Folk Calendar

Monday 9 August

Born on this day: Lucy Broadwood (1858)

Tuesday 10 August

Born on this day: Jim Halcrow (1934)

Sunday 15 August

Born on this day: Norma Waterson (1939)

Monday 16 August

Tuesday 17 August Sturgeon Moon

Wednesday 18 August

Tuesday 24 August

Folklore from the old calendars

The Croyland Knives No longer kept LincolnshireBecause St Bartholomew was flayed alive, a knife became his emblem.
Strewing Rushes at Dorrington No longer kept LincolnshireOn St Bartholomew's Day at Dorrington, near Sleaford, maidens in their best clothes used to walk in procession to a small chapel in the parish and strew its floor with rushes.
The Scholars’ Disputation on Bartholomew Eve No longer kept London, YorkshireA correspondent from Morley, near Leeds, reminded Hone of a custom little noticed by antiquaries: on the eve of St Bartholomew scholars from different schools met for disputation, to try their proficiency in learning, as Stow and the astrologer Lilly both mention.
Rabbits for the Boys at Bartholomew-tide No longer kept LondonThe German traveller Hentzner, in England in 1598, wrote that every year on St Bartholomew's Day, when the fair was held, the mayor with the twelve principal aldermen walked in a neighbouring field, in his scarlet gown with a gold chain about his neck.
Bartholomew Pig and Fairings No longer kept LondonBy the time of Ben Jonson's comedy of 1614 Bartholomew Fair had lost nearly all its trading character and was given over to eating, drinking and amusement, and it had become an established custom to eat roast pig there.
St Bartholomew’s Dusty Mantle Lore and belief EnglandSt Bartholomew's Day falls forty days after St Swithin's, when the forty days of rain promised by a wet St Swithin's Day should be over.
Shooting at the Standard in Finsbury Fields No longer kept LondonStow wrote that before his time the lord mayor, sheriffs and aldermen of London used to go out at Bartholomew-tide into the fields at Finsbury, where the citizens had gathered, and shoot at the standard with broad and flight arrows for games.
Beggar’s Bush Fair at Rye No longer kept SussexRye held a small pedlars' fair at Beggar's Bush on St Bartholomew's Day, and chose its mayor on the same day.
Lee Fair and its disputations No longer kept YorkshireThe great fair at Lee, in Woodkirk parish near Leeds, ended on St Bartholomew's Day.
The sunflower, a star for Bartholomew Lore and belief EnglandThe sunflower, in full bloom by late August, was given to St Bartholomew as his star.
Butter and cheese at Bartlemytide No longer kept CambridgeshireAt Bartholomewtide, or at Stourbridge Fair near Cambridge, the farmer bought what his house needed for repairs and sold his butter and cheese.
Jack Pudding and gape-seed at Bartholomew Fair No longer kept LondonAt Bartholomew Fair in Smithfield, crowds watched Jack Pudding the clown do his tricks while cutpurses went through their pockets.

Wednesday 25 August

Thursday 26 August

Born on this day: Séamus Begley (1949)

Monday 30 August

Tuesday 31 August New moon

Wednesday 1 September

Born on this day: Johnny Doughty (1903)

Thursday 2 September

Born on this day: Liam Clancy (1935)

Friday 3 September

Saturday 4 September

Wednesday 8 September

Born on this day: Andy M. Stewart (1952), Hugh Shields (1929), Peter Bellamy (1944) and William Kimber (1872)

Friday 10 September

Born on this day: Joseph Taylor (1833)

Tuesday 14 September

Folklore from the old calendars

Nutting on Holy Rood Day No longer kept EnglandHoly Rood Day, the feast of the Holy Cross, was the day for going out to gather nuts in the hazel woods.
The Eton Nutting Holiday No longer kept BuckinghamshireAn old manuscript about Eton recorded that on a certain day in September, most likely Holy Rood Day, the scholars had a holiday to go out and gather nuts.
The Rood of Grace No longer kept KentThe crucifix at Boxley Abbey, the Rood of Grace, drew pilgrims because its figure of Christ moved its eyes, lips and head.
The Holy Rood Buck in Richmond Park No longer kept SurreyOn Holy Rood Day the king's huntsmen hunted their free buck in Richmond New Park with bloodhounds.
Fools Fair at Lincoln No longer kept LincolnshireA cattle fair held in the Broad Gate at Lincoln on 14 September was known as Fools Fair.
The stag at Durham on Holy-rood Day No longer kept County DurhamA stag was once offered at the high altar of Durham Abbey on Holy Rood Day while horns were wound in the church.
The passion flower for Holy Rood Lore and belief EnglandThe passion flower, blooming about Holy Rood Day, was taken to show the signs of the Cross whose feast fell on 14 September.

Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon

Born on this day: Liam O’Flynn (1945)

Thursday 16 September

Born on this day: Ronnie Drew (1934)

Friday 17 September

Saturday 18 September

Sunday 19 September

Tuesday 21 September

Born on this day: Paddy Killoran (1903)

Thursday 23 September

Friday 24 September

Folklore from the old calendars

Harvest Home and the Hock Cart No longer kept EnglandIn the southern counties the reapers chose a lord of the harvest to bargain with the farmer and lead the work, and in Buckinghamshire a lady as well, with fines for anyone who got the order of drinking wrong.
The Corn Baby and the Mell Supper No longer kept Northern EnglandIn the north of England the harvest feast was the mell supper.
Crying the Mare No longer kept Hertfordshire, ShropshireIn Hertfordshire and Shropshire the reapers left the last few stalks standing and tied them up as the mare, then threw their sickles at it until one cut it down.
The Cripple Goat No longer kept Inner HebridesOn Skye the farmer who finished his harvest first sent the last handful he had cut to the next farmer still at work, calling it the cripple goat.
Crying the Neck Still kept Devon, West CountryIn Devon the last handful of standing corn was called the nack or neck.
The Kirn No longer kept ScotlandIn Scotland the words harvest home were unknown, and the feast at the end of harvest was the kirn or kirn supper, thought to be named from the churn of cream served at it.
Crying Largess No longer kept East Anglia, Essex, HertfordshireIn Suffolk the harvest lord would leave the field to ask any passer-by for a largess, then stand his reapers in a ring and call from a gate post while they answered with a groan and then three great shouts.
The Harvest Catch in Norfolk No longer kept Essex, NorfolkThe last thing before parting at a Norfolk harvest supper was a health-drinking catch sung first to the mistress and then to the master.
Burning the Witch No longer kept YorkshireIn the East Riding, on the evening the last of a farmer's corn was cut, the reapers heaped eight or ten small piles of dried peas together in the field and set them alight.
The Norfolk Horkey No longer kept NorfolkIn Norfolk the harvest home was the horkey.
The Harvest Goose No longer kept EnglandTusser advised the farmer that when harvest was in he should give his ploughman a harvest home goose.

Saturday 25 September

Sunday 26 September

Born on this day: Dolores Keane (1953)

Monday 27 September

Happy birthday to Barbara Dickson (80 today) and Dougie MacLean (73 today)

Tuesday 28 September

Wednesday 29 September

Michaelmas

Happy birthday to Anne Briggs (83 today)

Thursday 30 September New moon

Happy birthday to Allan Taylor (82 today)

Born on this day: Frankie Kennedy (1955)

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

Monday 9 August

Tuesday 10 August

Sunday 15 August

Monday 16 August

Tuesday 17 August🌕 Sturgeon Moon

Wednesday 18 August

Tuesday 24 August

Wednesday 25 August

Thursday 26 August

Monday 30 August

Tuesday 31 August🌑 New moon

Wednesday 1 September

Thursday 2 September

Friday 3 September

Saturday 4 September

Wednesday 8 September

Friday 10 September

Tuesday 14 September

Wednesday 15 September🌕 Harvest Moon

Thursday 16 September

Friday 17 September

Saturday 18 September

Sunday 19 September

Tuesday 21 September

Thursday 23 September

Friday 24 September

Saturday 25 September

Sunday 26 September

Monday 27 September

Tuesday 28 September

Wednesday 29 September

Thursday 30 September🌑 New moon

Image credits

Tuesday 17 August Sturgeon Moon

Tuesday 31 August New moon

Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon

Thursday 30 September New moon