Home Site Map January February March April May June July August September October November December 1st January New Years Day. The Kirkwall Ba' Game 6th January Old Christmas Day, Twelfth Night Marks the end of the traditional Yule festival. It is also Old Christmas Day in the Julian Calendar. Wassailing the Apple Trees Henfield, West Sussex. Saturday after twelfth night Whittlesey Straw Man A man dressed from head to foot in straw bundles walks around the town. The festival probably has ancient origins. Monday after twelfth night Plough Monday Ploughs were traditionally blessed in churches at this time, to ready them for the coming of spring. 11th January Burning the Clavie Burghead, Scotland. A celebration of the Old New Year from the Julian calendar. A large wooden fire brand called the Clavie is set on fire and then smashed by the Clavie King. Pieces of the Clavie are kept for luck. The festival probably has very ancient origins. 17 January Wassailing the apple trees At Carhampton in Somerset. 25 January Burns Night. The birthday of Scotland's greatest bard, traditionally celebrated with a Burn's supper, a meal at which his poems are recited. (Last Tuesday of January)28 January Up-Helly-Aa Norse festival on Shetland, during the festival a replica Viking longship is burned. In the past the festival was celebrated with burning tar barrels.