Folk Calendar

Saturday 26 December

Boxing Day

Born on this day: Seán McGuire (1927)

Folklore from the old calendars

Boxing Day in the old calendars 8 entriesThe Inner Temple Christmas, Christmas boxes, Goose pies in the North Riding, Hunting the wren at Middleton, Beating the lapstone, No game laws on St Stephen’s Day, No fasting on St Stephen’s even, Holly-beating on St Stephen’s Day
Bleeding the horses No longer kept EnglandIt was an old belief that on St Stephen's Day horses should be galloped hard and then bled, to keep them free of disease for the coming year.
Stephening No longer kept BuckinghamshireOn St Stephen's Day the whole parish of Drayton Beauchamp went to the rectory and claimed the right to as much bread, cheese and ale as they liked at the rector's expense.
The servants’ holiday at Chester No longer kept CheshireCheshire farm servants were hired from New Year's Eve to Christmas Day, and then took six or seven days off, leaving their masters to manage alone.
The Northumberland sword dancers Still kept NorthumberlandA correspondent of the Table Book, describing the miners of Northumberland, wrote that the old custom of sword dancing at Christmas was kept up there only by the pitmen.

Sat 26 Dec 10:30 12:00
Custom

Hunt the Wren

The Woodbourne, Douglas, Isle of Man
Sat 26 Dec 11:00 12:00
Custom

Marshfield Paper Boys

Sets off from Market Place, Marshfield, Gloucestershire
Sat 26 Dec from 11:00
Custom

Grenoside Sword Dance

Old Harrow Inn, Grenoside, South Yorkshire
Sat 26 Dec 11:00 16:00
Custom

Handsworth Sword Dance

St Mary’s Church, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Dance
- Boxing Day
Sat 26 Dec 11:00 14:00
Session

Camberwell Green URC Scottish Session

Camberwell Green United Reformed Church Hall, London, Greater London
Sat 26 Dec 11:15 14:15
Custom

Headington Quarry Boxing Day Mummers

Masons Arms, Headington Quarry, Oxfordshire

Sat 26 Dec 12:00 14:30
Custom

Crookham Mummers

The Exchequer, Crookham Village, Hampshire
- Mumming play
- Boxing Day
Sat 26 Dec 13:00 15:00
Session

Traditional Celtic Session

Globe Inn, Looe, Cornwall

Maintained
Sat 26 Dec 13:00 16:00
Session

Edinburgh Intermediate Trad Session

Leith Depot, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 26 Dec 14:00 16:00

Session

Nags Head Sessions

The Nags Head, Scalby, North Yorkshire
Sat 26 Dec 14:00 15:00
Custom

Boxing Day Cammag at St John’s

Tynwald Hill, St John's, Isle of Man
Sat 26 Dec 14:00 16:00
Session

Howl at the Moon Saturday Session

Howl at the Moon, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 26 Dec 14:00 18:00
Session

Fagan’s Saturday Afternoon Session

Fagan’s, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Beginners welcome
Sat 26 Dec 14:00 16:00
Session

Sandy Bell’s Saturday Afternoon Session

Sandy Bell’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 26 Dec 15:00 17:00
Session

Wandering Palate Irish Folk Jam

Wandering Palate, Eccles, Greater Manchester
Sat 26 Dec 15:00 18:00
Session

Seamus’s Saturday Session

Seamus’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 26 Dec 15:00 18:00
Session

Dougal’s Saturday Session

Dougal’s Pub, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 26 Dec 16:00 18:00
Session

Fox Haggerston Saturday Session

The Fox, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 26 Dec 19:00 21:00
Session

White Hart Singaround

The White Hart, Mickleby, North Yorkshire
- Mixed
- Singaround
Sat 26 Dec 19:30 22:00
Session

Folk at the Fold

The Fold, New House Farm, Bransford, Worcestershire
- Mixed
Sat 26 Dec 20:00 23:00
Session

Sir Colin Campbell Saturday Session

Sir Colin Campbell, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 26 Dec 20:00 22:00
Session

George and Dragon Acton Session

George and Dragon, London, Greater London
Sat 26 Dec 20:00 22:00
Session

Sesiwn Rowen

Tŷ Gwyn, Rowen, Conwy
Sat 26 Dec 20:30 23:30
Session

Fagan’s Saturday Evening Session

Fagan’s, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Mixed
Sat 26 Dec 21:00 23:00
Session

Hanover Arms Irish Session

The Hanover Arms, London, Greater London
- Tune
- Irish
Sat 26 Dec 21:00 23:00
Session

Sandy Bell’s Saturday Session

Sandy Bell’s, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Sat 26 Dec 21:30 23:30
Session

Royal Oak Saturday Folk Session

Royal Oak, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh

What’s on: folk sessions, morris, customs and folklore

Saturday 26 December

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