BRITISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS ALL YEAR ROUND

January
1st New Year's Day
5th Twefth Night
February
1st Candlemas Day
14th Valentine's Day
March
1st St David's Day
(Wales National Day)
17th St. Patrick's Day
(Ireland's Special Day)
March/April
Shrove Tuesday
Lent
Mothering Sunday
Maundy Thursday
Easter

April
1st April Fool's Day
23rd St George's Day (England's National Day)

May
1st May Day June
Trooping the Colours
Wimbledon Tennis Tournament
July
Swan Upping
August
Notting Hill Carnival
September
Harvest Festival
October
31st Halloween
November
5th Bonfire Night
11th Remembrance Day
30th St Andrew's Day
(Scotland's National Day)
December
Advent
25th Christmas
26th Boxing Day
JA N UA RY
Gemstone: Garnet
Flower: Carnation

The beginning of the new year and the time to make New Year resolutions.
January was established as the first the first month of the year by the Roman Calendar. It was
named after the god Janus (Latin word for door). Janus has two faces which allowed him to look both
backwards into the old year and forwards into the new one at the same time. He was the 'spirit of the
opening'.
In the very earliest Roman calendars there were no months of January or February at all. The
ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and the new year started the year on 1 March. To the
Romans, ten was a very important number. Even when January (or Januarius as the Romans called it)
was added, the New Year continued to start in March. It remained so in England and her colonies until
about 200 years ago.
The Anglo-Saxons called the first month Wolf monath because wolves came into the villages
in winter in search of food.
New Year's Eve customs and traditions
N ew Year's D ay
New Year's Day is the first day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar. In modern times, it is
the 1st January. It is a time for looking forward and wishing for a good year ahead. It is also a holiday.
People welcome in the New Year on the night before. This is called New Year's Eve. In
Scotland, people celebrate with a lively festival called Hogmanay. All over Britain there are parties,
fireworks, singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the new. As the clock - Big Ben strikes midnight, people link arms and sing a song called Auld Lang Syne. It reminds them of old and
new friends.
The Door Custom
In the old days, the New Year started with a custom called 'first footing', which was suppose to
bring good luck to people for the coming year. As soon as midnight had passed and January 1st had
started, people used to wait behind their doors for a dark haired person to arrive. The visitor carried a
piece of coal, some bread, some money and some greenery. These were all for good luck - the coal to
make sure that the house would always be warm, the bread to make sure everyone in the house would
have enough food to eat, money so that they would have enough money, and the greenery to make sure
that they had a long life.
The visitor would then take a pan of dust or ashes out of the house with him, thus signifying
the departure of the old year.
N ew Year S up ers tition
The 1st of January was a highly significant day in medieval superstitions regarding prosperity,
or lack of it, in the year ahead. A flat cake was put on one of the horns of a cow in every farmyard. The
farmer and his workers would then sing a song and dance around the cow until the cake was thrown to
the ground. If it fell in front of the cow that signified good luck; to fall behind indicated the opposite.
U n lu ck ies t D ay of th e Year
It was an old Saxon belief that 2nd January was one of the unluckiest days of the whole year.
Those unfortunate enough to be born on this day could expect to dies an unpleasant death.
C old es t Mon th an d d ay of th e Year
January regularly produces frost, ice and snow and is the chilliest month of the year in Britain.
St Hilary's feast day on 13th January has gained the reputation of being the coldest day of
the year due to past cold events starting on or around this date.
One of the most severe winters in history began around 13 January in 1205, when the Thames
in London froze over and ale and wine turned to solid ice and were sold by weight.
"So began a frost which continued till the two and twentieth day of March, so that the ground
could not be tilled; whereof it came to pass that, in summer following a quarter of wheat was sold for
a mark of silver in many places of England, which for the more part in the days of King Henry the
Second was sold for twelve pence; a quarter of beans or peas for half a mark; a quarter of oats for

thirty pence, that were wont to be sold for fourpence. Also the money was so sore clipped that there
was no remedy but to have it renewed."Stowe's Chronicle
In 1086, a great frost also started spreading over the country on St Hilary's Day.
Frost (ice) on cars is common in December and January
R iver Th am es Fros t Fairs
The worst cold spells in Britain occurred between 1550 and 1750. The climate during this time
was known as the Little Ice Age, when winters were so cold that the Thames froze over each year. It
was not uncommon for the freeze to last over three months, as in the case of the winters of 1683 - 1684
and 1715 - 1716.
The first recorded Frost Fair was held on the frozen river Thames in London in 1608. It had
tents, sideshows, food stalls and even included ice bowling!
The Thames had frozen over several times before 1608. In the 16th century, Henry VIII is said
to have traveled all the way from central London to Greenwich by sleigh along the river during the
winter of 1536 and Elizabeth I took walks on the ice during the winter of 1564.
The last Frost Fair was held in the winter of 1814. It began on February 1, and lasted just four
days. An elephant was led across the river below Blackfriars Bridge.
S t Agn es 's Eve 20 Janu ary
This was the day on which girls and unmarried women who wished to dream of their future
husbands would perform certain rituals before going to bed. These included transferring pins one by
one from a pincushion to their sleeve whilst reciting the Lord's Prayer, or abstaining from food and
drink all day, walking backwards up the stairs to bed, and eating a portion of dumb cake ( previously
prepared with a group of friends in total silence and often containing an unpleasantly large portion of
salt) before lying down to sleep.
St Agnes's Eve is a title of one of Keat's poems.
C us tom s of th e Year's Firs t N ew Moon
It is said that if you look through a silk handkerchief at the new moon, which has never been
washed, the number of moons you see will be the number of years which will pass until you're
married. But it is unlucky to see the new moon through a window.
To dream of your future husband, it is said that at the first appearance of the first new moon of
the year you should go out and stand over the spars of a gate or stile and look at the moon saying:
All hail to thee moon, all hail to thee,
I prythee, good moon, reveal to me,
This night who my husband shall be.
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
Wassailing has been associated with Christmas and New Year as far back as the 1400s. It was
a way of passing on good wishes among family and friends.
Twelfth Night
Evening before Epiphany. Twelfth Night marks the end of the medieval Christmas festivities
and the end of Twelfthtide (the 12-day season after Christmas ending with Epiphany). Also called
Twelfth Day Eve.
Epiphany or Twelfth Day
Also known as Old Christmas Day and Twelfthtide. On the twelfth day after Christmas,
Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi or wise men to the baby Jesus.
St Distaff's Day
This was the day on which women had to return to work with the distaff (another name for a
spindle) after the Christmas holiday.
Plough Monday
The day on which work started again after Twelfth Night was known to countryfolk as Plough
Monday: the day on which labourers had to return to the fields. The day was also nicknamed St

Distaff's Day: the day on which women had to return to work with the distaff (another name for a
spindle) after the Christmas holiday.
Wassailing
People went from door to door, rather like carol singers at Christmas times, but at New Year
they were called 'wassailers'.
Burns Night
The people of Scotland honour their greatest poet, Robert Burns. He was born on 25th January
approximately 250 years ago (1759) and wrote his first song when he was sixteen. A traditional
Scottish meal is neaps (swede), tatties (potato) and haggis washed down with whisky.
A nn ivers aries
1st - The London Credit Exchange Company issued the first travelers checks in 1772.
1st - The BBc began broadcasting its first programmes in 1927.
1st - Traffic policemen were introduced in Great Britain in 1931.
2nd - On this date in 1770, a huge Christmas pie was baked for holiday consumption in London.
according to the Newcastle Chronicle, it was made of "two bushels of flour, twenty pounds of butter,
four geese, two turkeys, two rabbits, for wild ducks, two woodcocks, six snipes, four partridges, two
neats' tongues, two curlews, seven blackbirds, and six pigeons.. It was nearly nine feet in circumference
at bottom, weigh[ed] about twelve stone."
4th - Louis Braille was born in 1809. He was three years old when an accident caused him to lose his
sight.
9th - Income Tax was first introduced, at two shillings in the pound.
10th - The London Underground began operating in 1863.
11th - The first televised weather broadcast featuring a presenter on screen was transmitted from the
BBC's Lime Grove Studios in 1954
11th - Charing Cross Station, London, opened in 1864
14th - Motorists were required by law to wear seat belts in 1986
17th - Robert Scott and his party reached the South Pole in 1912
18th - A.A. Milne born in 1882. English author of Winnie the Pooh stories.
21st The BBC in London made its first world broadcast in 1930
25th - Robert Burns was born 1759
26th - Australia Day
27th - Mozart born in 1756 in Austria.
One of the world's greatest music composers.
28th - On the evening of this day in 1807 London's Pall Mall became the first street in the world to be
lit by gas lights
29th - The Victoria Cross originated from this date in 1856. The medals were made from the metals of
guns captured in the Crimea.
February
Gem s ton e: Amethyst
Flow er: Primrose
The Romans and the Celts regarded February as the start of spring.
Wh en d id Feb ru ary f irs t ap p ear on a calen d ar?
February, along with January, was introduced onto the Roman calendar by Numa Pompilous when the
calendar was extended from ten to twelve. The word February comes from the word 'februa' - which
means cleansing or purification, and reflects the rituals undertaken before Spring.
Oth er nam es f or Feb ru ary

The Anglo Saxons called February 'Sol-monath' (cake-month), because cakes were offered to the
gods during that month. February was also known to the Saxons as 'sprout-kale' from the sprouting of
cabbage or kale.
Having only 28 days in non-leap years, February was known in Welsh as 'y mis bach' - the little month.
In Shakespeare's time about 400 years ago, the second month of the year was called 'Feverell'. In Isaac
Newton's time one hundred years later it had become 'Februeer'. The modern name, February, is only
about a hundred years old.
C and lem as Day (the Christian festival of lights )
2nd February is Candlemas Day. This ancient festival marks the midpoint of winter, halfway between
the shortest day and the spring equinox. In olden times, many people used to say that
the Christmas season lasted for forty days - until the second day of February.
Robert Herrick in his poem 'Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve' writes,
DOWN with the rosemary and bays,
Down with the misletoe ;
Instead of holly, now up-raise
The greener box (for show).
How did this 2nd February come to be called Candlemas?
It was the day of the year when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year,
were brought into church and a blessing was said over them - so it was theFestival Day (or 'mass') of
the Candles.
Candles were important in those days not only because there was no electric lights. Some people
thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine. For Christians, they were (and still
are) a reminder of something even more important. Before Jesus came to earth, it was as if everyone
was 'in the dark'. People often felt lost and lonely. Afraid. As if they were on their own, with no one to
help them. Then came Jesus with his message that he is with his followers always ready to help and
comfort them. As if he is a guiding light to them in the darkness. Christians often talk of Jesus as 'the
light of the World' - and candles are lit during church services to remind Christians of this.
Candlemas traditions, superstitions and weather lore
B orrow ed D ays - 12 - 14 Feb ru ary
12 - 14 February were traditionally said to be 'borrowed' from January. If these days were stormy, the
year would be favoured with good weather: but if fine, the year's weather would be foul. The last three
days of March were said to be borrowed from April.
Oth er Weath er-lore, b elief s an d say in gs for Feb ru ary
It is said that if the weather is fine and frosty at the close of January and the beginning of February,
there is more winter ahead than behind.
When the cat lies in the sun in February
She will creep behind the stove in March.
Of all the months of the year
Curse a fair February.
If it thunders in February, it will frost in April.
If February give much snow,
A fine summer it doth foreshow.
T h e L egen d of th e S n ow drop
The flower called snowdrop appears in February and is a symbol of hope. According to legend, the
snowdrop became the symbol of hope when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
When Eve was about to give up hope that the cold winters would never end, an angel appeared. She
transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrop flowers, proving that the winters do eventually give
way to the spring.
There is an old rhyme which says:

