Customs

Tuesday 30 March

Thursday 1 April

Folklore from the old calendars

Hunting the gowk Still kept ScotlandIn Scotland April fooling went further than in England.
Washing the lions No longer kept LondonIn March 1860 a great many people received through the post an official-looking card inviting them to the Tower of London to see the annual washing of the white lions on Sunday 1 April.
Sleeveless errands on All Fools’ Day Still kept EnglandChambers found the first of April given over to harmless tricks on unsuspecting neighbours, mostly by the young.
Ah, you April fool! Still kept EnglandHone traced how the April fool's street trick changed with fashion.
A cold April the barn will fill Lore and belief EnglandOpening his April, Chambers observed that proverbial wisdom took a kindly view of the month.
April fools and the Sabine virgins Lore and belief EnglandOne explanation of April fooling traced it to a trick played by the Romans on the Sabines.
Oil of hazel on All Fools’ Day No longer kept County DurhamAs a boy in Durham, Henderson was sent on 1 April to the chemist for a pennyworth of oil of hazel, and got it from the hazel stick kept behind the counter.

Friday 2 April

Saturday 3 April

Sunday 4 April

Monday 5 April

Tuesday 6 April New moon

Folklore from the old calendars

Hock Tuesday at Coventry No longer kept WarwickshireOn Hock Monday and Tuesday, a fortnight after Easter, the men and then the women went out with ropes and tied up anyone of the other sex they met until they paid a small sum, which went to the church.
Hock money at Reading No longer kept BerkshireThe churchwardens' accounts of Reading show hocking there for generations: in 1499 the women of St Laurence's gathered twenty shillings and the men only four.
Men on Monday, women on Tuesday in Hampshire No longer kept HampshireIn several Hampshire manors the men hocked the women on Hock Monday, and on the Tuesday the women took their turn with the men.
Lambeth wives out-gather the men at Hock-tide No longer kept LondonThe churchwardens' accounts of Lambeth for 1515 and 1516 recorded hock money gathered by both the men and the women for the church.
Hocktide for the church repairs at St Peter in the East No longer kept OxfordshireIn seventeenth-century Oxford a parish that needed money for church repairs would keep a Hocktide, and the takings could be large.

Tue 6 Apr from 08:00
Custom

Hungerford Hocktide Tutti Day

Hungerford Town Hall, Hungerford, Berkshire
- Procession
- Easter

Monday 12 April

Tuesday 13 April

Wednesday 14 April

Thursday 15 April

Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon

Wednesday 21 April

Friday 23 April

St George's Day

Saturday 24 April

Folklore from the old calendars

The church-porch watchers of Burton Lore and belief LincolnshireIn the north of England it was believed that anyone who watched in the church porch from eleven till one on St Mark's Eve would see the ghosts of all who would be buried there in the coming year.
Joe Brown the church watcher Lore and belief YorkshireIn Yorkshire a watcher at the church door at midnight on St Mark's Eve, Old Style, was said to see the souls of all who would be buried there within the year go into the church in the order they would die, those to drown coming in splashing and struggling.
The dumb cake Lore and belief NorthamptonshireA correspondent near Peterborough told Hone that girls in his district still made the dumb cake on St Mark's Eve.
Riddling the ashes Lore and belief EnglandCottage families on St Mark's Eve sifted the ashes over the hearth-stone at night, hoping not to find in the morning the footprint of anyone who would die that year.
The Scarborough watcher who saw herself Lore and belief YorkshireAbout eighty years before Henderson wrote, an old woman kept the St Mark's Eve watch in the porch of St Mary's, Scarborough, to see who would die that year.
Riddling chaff at Malton Lore and belief YorkshireIn Yorkshire people riddled chaff at midnight in a barn with its doors thrown open, to learn whether they would die within the year.
Running round the haystack on St Mark’s night Lore and belief YorkshireOn St Mark's night a Beverley woman ran nine times round a haystack with a ring in her hand to learn whether she would win the man she wanted.

Sat 24 Apr from 12:00
Custom

Barley Saturday, Cardigan

Cardigan Guildhall, Cardigan, Ceredigion

Customs

Tuesday 30 March

Thursday 1 April

Friday 2 April

Saturday 3 April

Sunday 4 April

Monday 5 April

Tuesday 6 April New moon

Hungerford Hocktide Tutti Day

Monday 12 April

Tuesday 13 April

Wednesday 14 April

Thursday 15 April

Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon

Wednesday 21 April

Friday 23 April

Saturday 24 April

Barley Saturday, Cardigan

Sunday 25 April

Monday 26 April

Image credits

Tuesday 30 March

Thursday 1 April

Friday 2 April

Saturday 3 April

Sunday 4 April

Monday 5 April

Tuesday 6 April🌑 New moon

Hungerford Hocktide Tutti Day

Monday 12 April

Tuesday 13 April

Wednesday 14 April

Thursday 15 April

Tuesday 20 April🌕 Pink Moon

Wednesday 21 April

Friday 23 April

Saturday 24 April

Barley Saturday, Cardigan

Sunday 25 April

Monday 26 April

Image credits

Tuesday 6 April New moon

Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon