Calendar
January
Twelfth Night
Plough Monday
Burns' Night
February
Candlemas
Bobble Day
Valentine's Day
World Marmalade Awards
March
St. David's Day
Garden Re-leaf Day
*Collop Monday
*Shrove Tuesday
*Ash Wednesay
St. Patrick's Day
Sheelah's Day
Spring Equinox
April
All Fools' Day
*Carling Sunday
Harrogate Spring Flower Show
*Maundy Thursday
*Good Friday
St. George's Day
*Easter Monday
May
May Day
Witchwood Day
Otley Show
Oak Apple Day
June
Appleby Horse Fair
Elder Day
The June Drop
Summer Solstice
Midsummer's Eve
Midsummer's Day
July
Great Yorkshire Show
St. Swithin's Day
St James' Day
August
Stir Up Sunday
December
Winter Solstice
26th Feast of Stephen
January
Twelfth Night
Plough Monday
Burns' Night
February
Candlemas
Bobble Day
Valentine's Day
World Marmalade Awards
March
St. David's Day
Garden Re-leaf Day
*Collop Monday
*Shrove Tuesday
*Ash Wednesay
St. Patrick's Day
Sheelah's Day
Spring Equinox
April
All Fools' Day
*Carling Sunday
Harrogate Spring Flower Show
*Maundy Thursday
*Good Friday
St. George's Day
*Easter Monday
May
May Day
Witchwood Day
Otley Show
Oak Apple Day
June
Appleby Horse Fair
Elder Day
The June Drop
Summer Solstice
Midsummer's Eve
Midsummer's Day
July
Great Yorkshire Show
St. Swithin's Day
St James' Day
August
1st ~ Lammas ~ Harvest Home
The first day of August is an Ancient Harvest Festival date - Lammas Day - and, technically, the first day of Autumn.
The harvest date was somewhat flexible according to reaping schedules but, particularly in Scotland, a ritual was made of cutting the first sheaf with a sickle on Lammas Day.
The first grain from the harvest would be used to make bread for the Festival of Bread.
The last sheaf to be harvested would be used to make intricate plaited and braided figures known as Corn Dollies. These would be kept to guard the house until they were buried on Plough Monday in Spring with the first sowings.
Lambs were once taken to Church for blessing on this day.
In many parts of the country Sheep Fairs started on Lammas Day and there are still Sheep Fairs held throughout August. Lammas Fairs were also the place to have a trial marriage. A couple would get together for the length of the fair and if they didn't get on simply go their seperate ways at the end. Semi-common grazing lands were opened for public use from Lammas until Candlemas.
In many parts of the country Sheep Fairs started on Lammas Day and there are still Sheep Fairs held throughout August. Lammas Fairs were also the place to have a trial marriage. A couple would get together for the length of the fair and if they didn't get on simply go their seperate ways at the end. Semi-common grazing lands were opened for public use from Lammas until Candlemas.
1st ~ Yorkshire Day
The 1st of August is, first and foremost, Minden Day.
This is in memory of the Battle of Minden 1759. There were 6 Regiments at the Battle of Minden, one being the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. On 1st August members of these Regiments wear a rose in their cap. Five of the Regiments wear red roses. The Yorkshire regiment wears a white rose.
On 1st August 1834 all slaves in the British Empire were emancipated. William Wilberforce was a leader of the movement to abolish slavery, and a Yorkshireman.
In 1975, the Yorkshire Ridings Society was formed out of concern over changes to Local Government and proposed changes to County boundaries. Out of the formation of this Society came Yorkshire Day.
5th ~ St. Oswald's Day
St. Oswald is the local Patron Saint of Grasmere Church.
Grasmere has a rushbearing ceremony at the end of which the participants indulge in pieces of the famous Grasmere Gingerbread. This ceremony originally took place on the nearest Saturday to August 5th, but has now been moved to mid-July.
The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop is the only place in the world where you can buy Grasmere Gingerbread. Luckily, they do have a mail order service.
The Glorious Twelfth
The Game Open Season starts each year on 12th August when Grouse, Ptarmigan and the Common Snipe are the first to become 'fair game'.
This has traditionally sparked off a stampede to Scotland to bag some Red Grouse and then to be the first to deliver the Grouse to a top London Restaurant for dinner that evening. In years gone by the Red Devils joined in The Great Grouse Race and parachuted into the Thames to deliver the Grouse to The Savoy. Scotland is the favoured venue but there is some excellent Grouse Shooting to be had in Yorkshire and, if you want to win the Race, it's closer to London.
24th St. Bartholomew's Day
St. Bartholomew is reputed to have been flayed alive and is the Patron Saint of butchers and tanners.
He is also a Patron Saint of bee-keepers and honey-makers.
Up until 1855 a great fair used to be held at Smithfield on this day and part of the traditional fare served were windfall apples, served on sticks and dipped in thick honey.
A number of customs relating to St. Bartholomew are still celebrated today including the Burning of Old Bartle in West Witton on the Saturday nearest to the 24th.
September
Harvest Festival
The timing of the harvest obviously varies according to location and the weather. Traditionally festivals were held as each stage of harvesting was completed and so the timings also varied according to crops. Farmers would hold a Harvest Supper for all those who had helped to bring in the crop. Special harvest breads were made, great quantities of ale consumed and wages handed out.
3rd ~ Nutting Day
Sometimes quoted as 14th September, which is confusing to say the least, as this is the day that hazelnuts are supposed to be perfectly ripe. Even more confusing for lacemakers who were allowed to use candles from Nutting Day until Shrove Tuesday.
It is the loss of 11 days from September in 1752 when our calendar was revised that has led to this confusion of dates.
21st ~ St. Matthew's Day ~ Devil's Nutting Day
In some parts they say that you should never collect nuts on a Sunday but it's generally held to be very unwise to collect nuts on this day in particular.
There's a very odd story about the Devil bumping into the Virgin Mary on this day and dropping his bag of freshly picked nuts in surprise. This took place in Warwickshire and the spilt nuts promptly turned into a hill.
29th ~ Michaelmas
Time to settle all your debts.
Traditionally a day of paying up. A time to terminate services and move on to pastures new at a Hiring Fair.
Geese are traditionally in their prime at this time of year and Goose Fairs were originally held at Michaelmas. The change of our calendar is once again responsible for the fact that the Nottingham Goose Fair is now held in October.
November5th ~ St. Oswald's Day
St. Oswald is the local Patron Saint of Grasmere Church.
Grasmere has a rushbearing ceremony at the end of which the participants indulge in pieces of the famous Grasmere Gingerbread. This ceremony originally took place on the nearest Saturday to August 5th, but has now been moved to mid-July.
The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop is the only place in the world where you can buy Grasmere Gingerbread. Luckily, they do have a mail order service.
The Glorious Twelfth
The Game Open Season starts each year on 12th August when Grouse, Ptarmigan and the Common Snipe are the first to become 'fair game'.
This has traditionally sparked off a stampede to Scotland to bag some Red Grouse and then to be the first to deliver the Grouse to a top London Restaurant for dinner that evening. In years gone by the Red Devils joined in The Great Grouse Race and parachuted into the Thames to deliver the Grouse to The Savoy. Scotland is the favoured venue but there is some excellent Grouse Shooting to be had in Yorkshire and, if you want to win the Race, it's closer to London.
24th St. Bartholomew's Day
St. Bartholomew is reputed to have been flayed alive and is the Patron Saint of butchers and tanners.
He is also a Patron Saint of bee-keepers and honey-makers.
Up until 1855 a great fair used to be held at Smithfield on this day and part of the traditional fare served were windfall apples, served on sticks and dipped in thick honey.
A number of customs relating to St. Bartholomew are still celebrated today including the Burning of Old Bartle in West Witton on the Saturday nearest to the 24th.
September
Harvest Festival
The timing of the harvest obviously varies according to location and the weather. Traditionally festivals were held as each stage of harvesting was completed and so the timings also varied according to crops. Farmers would hold a Harvest Supper for all those who had helped to bring in the crop. Special harvest breads were made, great quantities of ale consumed and wages handed out.
3rd ~ Nutting Day
Sometimes quoted as 14th September, which is confusing to say the least, as this is the day that hazelnuts are supposed to be perfectly ripe. Even more confusing for lacemakers who were allowed to use candles from Nutting Day until Shrove Tuesday.
It is the loss of 11 days from September in 1752 when our calendar was revised that has led to this confusion of dates.
21st ~ St. Matthew's Day ~ Devil's Nutting Day
In some parts they say that you should never collect nuts on a Sunday but it's generally held to be very unwise to collect nuts on this day in particular.
There's a very odd story about the Devil bumping into the Virgin Mary on this day and dropping his bag of freshly picked nuts in surprise. This took place in Warwickshire and the spilt nuts promptly turned into a hill.
29th ~ Michaelmas
Time to settle all your debts.
Traditionally a day of paying up. A time to terminate services and move on to pastures new at a Hiring Fair.
Geese are traditionally in their prime at this time of year and Goose Fairs were originally held at Michaelmas. The change of our calendar is once again responsible for the fact that the Nottingham Goose Fair is now held in October.
Stir Up Sunday
December
Winter Solstice
26th Feast of Stephen