"The Snowdrop, in purest white array, First rears her head on Candlemas day."
Interesting Facts
The name snowdrop does not mean 'drop' of snow, it means drop as in eardrop - the old word for
earring.
Snowdrops are also known as known as Candlemas bells.
The Latin name for the snow drop is Galanthus, which means "milk flower".
Mys teriou s f ootp rin ts
One of the strangest things ever to happen in England took place during the night of the 8th February
1855.
During the night, heavy snowfall blanketed the countryside and small villages of Southern Devon. In
their houses, people huddled beneath their bedclothes on a night of intense cold. Slowly the first light
of dawn came to reveal a bleak frozen landscape - and the footprints.
To the astonishment of all, when people left their houses they found thousands of mystery footsteps.
These were in the shape of a cloven hoof, but they moved in single file. More astonishingly was the
fact that they covered a distance of one hundred miles or more and went through fields, gardens, towns,
and even over rooftops.
At first people were intrigued, but then became very frightened. The news swept quickly over the
country and many people believed the footprints belonged to the devil. The London newspapers
published the story and experts came to investigate the footprints, before the snow melted.
Nobody could offer any satisfactory solution to the mystery.
Trad ition a l gam es p lay ed in Feb ru ary
Shrove Tuesday marks forty days before Easter. The forty days are supposed to be a time of quietness
and fasting. Shrove Tuesday (sometimes called Mischief Day) was the last day before Lent, so it was
the last day for fun and food for a long time.
A special game of football is a played in February. It is played differently from the game our country is
well known for. This game of football has no rules and is played on Shrove Tuesday. In some villages
and towns traffic would be stopped and all the men would come out into the street at a set time. The
church bell would ring and a football would be thrown into the crowd and the biggest ever football
game was played. This game is still played in some places in England.
Skipping is also a traditional Shrove Tuesday game.
Trad ition a l Food s Eaten
The last few days before Lent are known as Shrovetide. A time of feasting and revelry.
Collop Monday was traditionally the day to eat large pieces of fried meat.
Shrove Tuesday was the last time luxury foods could be used. All over Britain different Shrove
Tuesday meals were made - sometimes it was broth (Scotland), or doughnuts (Hertfordshire), frying
pan pudding (Lincolnshire) or pea soup (Cornwall) - but the most usual meal and the meal we still
make today is pancakes.
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
Candlemas
Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary forty
days after the birth of her son Jesus. On this day, Christians remember the presentation of Jesus Christ
in the Temple. Forty days after the birth of a Jewish boy, it was the custom to take him to the temple in
Jerusalem to be presented to God by his thankful parents.
In pre-Christian times, this day was known as the 'Feast of Lights' and celebrated the increase strength
of the life-giving sun as winter gave way to spring.
This feast is called Candlemas because that was the day on which the year's supply of candles for the
church were blessed.
St Valentines Day
This was originally thought to be the day on which birds chose their mates. There are many traditions
and tales associated with romance activities on Valentines day including:

the first man an unmarried woman saw on 14th February would be her future husband;
if the names of all a girl's suitors were written on paper and wrapped in clay and the clay put into water,
the piece that rose to the surface first would contain the name of her husband-to-be.
if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentines Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she
saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would
marry a rich person.
Each year in Britain, we spend around 503m on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for
Valentine's Day. Traditionally these were sent anonymously, but now-a-days we often make it clear
who is sending each 'Valentine'.
16th - Shrove Tuesday 2010
Shrove Tuesday marks forty days before Easter.
17th- 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.
19th- 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, Kissing Friday was called 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?
22th- Thinking Day.
This is the day when members of the Scout and Guide movements remember their founders Lord and
Lady Robert Baden-Powell.
L eap Year D ay - (occurs once every four years)
A nn ivers aries
5th - Birth date of Robert Peel in 1788. Formed first police force in London, hence nickname 'Bobbies'.
6th - Queen Elizabeth ll came to the throne on this day in 1952.
7th - Charles Dickens was born in 1812
8th - A minor earthquake shook Britain in 1750.
8th - A strange thing occurred in Devon
11th - Sir Francis Drake became the first known Englishman to sail the pacific in 1578
11th - Thomas Edison born in 1847
The phonograph and the motion-picture projector were only a few of Thomas Edison's more than 1,000
inventions.
12th - Birth of Charles Darwin in 1809
14th - St Valentines Day
15th- In 1971 Britain went decimal. All the banks were shut on the 11th and 12th to prepare for the
change over. Three million ponds was spent converting the countrys phone boxes to take the new two
pence pieces. Every cash register in the country had to be changed.
20th - On this day in 1896 the cinema came to Britain when a programme of films was shown for the
first time to a paying audience.
23rd - Birth of George Frederick Handel in 1685
23rd - Birth of Samuel Pepys in 1632
March
Gem s ton e: Bloodstone
Flow er: Jonquil
Where does the word March originate from?

The word 'March' comes from the Roman 'Martius'. This was originally the first month of the Roman
calendar and was named after Mars, the god of war.
March used to be the first month of the year
March was the beginning of our calendar year. We changed to the 'New Style' or 'Gregorian calendar in
1752, and it is only since then when we the year began on 1st January.
Another name for March
The Anglo-Saxons called the month Hlyd monath which means Stormy month, or Hraed monath which
means Rugged month.
Trad ition a l gam es p lay ed in March
All through Lent the traditional games played are marbles and skipping. The games were
stopped on the stroke of twelve noon on Good Friday, which in some places was called Marble
Day or Long Rope Day.
The game of marbles has been played for hundreds of years and some historians say that it
might have been started by rolling eggs. In the past, round stones, hazelnuts, round balls of baked clay
and even cherry stones have been used.
S u p ers tition
If Easter should fall on Lady Day (March 25) then some disaster will shortly follow:
'When my Lord falls in my Lady's lap,
England beware of some mishap.'
B orrow ed D ays
The last three days of March were said to be borrowed from April.
March said to April,
I see 3 hoggs (hoggets, sheep) upon a hill;
And if youll lend me dayes 3
Ill find a way to make them dee (die).
The first o them wus wind and weet,
The second o them wus snaw and sleet,
The third o them wus sic a freeze
It froze the birds nebs (noses) to the trees.
When the 3 days were past and gane
The 3 silly hoggs came hirpling (limping) hame.
T h e Tich b orn e D ole
A C u riou s Cu s tom Folk S tory
The Tichborne Dole is one of the eccentric British traditions and dates back to the thirteenth century. It
takes place in the village of Tichborne near Alresford in Hampshire every year on March 25th the Feast
of the Annunciation (Ladys Day).
Over eight hundred years ago, there lived a kind and generous women called Lady Maybela. It was
custom in those days that if the woman had a lot of money, it all belonged to her husband from the day
of their marriage. So, although Lady Maybela had been very rich, she had to ask her husband, Sir
Roger de Tichborne, for anything she wanted.
Sir Roger was not the nicest of all people. Lady Maybela had to beg for everything she needed. Most of
things she had she gave to the poor.
When she was very ill and dying, she asked her husband if he would still be kind to the poor people
after she was dead. She wanted him to give bread to the poor once a year. Sir Roger wasn't very happy
about this, for he would have to give up some of the flour that he made from the wheat he grew and he
didn't like to give anything away for nothing!
Now, remember that Lady Maybela was very ill! Sir Roger took a burning log from the fire. He told his
wife that however much of his land she could get round before the flames from the log went out, he
would set aside for the growing of wheat and this wheat would be made into flour for the poor.
Lady Maybela called to her maids and they lifted her from her bed into the grounds outside.

