Folk Calendar

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.

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

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

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Friday 29 October New moon