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Festivals
Plough Monday
This takes place on the Monday following twelfth night. Ploughs were traditionally blessed in churches at this time, to ready them for the coming of spring.
Quarr Abbey
The abbey is said to be haunted by Eleanor of Aquataine - Henry II's queen, who was exiled here before her death in France in 1204.
Monks also celebrated a feast of fools here on New Years Day; the festival was thought to be christianised version of the Roman festivals Saturnalia, and Bachanalia.
Rochdale Rush-Bearing
As far as I am aware Rochdale no longer celebrates the Rush Bearing festival, though nearby Littleborough revived theirs in 1991 and continue to celebrate it each year. Below is description of how Rochdale and its Rush-Bearing from Lancashire Legends (1873) by John Harland & T T Wilkinson. Read More »
Rogation Day
23 May - Rogation Day is a rare festival from the Christian calender. Rogation Day is one of the three days prior to Ascension Day and would see processions going around parish boundaries blessing their crops. This was known as 'beating the bounds'.
Scarborough
Scarborough also has a Robin Hood legend. On one of his adventures he joined the small fishing fleet, but turned out to be a useless fisherman, as he forgot to bait the hooks. Read More »
Sheellah's Day
March 18 - Sheellah's Day is an Irish festival in honour of Sheelah-na-gig.
Souls Day
2 November - All Souls Day is related to Samhain and commemorating the dead.
St Andrews Day
30 November - St Andrews Day, patron Saint of Scotland.
St Bridget or Brigit's Day
1 February - St Brigit is a Christianised version of Brighid or Bride, a goddess associated with the beginning of spring, once widely venerated in by the Celts.
St Clement's Day
23 November - The Patron Saint of Iron workers, it is possibly an earlier festival date of Wayland or another smith god.
St Davids Day
March 1 - This is St Davids Day, the patron Saint of Wales who died on this date 598AD.
St George's Day
Today St George’s Day is not celebrated in England with anywhere near the vigour it was in past centuries, and is actually celebrated more in other countries that share his patronage, with traditions that have not been broken for hundreds of years. Read More »
St Lewina
St Lewina was a young British virgin who was martyred by Saxons on 24 July 687AD (whilst Theodore was 7th Archbishop of Canterbury). Following her death she was buried at Seaford, near Lewes in East Sussex. Read More »
St Lucy's Day
13 December - Traditionally a day for divining the identity of future husbands.
St Mark's Eve
24 April - The feast day of St Mark the Evangelist (founder of the Church of Alexandria) falls on 25th April, but there are some interesting folk customs that fall on the eve of the feast.
Divining Who Is To Die Read More »
St Mullins Monastery and Holy Well
Originally known as Rinn Ros Broic (Badgers Wood Point), Kennedy’s Field and Achadh-Cainidh, St Mullins is the site where St Moling built his monastery during the 7th Century. Read More »
St Swithin's day
15 July - The Bishop of Winchester or St Swithin died in AD 862. In legend the monks could not remove his body for 40 days and 40 nights because of torrential rain. It has now become folklore that if it rains on St Swithins day, it will rain for 40 days and 40 nights.
St Valentines Day
14 February - An ancient festival dedicated later to St Valentine. It is associated with love and marriage. In the past some of its customs involved looking into the future to try and reveal the identity of future partners.
Strange Mitcham by James Clark
Strange Mitcham by James Clark was first published as a booklet in 2002 as part of ASSAP's (Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena) Project Albion. It was updated and republished in 2011 giving James the opportunity to add a few more articles and further information. Read More »
Strange Project Albion
Project Albion is part of one of ASSAP’s longest running and most successful research endeavours and it has been likened to a Domesday book of the paranormal. It is an attempt to record the full spectrum of anomalies, past and present, within their geographical, as well as historical, context. Read More »
Summer Solstice
21 June - Summer Solstice is the longest day in the year.
The Ashton Gyst-Ale
The gyst-ale, or guising feast, was an annual festival of the town of Ashton-under-Lyne. It appears from the rental of Sir John de Assheton, compiled a.d. 1422, that a sum of twenty shillings was paid to him as lord of the manor for the privilege of holding this feast by its then conductors. Read More »
The Burryman
14 August - On the second Friday of August, a man completely covered in Burdock burs (known as the Burryman) walks the boundaries of South Queensferry, a distance of seven miles. The ritual probably has pagan origins.
The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield
Originally known as The Ship and dating from 1213, The Royal Standard of England on Brindle Lane, Beaconsfield is thought to be the oldest Free House in England and is reputedly haunted by two ghosts. Read More »
Tissington Well Dressing
26th May - Tissington has its Well Dressing Day where for centuries it has been custom on Ascension Day to dress the five wells of the village, Yew Tree Well, Hall Well, Hands Well, Coffin Well and Town Well. In 1982 the Children's Well was introduced and has been part of th eceremony ever since. Read More »