Now, everyone knows that March is a very windy month, but as Sir Roger carried the burning log
outside to watch Lady Maybela, the winds dropped and the flames from the log burned brightly with an
unflickering flame. Lady Maybela tried to stand up but she was too weak, so she began to crawl on her
hands and knees. As she disappeared in the distance, the servants held their breath and watched the
flames on the log. Sir Roger was getting more and more angry as he saw how far his wife was crawling
- he thought he had set her an impossible task. He saw Lady Maybela turn and start to cross across the
land - then, still crawling, she turned again, this time to crawl down back to the house. All the time the
flame burned brightly.
As Lady Maybela was nearing the house, the log was nearly all burned out, and when at last she
reached the place where she had started, the flame suddenly went out. She had crawled over an area of
twenty-three acres! These same twenty-three acres are, even today, still known as the 'Crawls'.
Before Lady Maybela died she made Sir Roger promise to give all the flour grown on the 'Crawls' to
the poor every 25th March, and just to make sure he kept his promise, she put a curse on the Tichborne
family and house. The curse said that anyone in the family not giving flour to the poor on 25th March
would find that their house would collapse, their money would be lost and seven sons would be born
followed by seven daughters and the name Tichborne would die out.
The flour was given every year until 1796, when Sir Henry Tichborne gave money to the church
instead of flour to the poor. He had seven sons, his eldest son had seven daughters and half the family
fell down, so a very worried son of Sir Henry, a Sir Edward Doughty-Tichborne, started up the custom
again - and things have been all right ever since.
Story as re-told by Toni Arthur in her book 'All the Year Round'
L en t L ily
One of the flowers most associated with March is the narcissus (Wild daffodil). Named after the boy in
Greek mythology, who was changed into a flower. Narciccus is also known as Lent Lily because it
blooms in early spring and the blooms usually dropping before Easter. It is the main daffodil species of
Britain.
The daffodil became a popular Welsh symbol in the 19th Century. Lloyd George used it to symbolise
Wales at the 1911 Investiture and in official publications.
In England the daffodil inspired amongst others William Wordsworth to write his famous poem
"Daffodils."
Daffodils
I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazedand gazedbut little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).
Weath er-lore, b elief s and s ay in gs
Like most months, March weather lore has many old sayings to guide us:
'When March comes in like a lion it goes out like a lamb.'
'A dry March and a wet May
Fill barns and bays with corn and hay.'
'As it rains in March so it rains in June.'
'March winds and April showers
Bring forth May flowers.'
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
1st- St David's Day - Patron Saint of Wales
5th- St Piran's Day Cornwall
All over Cornwall celebrations are staged for St Piran's Day.
14th- Mothers Day / Mothering Sunday (3 weeks before Easter) 2009
14th- Simnel Sunday
The fourth Sunday in Lent (3 weeks before Easter) when Simnel cakes are eaten.
17th- St Patrick's Day - Patron Saint of Ireland
25th- Lady Day
28th- Palm Sunday 2010
This special day marks the beginning of Holy Week when we remember Jesus arrival in Jerusalem and
the waving of palm branches.
31st- Oranges and Lemons.
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, which begins with the lines:
'Oranges and lemons
Say the bells of St Clement's'
A nn ivers aries
3rd - Alexander Bell, inventor of the telephone was born in 1847
15th - This date was the 'Ides of March' in the Roman calendar. This meant it was the day on which the
month was divided into two equal parts. Julius Caesar was murdered on this date in 44 BC.
18th - 30 mile an hour speed limit imposed on built up areas in 1935
22nd - English football league formed in 1888
23rd- In 1891 goal nets were used for the first time in English football.
25th - Heathrow Airport Opened in 1948
26th - Anniversary of the first daily weather forecast.
29th - Coca-Cola was introduced on this date in 1886.
31st - The Eiffel Tower in Paris was officially opened in 1889

April
Gemstone : Diamond
Flower : Sweet Pea
Where does the word April orginate from?
No one knows for certain how April got its name, but it may have come from the Latin word 'aperire'
which means 'to open'. April is, after all, the month when in the northern hemisphere buds begin to
open and things start to grow again after the winter.
Eostre monath or Eastremonath was the Anglo-Saxon name for the month. The name of the Christian
Festival ofEaster comes from this Anglo-Saxon word.
April Fools Day
April begins with a day of fun and jokes - April Fool's Day. No one really knows when this custom
began but it has been kept for hundreds of years.
The First of April, some do say
Is set apart for All Fools Day;
But why the people call it so,
Not I, nor they themselves do know.
The Cuckoo
The arrival of the cuckoo is the signal that spring has come. It arrives some time in mid April.
The cuckoo sings from St. Tiburtius' Day (14th April) to St John's Day (24th June). However in
Worcestershire there is a saying that the cuckoo is never heard before Tenbury fair (April 21st), or after
Pershore fair (June 26th). The difference in dates is because traditionally the bird arrives in different
parts of the country during April.
Various April dates are called 'Cuckoo Day ' and some places hold 'Cuckoo Fairs'.
Marsden Cuckoo Day in West Yorkshire is an annual traditional festival that celebrates the arrival of
spring. According to a local legend, Marsdeners used to try to prolong the cuckoo's stay by building a
wall around its nest.
Heathfield Cuckoo Fair in East Sussex is an annual tradition of releasing a cuckoo to mark the
beginning of summer. A tale of Heathfield Fair depicts an Old Woman releasing the Cuckoo from her
basket, whereupon he "flies up England carrying warmer days with him".
Downton Cuckoo Fair is an annual traditional event held on the greens of the picturesque village of
Downton, south of Salisbury, Wiltshire. The fair marks the "opening the gate" to let the cuckoo
through.
Here is an old traditional rhyme about the Cuckoo's summer life cycle:
In April I open my bill
In May I sing night and day
In June I change my tune
In July far far I fly
In August away I must
St. Tiburtius' Day
The cuckoo sings from St. Tiburtius' Day (14th April) to St John's Day (24th June).
Superstition
If you should hear the cuckoo sing on St. Tiburtius' Day, you should turn over all the money in your
pockets, spit and not look at the ground! If you do this and are standing on soft ground when you do it,
you will have loads of good luck. However if you are standing on hard ground - the cuckoo's call
means bad luck.
The Swallow

The swallow makes its reappearance during April. Earlier people were mystified by the disappearance
of many birds during the winter and at one time thought that the swallow spent the cold months hidden
in the mud at the bottom of ponds. Traditionally April 15th is 'Swallow Day' in England , the date on
which returning swallows were seen again.
Weather-lore, beliefs and sayings
April showers bring May flowers.
If early April is foggy
Rain in June
Will make lanes boggy.
When April blows its horn
'Tis good for hay and corn.
April wet - good wheat.
Till April's dead, change not a thread.
April Traditions and Festivals
Easter usually comes in the month of April. It is what is called a 'moveable feast' because the date of it
is fixed according to the moon. Easter Sunday has to be the first Sunday after the full moon which
means that Easter can fall as early as 22 March or as late as 25 April .
1st- April Fools Day
1st- Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday 2010
The word Maundy comes from the Latin Mandatum meaning an order or command. It refers to
Christs final command to us via His Apostles, given at the Last Supper.
2 nd- Good Friday 2010
The saddest day of the Christian Year, when Jesus was put to death.
4 th- Daffodil Sunday
The 1st Sunday in April is called Daffodil Sunday. In Victorian times families picked daffodils from
their gardens and took them to local hospitals to give to the sick.
4 th- Easter Day 2010
The happiest day of the Christian Year,
when Jesus rose from the dead.
6 th- Candle Auctions
On 6 April there used to be Candle Auctions. A candle was lit and a pin stuck in it about two and a half
centimetres from the top. Then people would start bidding for a piece of church land to let to the poor
for a year. The person bidding when the candle burned down enough to let the pin fall became the
owner of the land.
19 th- Primrose Day
In the late 19 century, 19 April was celebrated as Primrose Day in memory of British Prime Minister,
Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield), who died on this day in 1881. People were encouraged to pay
tribute to the statesman by wearing primroses as they were supposedly his favourite flower. However, it
seems there was a misunderstanding and that the flower was not his favourite after all. Queen
Victoria sent a wreath of primroses to Disraeli's funeral with a note stating that they were "his
favourite flowers"; people assumed that the 'his' referred to Disraeli, but in fact it referred to Victoria's
late husband, Prince Albert.
23 rd- St Georges Day - England's National Day
The 23rd April is St. Georges Day . St. George is the Patron Saint of England and also of Scouting.
It is said that St. George once saved a village from great danger. The village were frightened of a fierce
dragon who lived close by, so St George killed the dragon.

Anniversaries
April 1969 Concorde's maiden flight.
1st - In 1973 VAT (Value Added Tax) was introduced in Britain.
2nd April 1805 Hans Christian Andersen was born in Denmark. He wrote poetry and fables but is
famous chiefly for his fairy tales. He died in 1875.
2nd April 14th June 1982 The Falklands War.
5th April 1640 Pocahontas got married.
6th April Robert Edwin Peary reached the North Pole in 1909
7th April 1827 First matches sold.
8th April 1973 Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter, died aged 91.
8th April Buddhist: Hanamatsuri (Buddhas Birthday). Zen Buddhists use this day as a flower festival
to celebrate the birth of the Buddha.
9th April 1806 Brunel (Great Western Railway) born.
10th April 1998 The signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
12th April 1606 Union Flag became the official flag of the United Kingdom.
12th April 1961 Yuri Gagarin made the first flight into space.
13th April 1936 Jow Payne (Luton Town F.C.) scored ten goals in one match.
14th April 1931 Highway Code first issued.
15th April 1912 R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg and sank.
16th April 1889 Charlie Chaplin born.
18th April 1934 First launderette opened.
19th April 1978 Post marks were introduced in Britain by the Post Office.
21st April Queen Elizabeth II was born.
22nd April Earth Day.
23rd April St. Georges Day Patron Saint of England and also of Scouting.
23rd April 1584 / 1613 Shakespeares Birthday (1584). Also the anniversary of his death (1613).
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon. He earned his living by acting small parts, by
rewriting old plays and then by writing plays himself. His plays were written in verse.
25th April 1953 DNA, the building blocks of all life forms, was discovered by James Watson and
Francis Crick. Their achievement was recognised in 1962 when they received the Nobel Prize for
Physiology.
26th April 1957 First broadcast of "The Sky at Night".
27th April 1791 Samuel Morse was born. Learn and practice Morse Code.
A month by month of forgotten legends and pastimes from Britain's folk history

May
Gemstone: Emerald
Flower: Lilly of the Valley
May is named after the Greek goddess, Maia. The month is a time of great celebrations in the northern
hemisphere. It is the time when flowers emerge and crops begin to sprout.
The Anglo-Saxon name for May was Tri-Milchi, in recognition of the fact that with the lush new grass
cows could be milked three times a day. It was first called May in about 1430. Before then it was called
Maius, Mayes, or Mai.
May Day (Garland Day)
In Britain, as in most parts of Western Europe, May day marked the end of the harsh winter months,
welcomed the beginning of Summer, and optimistically looked forward to the bright and productive
months. For our ancestors, largely in rural areas, it was a major annual festival and was celebrated
through out the country, especially on the first of May with music, dancing and games.

Traditional May Day celebrations included dancing around maypoles and the appearance of 'hobby
horses' and characters such as 'Robin Hood' and 'Jack in Green'.
Find out more about May Day in England
In some parts of Britain, May 1st is called Garland Day.
The first of May is Garland Day
So please remember the garland.
We don't come here but once a year,
So please remember the garland.
Greenery was collected by primary school children to make garlands. In many English villages children
would parade with garlands of flowers, sometimes fastened to sticks or in the shape of a cross, or fixed
to hoops. This was done in the hope of collecting money. Sometimes this was known as May Dolling
because often placed in the centre of the garland was a small doll.
There are still garland ceremonies today.
At Charlton-on-Otmoor, Oxfordshire, a large wooden cross covered with yew and box leaves stands
above the rood screen in the church. On May Day this is taken down and redecorated with fresh
greenery and flowers and the children carry small decorated crosses around the village and bring them
to a special service. Also in Oxfordshire at Brampton, the Spring Bank Holiday marks the beginning of
the traditional Morris Dance Season. In the morning children bring out a selection of garlands which
are judged in a competition at lunch time. May dolls are sometimes used in these.
May Day Superstition
First thing in the morning on May 1st, young girls used to rush out into the garden to wash their faces
in the May dew.
Why?
There is an old tale that says that May dew has magic properties and that anyone who has washed their
face in it will have a beautiful complexion all through the year. This dew was supposed to be able to
remove freckles and also spots and pimples.
Other Superstition for May
The month of may was considered an unlucky month particularly for getting married.
'Marry in May and you'll rue the day'
Being born in May was thought to produce a sickly child.
Never buy a broom in May or wash blankets.
Wash a blanket in May.
Wash a dear one away.
Cats born this month will not be good rodent catchers and even worse, will bring snakes into the home.
Unlucky days are 3rd, 6th, 7th, 13th, 15th and 20th.
Weather-lore, beliefs and sayings
"A wet May makes a big load of hay. A cold May is kindly and fills the barn finely. "
A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay.
"Mist in May, Heat in June
Makes harvest come right soon"
"If you wash a blanket in May;
You will wash one of the family away."
"Those who bathe in May
Will soon be laid in clay"
Oak Apple Day (Pinch-Bum Day)
This is the day that traditionally people wear oak apples or oak leaves pinned to them to remember that
on May 29th King Charles ll returned triumphantly to London after the restoration of the monarchy in
1660.

The reason for the wearing of oak apples or oak leaves was to celebrate the King's narrow escape from
capture by Cromwell's soldiers by hiding in an oak tree.
Until well into the twentieth century, anyone caught not wearing an oak leaf or oak apple on 29 May
could be pinched, kicked, or otherwise abused. Whipping with nettles was a favourite punishment,
hence the name 'Nettle Day' in some areas.
Arbor Tree Day
Arbor Day, on the last Sunday in May, is the Sunday nearest to Oak Apple Day.
In Aston-on-Clun in Shropshire, a large tree standing in the centre of the village is decorated with flags
on the last Sunday in May. The flags stay on the tree until the following May. Aston-on-Clun is the only
place in the UK that still marks this ancient tradition.
People say that in 1786 the local landowner John Marston married on May 29th and, when passing
through the village, saw the villagers celebrating Arbor Day. The bride thought that the tree looked so
beautiful covered in flags, that she gave money to the village to allow the custom to continue.
Anniversaries
1st May -Labour Day
1st May- May Day.
5th May - 1930 Amy Johnson was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.
6th May- 1840 The world's first postage stamp, the 'Penny Black' stamp, became valid for use in the
UK.
6th May - 1954 Roger Bannister ran a mile in less than four minutes.
8th May - 1945 VE (Victory in Europe) Day.
9th May Captain Blood attempted to steal the crown jewels in 1671
10th May- 1994 Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa.
12th May- 1820 Florence Nightingale was born.
15th May The Romans believed this was the birthday of Mercury, the messenger and son of Zeus who
could travel with the speed of thought.
18th May - 1955 The first Wimpy Bar opened in London. Have a treat and visit your local Wimpy, or
have a burger night.
18th May - 1991 Helen Sharman became the first British woman in space.
21st May - 1946 Bread rationing introduced in the UK.
28th May - 1908 Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books, was born.
29th May - 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest.
29th May Oak Apple Day.
30th May 1431 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
30th May Death of King Arthur in 542
June
Gem ston e: Pearl
Flow er: Rose
June marks the beginning of Summer in the northern hemisphere and the month of the Wimbledon
tennis tournament in England.
June is the sixth month of the year and takes its name from the Roman goddess Junno, the goddess of
marriage. For this reason, June has always been looked upon as the best month in which to marry:
Married in the month of roses - June
Life will be one long homeymoon.
Sera monath (Dry month) was the name the Anglo-Saxons gave to the month.
T h e R ed R os e
The flower for June is the red rose. The red rose is the symbol of:

love (Red roses are the most sought after flower for a Valentine's Day gif)
England and is worn on St George's Day.
Lancashire
the British Labour Party.
The rose also has a special importance on Midsummer's Eve (see further down the page).
Weath er-lore, b elief s and s ay in gs
'A calm June puts the farmer in tune'
'June damp and warm, does the farmer no harm'.
It is claimed that summer doesn't start until the elder is in flower.
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
Well Dressing
At different times during June there are ceremonies called 'well dressings'. Springs and wells of fresh
water that come from the underground streams have always seem to be magical things, so some wells
are honoured with decorations.
The decorations consist of branches of greenery and amazingly beautiful pictures made of flower petals
and moss.
13th- Trooping the Colours
The official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is marked each year by a military parade and march-past,
known asTrooping the Colour (Carrying of the Flag).
Trooping the Colour will take place on Saturday 13 June 2009 on Horse Guards Parade. Events begin
at approximately 10am and the parade starts at 11 a.m. (lasts approximately one hour).
21st or 22nd The longest day (Summer Sol
The longest day of the year is 21 June or 22 June. It is the day when the sun is at its most northerly
point and this is why it is "the longest day".
In Wiltshire, there is a circle of huge stones at a place called Stonehenge, and hundreds of people go
there to watch the sun rise on 21 June.
These stones have stood in Wiltshire for thousands of years and no one knows how they got there. They
are not local stone and so whoever placed them there had to somehow transport them over several
miles.
24th- Mid s um m ers D ay
The middle of summer comes after the longest day and it is a time associated with witches, magic,
fairies and dancing
On the eve of Midsummer's Day, many bonfires used to be burnt all over the country. This was in
praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people
would light fires to try and strengthen the sun.
Midsummer's Superstitions
Roses are of special importance on Midsummer's Eve. It is said that any rose picked on Midsummer's
Eve, or Midsummer's Day will keep fresh until Christmas.
At midnight on Midsummer's Eve, young girls should scatter rose petals before them and say:
Rose leaves, rose leaves,
Rose leaves I strew.
He that will love me
Come after me now.
Then the next day, Midsummer's Day, their true love will visit them.
A nn ivers aries

2nd June 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

5th June
World Environment Day.
6th June
D Day in 1944, when the coast of France was invaded by the Allies in the Second World
War.
8th JuneWorld Oceans Day.
10th June
First Oxford v Cambridge boat race in 1829. Oxford won.
12th June 1929 Ann Frank born.
12th June 1942 Anne Frank was given her diary on her 13th birthday. It was first published in 1947.
12th June
The Queens Official Birthday.
th
15 June 1215 King John signed the Magna Carta. Try making your own paper, and own seals.
15th June
Childrens Day Britain.
18th June 1815 Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington beat Napoleon, in Belgium.
19th June 1829 Police force formed by Robert Peel in London. Invite a Police community liaison office
to come and talk to your Unit. Suitable subjects might be the laws regarding alcohol, drugs, and
weapons or cycle safety. There may also be local issues that the Police would like to discuss.
20th June
Feast of St. Alban. The first British martyr.
st
21 June
Longest Day.
24th June
Midsummer Day / feast of St. John the Baptist. The feast of St. John the Baptist is
unusual in the Christian calendar as it commemorates his birth and not his martyrdom / death.
28th June 1834 Coronation of Queen Victoria
July
Gem s ton e: Rub y
Flow er: Larks pur
July is one of the hottest months of the year. It is nearly the end of the school year and summer holidays
are near.
July is the seventh month of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. It was the fifth month in the
early calendar of the ancient Romans. The Romans called the month Quintilius, which means fifth. A
Roman Senate renamed the month to Julius (July) in honour of Julius Caesar, who was born on 12 July.
The Anglo-Saxon names for the month included Heymonath or Maed monath, referring respectively to
haymaking and the flowering of meadows.
C rop C ircles
July is the month when circular flattened patches begin to appear in fields of standing corn.
This phenomenon dates from early 1970s, although there are isolated earlier examples.
Weath er-lore, b elief s and s ay in gs
'If the first of July it be rainy weather,
'Twill rain more or less for four weeks together.'
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
Henley Royal Regatta
Takes place during the first week of July on a stretch of the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in
Oxfordshire. The Regatta began in 1839 with a single afternoon of rowing races and now lasts for five
days.
Swan Upping
The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as
Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.

15th- St Swithin's Day

St Swithin's Day is 15 July, a day on which people watch the weather for tradition says that whatever
the weather is like on St. Swithin's Day, it will continue so for the next forty days.
St Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain.
St Swithin's Day. if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair'
Honiton Fair in Devon
This three day fair begins on the first Tuesday after 19 July. The town crier officially opens the fair by
parading down the High Street with a golden glove at the end of a long pole decorated with garlands of
flowers and announcing:
'Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!
The glove is up!
The fair has begun!
No man shall be arrested until the glove is down.
God save the Queen!'
After this ceremony, hot pennies are thrown to the onlookers from the windows of various pubs and
scrambles for by local children. The custom dates back many years to the days long gone when the
wealthy of the town would 'aid' the poor.
25th- Grotto Day
25 July is St James' Day (Also known as Grotto Day )
Children used to make grottoes and caves and decorate them with sea shells because the scallop shell is
supposed to be the emblem of St. James.
The grottoes were placed outside the homes and the children would sit by them and say:
Please remember the Grotto.
It's only once a year.
Father's gone to sea.
Mother's gone to bring him back,
So please remember me.
25th- Whitstable Oyster Festival
The English Oyster season officially begins on St James' Day.
Whitstable Bay, on the north Kent coast, is famous for its oysters. It has been associated with oysters
for hundreds of years. An old Kentish tradition says that Julius Caesar was drawn to Britain by the
Whitstable oysters. On St. James's Day the locals hold an annual oyster festival, an event dating back to
at least the early 19th century when it was the custom for fishers and dredgers to celebrate with an
annual ceremony of thanksgiving.
A nn ivers aries
1st July 1937 999 emergency service introduced.
1st July 1837 Registration of births, marriages and deaths begins in Britain.
1st July 1997 British rule ended in Hong Kong after 99 years.
2nd July 1928 Equal voting rights are granted to women in Britain.
3rd July 1938 The Mallard broke the speed record for steam engines, 126 mph.
12th July
Battle of the Boyne Northern Ireland.
th
13 July 1985 Live Aid concert, organised by Bob Geldof. Raised money to help people starving in
Africa.
13th July
National Day Northern Ireland.
15th July
St Swithin's Day. If it rains on St. Swithins then therell be forty more days of wet
weather.
21st July 1837 Euston Railway Station, the first in London, is opened
21st July 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.

