Customs

Sunday 19 September

Tuesday 21 September

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

Sat 25 Sep from 10:00
Custom, day 1 of 2

Masham Sheep Fair

Sets off from Market Place, Masham, North Yorkshire
- Fair or wakes
- Animal Customs
Sat 25 Sep from 18:30
Custom

Burgess Hill Bonfire

Sets off from Fairfield Recreation Ground, Burgess Hill, West Sussex

Sunday 26 September

Sun 26 Sep Masham Sheep Fair day 2 of 2 · From 10:00

Monday 27 September

Tuesday 28 September

Wednesday 29 September

Michaelmas

Wed 29 Sep 11:00 23:00
Custom, day 1 of 4

Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair

Sets off from St Matthew’s Field, Bridgwater, Somerset
- Fair or wakes
- Harvest and Hiring

Thursday 30 September New moon

Thu 30 Sep Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair day 2 of 4 · 11:00–23:00

Friday 1 October

Fri 1 Oct All day
Custom, day 1 of 10

Nottingham Goose Fair

Sets off from Forest Recreation Ground, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Fair or wakes
- Animal Customs

Fri 1 Oct Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair day 3 of 4 · 11:00–23:00

Saturday 2 October

Sat 2 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 2 of 10 · All day
Sat 2 Oct Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair day 4 of 4 · 11:00–23:00
Sat 2 Oct from 19:15
Custom

Eastbourne Bonfire

Crown and Anchor, Eastbourne, East Sussex

Sunday 3 October

Sun 3 Oct All day
Custom, day 1 of 8

Ballinasloe October Fair

Sets off from Fair Green, Ballinasloe, County Galway
- Fair or wakes
- Animal Customs
Sun 3 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 3 of 10 · All day

Monday 4 October

Mon 4 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 2 of 8 · All day
Mon 4 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 4 of 10 · All day
Mon 4 Oct 12:00 22:00
Custom

Cirencester Mop

Sets off from Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mon 4 Oct 12:00 23:00
Custom, day 1 of 2

Abingdon Michaelmas Fair

Sets off from Market Place, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Tuesday 5 October

Tue 5 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 3 of 8 · All day
Tue 5 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 5 of 10 · All day
Tue 5 Oct Abingdon Michaelmas Fair day 2 of 2 · 12:00–23:00

Wednesday 6 October

Wed 6 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 4 of 8 · All day
Wed 6 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 6 of 10 · All day

Thursday 7 October

Thu 7 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 5 of 8 · All day
Thu 7 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 7 of 10 · All day

Friday 8 October

Fri 8 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 6 of 8 · All day
Fri 8 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 8 of 10 · All day
Fri 8 Oct 16:00 23:00
Custom, day 1 of 2

Tewkesbury Mop Fair

Sets off from The Cross, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

Saturday 9 October

Sat 9 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 7 of 8 · All day
Sat 9 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 9 of 10 · All day
Sat 9 Oct Tewkesbury Mop Fair day 2 of 2 · 16:00–23:00
Sat 9 Oct from 19:15
Custom

Heathfield Bonfire

Sets off from Heathfield Community Centre playing fields, East Sussex

Sunday 10 October

Sun 10 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair day 8 of 8 · All day
Sun 10 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair day 10 of 10 · All day
Sun 10 Oct 09:30 16:00
Custom

World Conker Championships

Shuckburgh Arms, Southwick, Northamptonshire
- Custom game
- Sports and Games
Sun 10 Oct 11:00 12:00
Custom

Harvest of the Sea at St Mary-at-Hill

St Mary-at-Hill, London, Greater London

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.

Mon 11 Oct All day
Custom

Abingdon Runaway Fair

Sets off from Market Place, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Mon 11 Oct 08:00 22:00
Custom

Pack Monday Fair

Sets off from The Conduit, Sherborne, Dorset

Wednesday 13 October

Wed 13 Oct All day
Custom, day 1 of 4

Banbury Michaelmas Fair

Sets off from Market Place, Banbury, Oxfordshire
Wed 13 Oct 09:00 21:00
Custom

Tavistock Goosey Fair

Sets off from Bedford Square, Tavistock, Devon

Thursday 14 October

Thu 14 Oct All day
Custom, day 1 of 3

Pembroke St Michaelmas Fair

Sets off from Main Street (by the Town Hall), Pembroke, Pembrokeshire
- Fair or wakes
- Michaelmas
Thu 14 Oct Banbury Michaelmas Fair day 2 of 4 · All day

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Fri 15 Oct Pembroke St Michaelmas Fair day 2 of 3 · All day
Fri 15 Oct Banbury Michaelmas Fair day 3 of 4 · All day
Fri 15 Oct 17:00 22:00
Custom, day 1 of 2

Warwick Mop

Sets off from Market Place, Warwick, Warwickshire

Saturday 16 October

Sat 16 Oct Pembroke St Michaelmas Fair day 3 of 3 · All day
Sat 16 Oct Banbury Michaelmas Fair day 4 of 4 · All day
Sat 16 Oct from 12:00
Custom

Marlborough Big Mop

Sets off from High Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire
Sat 16 Oct Warwick Mop day 2 of 2 · 17:00–22:00
Sat 16 Oct from 19:15
Custom

Seaford Bonfire

Sets off from Martello Fields, Seaford, East Sussex
Sat 16 Oct 19:15 16:00
Custom

Hastings Borough Bonfire

Sets off from Beach opposite Pelham Crescent, Hastings, East Sussex
Sat 16 Oct from 19:30
Custom

Hailsham Bonfire

Sets off from Western Road Recreation Ground, Hailsham, East Sussex

Sunday 17 October

Monday 18 October

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.

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

Monday 4 October

Tuesday 5 October

Wednesday 6 October

Thursday 7 October

Friday 8 October

Saturday 9 October

Sunday 10 October

Monday 11 October

Wednesday 13 October

Thursday 14 October

Friday 15 October🌕 Hunter’s Moon

Saturday 16 October

Sunday 17 October

Monday 18 October

Image credits

Thursday 30 September New moon

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon