Folk Calendar

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)

Friday 1 October

Born on this day: Joe Heaney (1919), John Lorne Campbell (1906) and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser (1857)

Saturday 2 October

Happy birthday to Gillian Welch (60 today)

Sunday 3 October

Wednesday 6 October

Born on this day: Flora MacNeil (1928)

Sunday 10 October

Born on this day: John Prine (1946), Kirsty MacColl (1959) and Tom Hughes (1907)

Monday 11 October

Folklore from the old calendars

Ganging Day No longer kept HertfordshireOn Old Michaelmas Day young men in Hertfordshire met in the fields, chose a leader and had to follow him wherever he went, through ponds and ditches and over brake and briar.
Statutes and Mops Still kept WarwickshireFarm servants in Warwickshire looked for new places at the statute fairs, called mops, held from early September until Old Michaelmas Day, when servants moved to their new masters.
Crab-apple Initials on Old Michaelmas Day Lore and belief West CountryAbout Michaelmas village girls in the west of England went along the hedges gathering crab apples, carried them home and laid them out in a loft in the shapes of the initials of their supposed suitors.
Clack Fall Fair and the Mop No longer kept WiltshireClack's fall fair was kept on Old Michaelmas Day, when farm lads stood about the Mop in clean smock frocks and maid servants waited in a corner to be hired.

Thursday 14 October

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Born on this day: Alistair Hulett (1951)

Sunday 17 October

Born on this day: James Madison Carpenter (1888)

Monday 18 October

Happy birthday to Paddy Reilly (88 today)

Born on this day: Sam Larner (1878) and Sarah Makem (1900)

Folklore from the old calendars

Horn Fair No longer kept KentA three-day fair was held at Charlton on St Luke's Day, where visitors wore horns in their hats and rams' horns, horn toys and even horned gingerbread were sold.
Whip-dog Day at York No longer kept YorkshireDrake wrote in his history of York that St Luke's Day was known in the city as Whip-dog Day, because the schoolboys whipped every dog they found in the streets.
St Luke’s ointment Lore and belief EnglandThe chapbook Mother Bunch's Closet Newly Broke Open held that St Luke's Day was better than St Agnes's for seeing a future husband.
The New Forest keepers’ offerings to St Luke No longer kept Gloucestershire, Hampshire, WiltshireAt St Luke's-tide the keepers and foresters of the New Forest came every year to St Luke's chapel at Stoke Verdon, in the parish of Broad Chalke, to make offerings for luck with their game, deer and cattle.
The ladle in a sling at York Dish Fair No longer kept YorkshireOn St Luke's Day a fair for small wares was held in York, commonly called Dish Fair from the wooden dishes and ladles brought to it.

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

Friday 1 October

Saturday 2 October

Sunday 3 October

Wednesday 6 October

Sunday 10 October

Monday 11 October

Thursday 14 October

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Sunday 17 October

Monday 18 October

Monday 25 October

Wednesday 27 October

Thursday 28 October

Friday 29 October New moon

Saturday 30 October

Sunday 31 October

Image credits

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

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

Friday 1 October

Saturday 2 October

Sunday 3 October

Wednesday 6 October

Sunday 10 October

Monday 11 October

Thursday 14 October

Friday 15 October🌕 Hunter’s Moon

Sunday 17 October

Monday 18 October

Monday 25 October

Wednesday 27 October

Thursday 28 October

Friday 29 October🌑 New moon

Saturday 30 October

Sunday 31 October

Image credits

Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon

Thursday 30 September New moon

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Friday 29 October New moon