25th July
St James Day, patron saint of pilgrims. Children used to make little grottoes from
scallop shells (the emblem of St. James) or oyster shells.
25th July
Whitstable Oyster Festival
th
25 July
St Christopher's Day. Patron Saint of Travellers.
28th July 1586 The first potatoes arrived from Columbia.
28th July 1901 First fingerprints used for identification.
August
Gem ston e: Agate
Flow er: Gladiolus
August, the eighth month of the year and the sixth month of the Roman calendar. The Romans called
the month Sextilis, which means sixth. Eight years before Jesus was born the name of the month was
changed to Augustus in honour of the Roman Emperor Augustus Casesar, because many of the
important events in his life happened around that time of year.
The Anglo-Saxons called it Weod monath, which means Weed month, because it is the month when
weeds and otehr plants grow most repidly.
August is the busiest time for tourism, as it falls in the main school holiday of the year, the summer
holidays, which lasts for six weeks for state run schools.
L am m as Day
1st August is Lammas Day, and was Thanksgiving time (Harvest time) in Britain. The name comes
from an Anglo-Saxon word Hlafmaesse which means Loaf Mass. The festival of Lammas marks the
beginning of the harvest, when people go to church to give thanks for the first corn to be cut. This
celebration predates our Christian harvest festival.
On Lammas Day farmers made loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local
church. They were then used as the Communion bread during a special mass thanking God for the
harvest. The custom ended when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, and nowadays we
have harvest festivals at the end of the season. Michaelmas Day (September 29) is traditionally the
last day of the harvest season.
Lammas Day used to be a time for foretelling marriages and trying out partners. Two young people
would agree to a "trial marriage" lasting the period of the fair (usually 11 days) to see whether they
were really suited for wedlock. At the end of the fair, if they didn't get on, the couple could part.
Lammas was also the time for farmers to give their farm workers a present of a pair of gloves. In
Exeter, a large white glove was put on the end of a long pole which was decorated with flowers and
held on high to let people know that the merriment of Lammas Fair was beginning.
Lammas Superstition
To bring good luck, farmers would let the first corn bread go stale and then crumble it over the corners
of their barns.
Weath er-lore, b elief s and s ay in gs
The hottest days of the year often fall in August.
'Dry August and warm doth harvest no harm'.
'If the first week of August be warm, the winter will be white and long.'
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
A number of cultural festivals are held in August
Edinburgh Festival in Scotland
Dating from 1947, the Edinburgh Festival is primarily a celebration of the performing arts, with live
concerts, plays, ballets, operas and other shows.
Royal National Eisteddfod in Wales
The Eisteddfod is an older tradition, revived in the 19th century. It originated as a medieval gathering
of bards and minstrels, attended by people across Wales, who competed for the prized chair at the

noble's table.
Held during the first week of August, it celebrates Welsh arts and culture.
Notting Hill Carnival
The carnival is held on the Summer Bank Holiday, the last Monday in August. It features a colourful
procession, elaborate and extravagant costumes, and the music of many steel bands. The carnival
originated in the mid 1960s as a way of celebrating and maintaining the cultural traditions of the
Caribbean immigrants who live in and around the Notting Hill area.
A nn ivers aries
August
1st
The eleventh Olympic Games opened in Berlin in 1936.
1st
In 1774 Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in the
laboratory at Bowood House, Wiltshire, England
1st
Lammas Day
2nd
First roller skating rink opened in the UK (1875).
rd
3
Columbus set sail on his first voyage in 1492. They made their way to the Canary Islands.
4th
The First World War. August 1914 11th November 1918
6th
The sandwich was named after the Earl of Sandwich. It is said that in approx.1762, the Earl of
Sandwich asked for meat to be served between slices of bread, to avoid interrupting a gambling game.
6th
Jamaica gained independence in 1962 after being a British Colony for over 300 years.
8th
Great Train Robbery (1963)
12th
The Model T Ford, known as the Tin Lizzie and the first mass-produced car, went on sale in
1908.
12th
The first communications Satellite, Echo 1, was launched in 1960 from Cape Canaveral in
Florida.
12th
"The Glorious 12th". The start of the Grouse season in Britain.
13th
Josef Jakob, a German spy during World War II, is the last person to be executed at the Tower
of London. (1941)
13th
Britain carries out its last executions before the abolition of capital punishment - Peter Allen is
hanged at Walton Prison, Liverpool, and John Walby at Strangeways Prison, Manchester - both
convicted murderers. (1964)
14th
World War II ends (1945)
14th
Opening of the Olympic Games in London. (1948)
th
15
India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain.
15th
Formation of the first regular police detective force in Britain (1872).
th
15
World War II: VJ Day - Victory over Japan. The official date for the ceremony to mark the
formal surrender of the Japanese to the Allies less than 24 hours earlier. (1945)
15th
Corporal punishment in schools is officially banned in Britain, except in independent schools in
the private sector. (1987)
18th
National fire service established in Britain (1941).
21st
The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo de Vinci, was stolen from the Louvre Gallery in 1911 not
recovered until 1913.
22nd International Red Cross founded in Geneva
22nd The Battle of Bosworth 1483 Henry VII beat Richard III.
24th
Mount Vesuvius erupts near Pompeii in southern Italy. Although roughly half the citizens of
Pompeii escaped toward the sea, more than 2,000 people were buried under seven feet of molten lava,
ash, and pumice. (79 AD)
25th
Daily flights between London and Paris, starting the first international air service. (1919)
th
26
In Britain, the BBC transmits the first high-definition television pictures. (1936)
27th
Official date for the Roman landing in Britain by Julius Caesar accompanied by 10,000 men of
the 7th and 10th Roman Legions. (55 BC)

27th
Francis Chichester left Plymouth, aboard the Gypsy Moth IV, on the first successful attempt to
sail single handed around the world. (1966)
28th
Martin Luther King (1929-1968), American civil rights campaigner, made his famous "I have
a dream" speech in 1963
31st
Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in France in 1997.
September
Gem s ton e: Sapphire
Flow er: Aster
The name September comes from the old Roman word 'septem', which means seven, because in the
Roman calendar it was the seventh month. The Anglo-Saxons called it Gerst monath (Barley month),
because it was their time when they harvested barley to be made into their favourite drink - barley
brew. They also called it Haefest monath, or Harvest month.
The Romans believed that the month of September was looked after by the god, Vulcan. As the god of
the fire and forge they therefore expected September to be associated with fires, volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes.
September is the start of the school year. Students return to school after the six week summer holiday.
T h e m is sin g 11 d ays !
Did you know?
Nothing whatsoever happened in British history between 3 and 13 September 1752.
The Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the one most used nowadays. It is named after Pope Gregory Xlll who
introduced it in 1582. There is a leap year every four years (or more precisely, 97 leap years every 400
years). This means that the year corresponds closely with the astronomical year (365.24219 days) so
that it is just one day out every 3,300 years.
The Julian Calendar
Up until 1753, the calendar we used in Britain was the Julian Calendar. It was based on the solar year,
the time it takes for the Earth to rotate around the Sun, and thus was less accurate than the Gregorian
Calendar.
The Julian Calendar was 365.25 days long, which was fractionally too long, and the calendar over time
fell out of line with the seasons.
All change - "Give us back our 11 days!"
In 1752 Britain decided to correct this by abandoning the Julian calendar in favour of the Gregorian. By
doing so, 3 September instantly became 14 September - and as a result, nothing whatsoever
happened in British history between 3 and 13 September 1752.
Many people believed their lives would be shortened. They protested in the streets, demanding "Give
us back our 11 days!"
Harves t Fes tival
Traditionally 24th September was the day on which harvesting began in medieval England.
Calling the Mare
As the last of the crops are gathered in, there used to be a lovely ceremony called 'Calling the Mare'.
The farmers all wanted to prove that they had the best reapers, so they tried to gather in the last of their
crops before the neighbouring farmer did.
The last sheaf of the harvest was used to make a rough mare shape and it was quickly sent round to any
farmers who had not finished gathering his crops. It was a way of saying to the farmer that wild horses
would be after his crops, if he didn't gather them in quickly. The men would run round to the
neighbouring farm, throw the mare over the hedge into the field where the other farmer was working,
and they would shout 'Mare, Mare' and then run away.

The farmer, who received the mare, would then have to work quickly to see if he could finish before
another farm did, then he would throw the mare to them.
The farmer who was last to finish had to keep the mare all year and have it on display so that everyone
knew he had been the slowest farmer of that year.
C orn D olly
Similar to the mare (see above), there is a custom of making corn dollies.
A corn dolly was supposed to have been the spirit of the corn goddess and dates back hundreds of
years. People believed that the corn goddess lived in the corn and would die when the corn was
harvested unless some of it was saved. So to make sure the corn goddess stayed alive until next spring
sowing, a corn dolly was made from the last sheaf of corn for the corn goddess to rest in until the next.
Mich aelm as D ay
Michaelmas Day is the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, celebrated on 29 September. St. Michael
is the patron saint of the sea and maritime lands, of ships and boatmen, of horses and horsemen. He was
the Angel who hurled Lucifer (the devil) down from Heaven for his treachery.
Michaelmas Day is traditionally the last day of the harvest season.
The harvest season used to begin on 1 August and was called Lammas, meaning 'loaf Mass'. Farmers
made loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church. The custom ended
when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, and nowadays we have harvest festivals at the
end of the season near Michaelmas Day.
Curfew
Michaelmas used to be a popular day for the winter night curfew to begin - the first hint that winter was
on the way. Curfew took the form of a tolling of the church bell, usually one strike for each of the days
of the month that had passed in the current year and generally rung at 9pm.
The word curfew may derive from the French word couvre feu, meaning 'cover fire'. Curfew was the
time when household fires were supposed to be doused. The bell was tolled every night, apart from
Sunday, until Shrove Tuesday.
Chertsey is one of the last places to still ring a Curfew bell at 8pm from Michaelmas Day to Lady Day
(29th September to 25th March). Their oldest Curfew bell dates from 1380!
Goose Day
Michaelmas Day is sometimes also called Goose Day. Goose Fairs are still held in some English towns,
but geese are no longer sold. A famous Michaelmas fair is the Nottingham Goose Fair which is now
held on or around 3 October.
A Great custom in England was to dine on goose on Michaelmas. One reason for this was said to be
that Queen Elizabeth I was eating goose when news of the defeat of the Armada was brought to her. In
celebration she said that henceforth she would always eat goose on Michaelmas Day. Others then
followed her lead.
Quarter Day
Another suggestion, why goose are eaten, is that, as Michaelmas Day was a Quarter Day, rents were
due and bills had to be paid. Tenants seeking delay of payment traditionally bought a goose as a present
for their landlord to help seek his indulgence. Geese were supposedly very tasty at this time of year.
Labourers for hire
On the day after Michaelmas, every year agricultural labourers presented themselves, along with their
tools, at the nearest market town. There they offered themselves for hire for the coming year. A fair
followed the hirings and this was called 'Mop Fair'.
Universities
Michaelmas signaled the beginning of Michaelmas Term at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Old Michaelmas Day is October 10th

After the calendar reform of 1752, some activities traditionally associated with Michaelmas Day (29
September) moved forward eleven days to October 10, which is sometimes called 'Old Michaelmas
Day'.
Michaelmas weather-lore, beliefs and sayings
The Michaelmas Daisies, among dede weeds,
Bloom for St Michael's valorous deeds.
And seems the last of flowers that stood,
Till the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.
(The Feast of St. Simon and Jude is 28 October)
Eat a goose on Michaelmas Day,
Want not for money all the year.
He who eats goose on Michaelmas day
shan't money lack or debts to pay.
'If St Michael brings many acorns, Christmas will cover the fields with snow.'
'A dark Michaelmas, a light Christmas.'
Mich aelm as S up ers tition .
Folklore in England holds that the devil stamps on bramble bushes or as they say in some areas, spits
on them. Therefore one must not pick blackberries after Michaelmas.
The reason for this belief has ancient origins. It was said that the devil was kicked out of heaven on St
Michael's Feast Day, but as he fell from the skies, he landed in a bramble bush! He cursed the fruit of
that prickly plant, scorching them with his fiery breath, stamping on them, spitting on them and
generally making them unsuitable for human consumption. Legend suggests he renews his curse
annually on Michaelmas Day and therefore it is very unlucky to gather blackberries after this date.
If the breast bones of the goose are brown after roasting the following winter should be mild, but if the
bones are white or have a slight blue hue then the winter will be severe.
The Victorians believed that trees planted on this day would grow especially well.
In Ireland and northern England, it was thought that if you ate goose at Michaelmas you would have
good luck for the rest of the year.
In Ireland, finding a ring hidden in a Michaelmas pie meant that one would soon be married.
Fes tivals and Trad ition s
Conkers - A traditional game for this time of year
Conkers are the fruit of the horse-chestnut tree. Children have been playing with conkers for years.
Horn Dance
On the first Monday after September 4th, in a town called Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire, a very
picturesque custom takes place. It is called the Horn Dance. Six men hold masks on sticks which have
long reindeer horns attached to them.
There are two teams of three men each. One team's reindeer horns are painted white - the other's are
blue. Each team dances towards the other as if to fight, then they go back, then advance as if to lock
horns, and then go back again. After a while they pass each other straight over the the other side and
they start again.
There are other people in attendance dancing as well - a hobby horse, someone dresses as Made
Marion, a boy with a bow and arrow, a triangle player, a musician and a Fool.
Gurning Competition
The World Gurning Championships are held at the Egremont Crab Fair in the Lake District in a
tradition dating back to 1267. To gurn has many meanings but one of them is to 'distort the face' and
making faces is just what this competition is - to see who can make the most awful face.
14th- Holy Rood Day
Rood is another name for a cross and traditionally on 14 September children were freed from school or
work so they could gather nuts.
A nn ivers aries

1st September 1951 Britain's first supermarket opens at Earl's Court in London.
1st September 1971 The penny and the thrupenny piece coins cease to be legal tender as Britain
continues the changeover to decimal coinage.
2 - 6th September 1666
The Great Fire of London raged for four days - destroying more than
13,000 houses and almost 100 churches - including St Paul's Cathedral. A total of 6 people are killed.
2nd September 1752 Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar.
3rd September 1939 15thAugust 1945
The Second World War. Great Britain, France, New
Zealand, and Australia declare war on Germany after Adolf Hitler, refuses to withdraw his troops from
Poland.
6th September 1527 Magellan completed the first circumnavigation of the world.
6th September 1852 First free public lending library opened.
7th September 1533 Queen Elizabeth I was born.
9th September 1835 The 'sport' of bear baiting was banned by parliament.
9th September 1835 Local government constituted in the UK.
9th September 1950 Soap rationing ended in Britain - introduced in 1942.
9th September 1087 William the Conqueror died
18th September 1839 George Cadbury was born.
19th September 1960 First parking tickets issued in London.
22nd September 1955 ITV started.
September 1735
Sir Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister to move into 10 Downing
Street in London which has since become the official home of the british prime minister.
23rd September 1940 George Cross instituted.
26th September 1955 Birds Eye fish fingers first went on sale.
26th September 1580 English seaman Francis Drake returns to Plymouth in the Golden Hind,
becoming the first British navigator to sail the earth.
27th September 1825 The world's first public passenger rail service begins - between Stockton and
Darlington in the north of England.
28th SeptemberSt Wenceslas Day
28th September 1745 First singing of the National Anthem.
29th SeptemberMichaelmas Day.
29th September 1758 Nelson was born.
30th September 1928 Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming.
October
G e ms t o n e : Opal
F l o w e r : Calendula
In the old Roman calendars, October was the eighth month of the year and got its name from the word 'Octo'
meaning eight.
The Saxons called it Wyn Monath because it was the season of wine making.
A u t u mn C o l o u r s
During October, the leaves begin to change colour, transforming Englands landscape into an array of autumn
colours.
Autumn Colours
7th- L o s t Tra ve l l e r S t or y
In Hampshire, in the eighteenth century, a Mr William Davis was riding home when a heavy fog surrounded
him, and in no time at all he found that he had lost his way.
Suddenly, he heard the bells from his church start to ring, so he followed the sound and arrived safely home.

Later on he worked out that he must have been only a few yards away from chalk pits, where the ground had
been dug deeply. Had he gone any further, he would have been killed.
When Mr Davis died in 1754, he left some money in his will. The money was to pay the bellringers to ring the
church bells at 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on 7th October every year, to help travellers find their direction should they
get lost on the same night he had been lost.
O l d M i c h a e l ma s D a y (10th)
After the calendar reform of 1752, some activities traditionally associated with Michaelmas Day (29
September) moved forward eleven days to October 10, which is sometimes called 'Old Michaelmas Day'. Mop
Fairs or Hiring Fairs took place on an around Michaelmas Day.
Mop Fairs (Hiring Fairs)
Michaelmas used to be the time for 'Mop' or Hiring Fairs. Servants and farm labourers would work from October
to October and then go to the centre of the village or town to hire themselves out again for the next year.
People looking for work would dress in their best clothes, and to let people know what work they wanted, they
used to wear or carry some sign of their work. Maids, looking for work, would carry a small mop (that's where
we get the name Mop Fairs from), a shepherd had wool,a gardener had flowers and so on.
The new masters and mistresses would walk around the fair and talk to the people. When they had come to an
agreement, they gave the servant a small token - maybe something like 5p. The servant would then remove the
sign of his job and replace it with a bunch of brightly coloured ribbons to let everyone else know that he had
been hired.
Mop Fairs Today
The custom remains today in some towns and villages around the country. Several towns in Warwickshire enjoy
the spectacle and the fun from the holding of the annual mop fair.
In Stratford, which is home to one of the country's biggest fairs, the mop became a funfair after World War I. On
the first morning of the fair, which is almost always on or near 12 October, children of the town go on the rides
of the funfair free of charge.
S t L u ke ' s D ay ( 1 8 t h )
Traditionally a day when girls could have some insight into their future marriage prospects. Before going to bed
they must put on their faces a mixture of spices, honey and vinegar, and once in bed they must say the following
rhyme:
St Luke, St Luke, be kind to me,
In dreams let me my true love see.
Dog Whipping Day
St Luke's Day is also know as Dog Whipping Day, when all the stray dogs in the streets had to be whipped out of
town.
St Luke's Little Summer
St Luke's day is often at the centre of a spell of particularly fine weather known as St Luke's Little Summer.
Weat h e r-l o r e, b e l i e f s a n d s a y i n g s
Rain in October
Means wind in December.
When birds and badgers are fat in October,
Expect a cold winter
When berries are many in October
Beware a hard winter.
In October dung your fields
And your land its wealth shall yield.
If ducks do slide at Hallowtide,
At Christmas they will swim;
If ducks do swim at Hallowtide
At Christmas they will slide.
Always will there be Twenty-nine fine days in October.
If the October moon comes without frost,
expect no frost till the moon of November.
F e s t i v al s a n d Tra di t i o n s
English Pudding Season (1st)

Traditionally this was the date on which the English pudding season started. These were filled with steak, leaks,
mushrooms, spices and some were cooked for as long as sixteen hours.
St Francis Day (4th)
On St Francis Day swallows are supposed to fly to the bottom of ponds and hibernate through the winter.
In the days before the idea of migration was understood, this seemed a reasonable explanation for their sudden
disappearance. The fact that swallows skim the surface of ponds for insects may have been the starting point for
this particular folklore.
Apple Day
2010 is the 21st anniversary of Apple Day - it is now celebrated by thousands at hundreds of events all run by
local people - Common Ground initiated it with the hope it would become a calendar custom open to all to
celebrate nature and culture symbolised by the apple - which began its life in the Tien Shan (the Heavenly
Mountains - now China /Kazakh/Kirgyzs border) and over millennia wandered to these shores.
Punky Night
Punky Night falls on the last Thursday in October and is a Somerset tradition.
Some time in the Middle Ages, all the men of Hinto St George went off to a fair. When they failed to return that
evening, the women went looking for them by the light of punkies.
Punky is another name for a pumpkin which has been hollowed out and has a candle standing inside it.
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.
Nowadays, on Punky Night in Hinton St George, Somerset, local children join a procession through the village
streets, swinging their homemade lanterns and going house to house, singing traditional punky songs and
sometimes getting a few pennies at the front door.
It's Punky Night, tonight,
It's Punky Night, tonight,
Give us a candle, give us a light.
It's Punky Night, tonight.It's Punky Night, tonight,
It's Punky Night, tonight,
Adam and Eve, wouldn't believe
It's Punky Night, tonight.
H a l l ow e e n O c t o b e r 3 1 s t ( E v e o f Al l H al l ow s )
On October 31st, we celebrate Halloween,
thought to be the one night of the year when ghosts, witches, and fairies are especially active.
A n n i v e r s ar i e s
1st October 1870
The first official issue of the post card was made in Britain by the Post Office together
with the introduction of the halfpenny postage stamp.
1st October 1908
The first Model T Ford was introduced by Henry Ford.
1st October 1974
American fast-food chain, McDonald's, opens its first British outlet in London.
1st October 2000
Last commercial Hover Craft flight across the English Channel.
2nd October 1925
The first of London's now traditional red buses - with roofed-in upper decks goes into
service after the lifting of restrictions that had prevented such buses being used in the capital city.
3rd October 1906
S.O.S. was established as an international distress signal.
3rd October 1916
James Herriot (famous vet and author) was born.
3rd October 1959
The Post Code required in addressing of mail for mechanical sorting was first used in
Britain at Norwich.
3rd October 1990
East and West Germany re-united and became one country.
4th October 1905
Orville Wright became the first to fly an aircraft for over 33 minutes.
th
4 October
St. Francis of Assissi's Saint's day. St. Francis died on this day in 1226. Prior to seeing a vision
of Jesus and becoming a saint, Francis, a rich young man, had wasted his money in riotous living.
6th October 1769
British explorer Captain James Cook, on board his ship the 'Endeavour' discovers New
Zealand.
8th October 1965
The Post Office Tower (now Telecom Tower) in Maple Street, London was opened.

10th October 1886

Dinner jacket first worn.
10th October 1881
In London, the Savoy Theatre, Britain's first public building to be lit by electricity,
opens with a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Patience'.
11th October 1968
Apollo 7 was launched from Cape Kennedy, making it the first manned flight of the
Command Module that would carry men to the moon.
11th October 1982
The Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flag ship, was raised from its position on the bed of The
Solent- 437 years after sinking while still in harbour.
12th October
Columbus Day USA.
th
12 October
The first Morris Minor family car is built at Cowley in Oxford.
13th October 1884
Greenwich Mean Time started.
14th October 1066
The Battle of Hastings (or Battle of Senlac Hill) on the southern coast of England. An
English army, commanded by King Harold, is defeated by the invasion force of William of Normandy. King
Harold is killed and William'The Conqueror' is proclaimed King of England.
14th October 1884
Photographic film patented.
th
14 October 1926
Winnie-the-Pooh was first published. Written by A.A. Milne (1882-1956).
14th October 1979
Sony invents the first Walkman, over 3 billion sold in the first 20 years.
16th October 1834
The original Houses of Parliament in London are almost completely destroyed by fire.
16th October 1958
Britain's most popular children's television programme 'Blue Peter' is first broadcast on
BBC TV. The first presenters are Leila Williams and Christopher Trace.
18th October
St. Lukes Day. One of the four Gospel writers and patron saint of doctors.
th
20 October 1966
The first message was sent between two computers in California, USA.
21st October 1805
The Battle of Trafalgar. A British fleet under Admiral Horatio Nelson defeats a
combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain. At the height of the
engagement on October 21, Nelson was mortally wounded while pacing the quarterdeck of the HMS Victory. He
died a few hours later, and his body was solemnly brought back to England for burial. In London, a column was
erected to his memory in the newly named Trafalgar Square.
23rd October 1642
The Battle of Edgehill between the Cavaliers and the Roundheads.
th
24 October
United Nations Day
25th October
St Crispin's Day, Patron Saint of Shoemakers.
25th October
Anniversay of Battle of Agincourt fought in 1415.
25th October
Anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade, from the Battle of Balaclava in 1854
28th October
Feast of St. Jude. Patron saint of hopeless cases.
31st October
Halloween / All Hallows Eve.

November
Gem s ton e: Topaz
Flow er: Chrysanthemum
Traditions and festivals in November include All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Mischief Night, Bonfire
Night,Rememberence Day and Stir Up Sunday.
The name comes from the Roman word 'novem' meaning nine, because it was the ninth month in their
Roman calendar.
Few people find November pleasant. The Anglo-Saxons called November 'Wind monath', because it
was the time when the cold winds began to blow. They also called it 'Blod monath', because it was the
time when cattle were slaughtered for winter food. The poet T.S. Elliot called it 'Sombre November'.
Sir Walter Scott, in his long poem Marmion, wrote in 1808:
November's sky is chill and drear,
November's leaf is red and sear (withered)'
The first week of November has always been a time of festivals and celebrations marking the end of the
harvest and beginning of Winter.
A ll Sain ts ' D ay - 1 N ovem ber

In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made 1st November a church holiday to honour all the
saints. This feast day is called All Saints' Day.
All Hallows
All Saints' Day used to be known as All Hallows (Hallow being an old word meaning Saint or Holy
Person). The feast day actually started the previous evening, the Eve of All Hallows or Hallowe'en.
Christians remember all the saints
On Saints' Day, Christians remember all 'men of good will' (saints), great ones and forgotten ones, who
have died through the ages.
Saints are men and women from all ages and all walks of life, who were outstanding Christians. Some the martyrs - died for their faith. All of them are honoured by the church.
Hallowtide
All Saints' Day, together with All Souls' Day are know collectively as Hallowtide.
A ll Sou ls ' D ay - 2 N ovem ber
On All Souls' Day the Roman Catholic Church remembers all those who have died - not just the great
and the good, but ordinary man-in-the-street. Families visit graves with bunches of flowers and in
church the names of the dead may be read out on request. In some parts of the country, All Souls' Day
ends with a play or some songs.
All Souls Day Tradition
According to tradition, a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land took refuge on a rocky island during a
storm. There he met a hermit, who told him that among the cliffs was an opening to the infernal regions
through which flames ascended, and where the groans of the tormented were distinctly audible. The
pilgrim told Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, who appointed the following day (2 November 998) to be set apart
for 'all the dead who have existed from the beginning of the world to the end of time'. The day
purposely follows All Saints' Day in order to shift the focus from those in heaven to those in purgatory.
Soul Cakes
Before the Reformation, it was customary for poor Christians to offer prayers for the dead, in return for
money or food (soul cakes), from their wealthier neighbours.
Souling
During the 19th and 20th centuries children would go 'souling' - rather like carol singing - requesting
alms or soul cakes:
A soul, a soul, a soul cake.
Please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
Up with your kettles and down with your pans
Give us an answer and we'll be gone
Little Jack, Jack sat on his gate
Crying for butter to butter his cake
One for St. Peter, two for St. Paul,
Three for the man who made us all.
The 'Soulers' would go around the houses singing this song and often joined by their old friend, the
hobby horse - only at this time of the year, he is called the Hooden Horse (see photo right).
What is a Soul Cake?
A Soul Cake is like a hot cross bun but without the currants or the cross on top
Soul Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
175 Gram Butter, softened (6 oz)
175 Gram Caster sugar (6 oz)
3 Egg yolks
450 Gram Plain flour (1 lb)

Pinch Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground mixed spice, or ground allspice
Warm milk
Oven: 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4. bake 20-25 minutes.
Method:
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks. Sift flour and
spices, add and mix to a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly and roll out, 1/4 inch thick; cut into 3 inch
rounds and set on greased baking sheets. Prick cakes with a fork and bake; sprinkle lightly with
powdered sugar while still warm.
All Souls' Day Superstition
It was believed that All Souls' night when the dead revisited their homes, so lit candles were left out to
guide them and meals and wine were left as refreshment.
Mis ch ief N igh t
The 4th November is called Mischief Night in some parts of the country. This was the night when all
sorts of naughty things were done - the main idea being to put things in the wrong place.
In north-east Derbyshire and south Yorkshire villages, children would engage in a bout of Jolly
Minering. A local variant on Penny for a Guy traditions, the aim was to raise money for sweets and
fireworks. Their alms song started like this:
We're three Jolly Miners, and we're not worth a pin,
So give us a piece of coal and we'll make the kettle sing.
The song itself comes from an earlier time when the aim of the activity was to gather coal, either for
the 'bonfire hole', or simply to light fire to cook and 'make the kettle sing'.
Gu y Faw k es N igh t (Bonf ire N igh t) (5 th )
Bonfire Night is the most widespread and flourishing of all British customs. The day was declared a
holiday by decree of Parliament after Parliament was saved from being blown up by Guy Fawkes in
the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Until 1859, all parish churches were required to hold services this day.
Unlike today, celebrations were heard throughout the day, with bells ringing, cannons firing and beer
flowing.
Today, as in for the last 400 years, effigies of the pope and now more often Guy Fawkes or other 'hated'
figures, are burned on top of large bonfires. As the bonfires burn fireworks are let off in wonderful and
spectacular displays.
Just as in 1605, a new session of Parliament in London is still opened by the reigning monarch at the
beginning of November. If there has been a general election in the same year, the opening of Parliament
is in May.
Martin m as D ay (11th )
The Feast of St Martin, Martinmas was a time for celebrations with great feasts and hiring fairs, at
which farm labourers would seek new posts.
It was also the time when autumn wheat seedling was usually completed in many places, including the
south of Derbyshire. Here it was the farmer's custom to provide a cakes-and-ale feast for workers.
These special cakes were made with seeds and whole grains, and called Hopper Cakes.
Tradition food eaten on Martinmas
Beef was the day's traditional meat dish.
Martinmas today
Since 1918 the 11th has been commemorated as Armistice Day, and all remnants of the old Martinmas
celebrations have disappeared.
Oth er Fes tivals an d Trad ition s
Guy Fawkes Day ( Bonfire Night) - 5th November

In November 1605, the infamous Gunpowder Plot took place in which some Catholics plotted to blow
up the English Parliament and King James l, on the day set for the king to open Parliament. The men
were angry because the king had treated them badly and they didn't like it.
The story is remembered each 5th November when 'Guys' are burned in a celebration known as
"Bonfire Night"
The Lord Mayor's Show
The Lord Mayor's Show takes place in London on the second Saturday in November, to mark the start
of the new Lord Mayor of London's year in office. The first Lord Mayor's Show was held in 1215 and
since its conception only major events such as the Black Death - and in 1852, the funeral of the Duke
of Wellington - have stopped the show.
Armistice Day - 11th November
People remember the millions of soldiers who died in the two World Wars and in other wars.
St Cecilia's Day - 22nd November
St Cecilia is thought to have been a Roman maiden who was martyred in the second or third century.
Her story is told in the 'Second Nun's Tale' in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. She is usually portrayed with
an organ, and is the patron saint of musicians.
Concerts and recitals are often given on St Cecilia's Day.
Stir Up Sunday
The last Sunday of the Church Year, or the Sunday before Advent, is often called 'Stir-up Sunday'.
Stir-up Sunday is the traditional day for everyone in the family to take a turn at stirring the Christmas
pudding, whilst making a wish.
St Andrews Day - 30th November
On 30 November, Scottish people celebrate St Andrew's Day. St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.
Weath er-lore, b elief s and s ay in gs
If the wind is in the south-west on St Martins Day (11th), it will stay there right through
to Candlemas in February, thus ensuring a mild and snow-free winter.
"Wind north-west at Martinmas, severe winter to come."
"If ducks do slide at Martinmas
At Christmas they will swim;
If ducks do swim at Martinmas
At Christmas they will slide"
"Thunder in November means winter will be late in coming and going"
"If the geese at Martins Day stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas."
Ice before Martinmas,
Enough to bear a duck.
The rest of winter,
Is sure to be but muck!"
"Frost in November to hold a duck The rest of the winter is slush and muck."
"If the leaves of the trees and grape vines do not fall before Martins Day, a cold winter may be
expected."
"A warm November is the sign of a bad Winter."
"Flowers bloomin' in late Autumn,
A sure sign of a bad Winter comin'."
"As high as the weeds grow,
So will the bank of snow."
A nn ivers aries
November 1969
First colour TV advert aired in the UK for Birds Eye.
4th Thursday in Nov. Thanksgiving USA, commemorates the Pilgrim Fathers first harvest.
1st November All Saints' Day.

