mother’s sense of decorum was much hurt when she was told of it.’

So it seems that the procession was already only triennial in 1782.

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