2nd November All Souls' Day.

2nd November 1785 First non-submersible lifeboat was patented.
2nd November 1896 First motor insurance policies were issued in Britain. They excluded damage
caused by frightened horses!
3rd November 1957 The first living creature was sent into space. It was a Russian dog named Laika
and the ship was called Sputnik 2. Laika could not be brought home.
3rd November 1843 Nelson's statue was hauled to the top of the column in Trafalgar Square.
4th November 1922 English explorers Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter discover the Tomb of
King Tutankhamen in Egypt.
5th November 1605 Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes and several of his co-conspirators are arrested in
London when guards discover them planting 30 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar underneath the Houses
of Parliament. All are later executed for treason. The 'Gunpowder Plot' is commemorated each year in
Britain on 'Guy Fawkes Night' ( Bonfire Night.)
6th November 1942 The Church of England relaxes its rule that women must wear hats in church.
7th November 1783 Last public hanging in England - forger John Austin is hanged at Tyburn,near
where Marble Arch now stands .
7th November Marie Curie, a Polish-French Chemist and Physicist, who discovered radium, was born.
8th November 1920 The newspaper 'The Daily Express' publishes the first 'Rupert Bear' strip cartoon.
8th November 1974 The world famous fruit and vegetable market at Covent Garden in London
closes after existing for more than 300 years.
9th November 1885 The first motorbike was ridden
9th November 1989 The Berlin Wall came down. East Germany opens its borders to West Germany.
11th November Remembrance Day. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the
Great War ends.
11th November Martinmas / Martins Mass / Martins Goose
13th November 1850 Robert Louis Stevenson, author of "Treasure Island" was born.
13th November 1907 First helicopter took off.
14th November 1896 The speed limit for horseless carriages in Britain was raised from 4 m.p.h. to 14
m.p.h.
18th November 1991 Terry Waite was released from captivity in Beirut.
20th November 1992 Windsor Castle is badly damaged by fire.
21st November 1783 First flight by man in a hot air balloon.
22nd November
Feast Day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians and organ builders.
23rd NovemberSt. Clements Day. In England long ago he was regarded as the patron of Blacksmiths as
he was martyr by being tied to an anchor and being tossed into the sea.
25th NovemberCatterntide / St. Catherines Day. Martyred by being broken on a spiked wheel, her
symbol therefore is a wheel and Catherine Wheel fireworks are named after her.
27 th November 1914 Britain's first policewoman goes on duty at Gratham in Lincolnshire.
30th November 1874 Winston Churchill, Prime Minister, born.
30th NovemberSt. Andrews Day. Patron saint of Scotland.
December
Gem s ton e: Turquoise
Flow er: Narcissus
C h ris tm as Plan t - Poinsettia
December used to be the tenth month of the Roman year, and it gets its name from the word 'decem',
which means ten.

The Anglo-Saxons called it 'Winter monath', or 'Yule monath' because of the custom of burning the
yule log around this time. After many Anglo-Saxons became Christians they called it 'Heligh monath'
or holy month, because Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is celebrated in December.
In the northern hemisphere December marks the beginning of winter, and it is the time of rain, wind
and snow.
C h ris tm as m on th
December is very much associated with Christmas and a lot of December customs and traditions have
therefore been swallowed up by the festival.
Christmas, the mass of Christ, is held on 25th December and commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ
2000 years ago.
At the beginning of December, the season of Advent starts. The word advent means 'coming', and as its
name suggests it is a time of preparation for the coming feast of Christmas.
We have a vast section on our website about Christmas and how it is celebrated in Britain.
S t N ich olas D ay 6 D ecem ber
This is the feast day of St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (now Turkey) in the 4th century AD.
He is the patron saint of children.
In the Netherlands and neighbouring countries of Europe, St Nicholas is said to bring sweets and
presents to well behaved children on 6 December. This tradition was imported to the USA by Dutch
settlers, and St Nicholas evolved into Santa Claus, those gift-giving rounds are preformed later in the
month. In this new incarnation he subsequently returned across the Atlantic to merge with the
British Father Christmas.
Boy Bishops
It was formerly customary on St Nicholas Day to elect a boy bishop who would perform a juvenile
version of the normal duties and ceremonies of this office, excluding the celebration of Mass, until
Holy Innocents Day (28 December)
L ord of Mis ru le 17 D ecem b er
In ancient Roman times, 17 December was the beginning of the festival of Saturnalia, in honour of
the god of agriculture. It was originally just a day event but eventually grew into a seven day orgy of
feasting and merrymaking, elements which later appeared in the Christmas, New Year and Twelfth
Night celebrations in thee UK.
The Saturnalia was a holiday period for all including the slaves, who were waited on by their masters
for the duration. Presents were exchanged, informal clothes worn and gambling games permitted. It
was also customary to appoint a master of the revels, a character that reappeared in England as the Lord
of Misrule, who formally presided over the Christmas celebrations, or over the entire period from AllHallows Eve (31 October) to Candlemas (2 February).
T h e Win ter S ols tice (1s t day of w in ter)
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice marks the first day of the season of winter. It falls on
or near 21 December.
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations
in the world. It is a celebration of the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern
Hemisphere, when the North Pole is at its furthest point away from the sun (the sun is at its
southernmost point in the sky).
Holy In n ocen ts D ay - Ch ild erm ass
Holy Innocents Day, also known as Childermas, falls on 28 December. It commemorates King Herod's
massacre of all male infants in and around Bethlehem under the age of two in attempt to kill the young
Christ.
In the days when Christmas was less child-centred, Childermas was a time for indulging children with
treats and parties.
Unlucky

On a more sombre note, 28 December is widely regarded as the unluckiest day of the year, so don't do
anything and certainly don't start anything on this day!
N ew Year's Eve
31st December is the last day of the year. It is New Year's Eve. Many people see the old year out with a
party, welcoming in the New Year with toasts of champagne, and exchanging good wishes for a 'Happy
New Year'.
D ecem b er Su p ers tition s
"Marry on December third
For all the grief you ever heard "
A Christmas pudding should be made with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and His Disciples and
that every member of the family should take turns to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to
west, in honour of the Wise Men.
If you take a candle to church this Christmas, don't bring it home, blow it out and leave it there with
the vicar for good luck.
"On Christmas Eve all animals can speak."
However, it is bad luck to test this superstition.
"The child born on Christmas Day will have a special fortune."
"Wearing new shoes on Christmas Day will bring bad luck."
"Good luck will come to the home where a fire is kept burning throughout the Christmas season. "
If a girl raps at the henhouse door on Christmas Eve and a rooster crows, she will marry within the
year.
D ecem b er Weath er-lore, b elief s an d say in gs
A mild December precedes a cold snap later in the winter:
"A green December fills the graveyard"
"A clear star-filled sky on Christmas Eve will bring good crops in the summer."
"If sun shines through the apple trees upon a Christmas Day,
When autumn comes they will a load of fruit display."
"Snow on Christmas means Easter will be green."
"A green Christmas; a white Easter."
"If Christmas day be bright and clear
There'll be two winters in the year."
"The nearer the New Moon to Christmas Day, the harder the Winter."
"If New Year's Eve night-wind blows south,
It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;
If north, cold and storms there will be;
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
If north-east, flee it, man and brute!"
D ecem b er Fes tivals an d Trad ition s
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
D ecem b er An n ivers aries
1st December 1990 The island of Britain is connected with the European mainland for the first time
since the Ice Age when workers from England and France meet 40 meters beneath the English Channel
seabed. The Channel tunnel was officially opened in May 1994 and featured two rail tunnels and a
service tunnel.
1st December World AIDS Day.
2nd December 1697 Opening of the new St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

3rd December 1795 Rowland Hill, the originator of the Penny Post, was born.
4th December Feast of St Barbara, patron saint of anything connected with thunderstorms, fire,
gunpowder, electricity or sudden loud noises!
5th December 1901 Walt Disney was born.
5th December 1958 Prime Minister Harold MacMillan opens Britain's first motorway
5th December St. Nicholas Eve in Holland everyone gives presents.
6th December St. Nicholas Day patron saint of children.
10th December 1960 First episode of "Coronation Street" aired.
10th December
Annual presentation of the Nobel Prizes.
13th December 1577 Francis Drake set sail round the world, in the Golden Hind.
13th December
St. Lucias Day known as Lucia in Sweden.
17th December 1903 Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered aeroplane flight.
18th December
Closing the Gates of Derry historical pageant held in Londonderry, Ireland.
21st December 1937 Premiere of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the first full-length animated
cartoon.
21st December
Winter Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice marks the first day of the season of winter. It falls on
or near 21 December. The Winter Solstice falls on the 22nd in 2011.
24th December 1818 "Silent Night, Holy Night" was first sung. The words were written by Joseph
Franz Mohr, a young priest, and the music by Herr Gruber in Oberndorf in Austria.
25th December
Christmas Day.
25th December 1642 Sir Isaac Newton was born. He found white light could be split into the colours
of the Rainbow.
26th December
St. Stephens Day. The first Christian martyr; the patron saint of altar servers.
His story is told in the Acts of the Apostles.
26th December
Boxing Day , refers to the custom of giving Christmas boxes presents to the
people who have worked for us during the year.
28th December
Holy Innocents Day. On this day we think of the babies slaughtered by Herod in
his attempt to kill the Christ Child.
28th December 1065 Consecration of Westminster Abbey.
29th December
St. Thomas of Canterbury. St. Thomas Becket, martyred in his own Cathedral
at Christmastide. Born 1118, martyred on this day 1170.
30th December 1903 First powered flight by Orville.
30th December
Rudyard Kipling, author of "Jungle Book", was born.
31st December
New Years Eve.