Children's Customs

Customs kept by or for children: begging rhymes, souling, egg rolling, barring out the schoolmaster.

Customs

The year from Tuesday 24 November

Tuesday 24 November Beaver Moon

Wednesday 9 December New moon

Thursday 24 December Cold Moon

Thursday 7 January New moon

Wednesday 13 January

Wed 13 Jan All day
Custom

Hen Galan in Cwm Gwaun

Dyffryn Arms, Pontfaen, Pembrokeshire

Friday 22 January Wolf Moon

Saturday 6 February New moon

Saturday 20 February Snow Moon

Monday 1 March

Mon 1 Mar from 18:00
Custom

Lanark Whuppity Scoorie

St Nicholas Parish Church, Lanark, South Lanarkshire

Monday 8 March New moon

Monday 22 March Worm Moon

Monday 29 March

Mon 29 Mar 11:00 16:00
Custom

Preston Egg Rolling

Sets off from Avenham Park, Preston, Lancashire

Tuesday 6 April New moon

Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon

Saturday 1 May

Sat 1 May 13:30 16:00
Custom

Knutsford Royal May Day

Sets off from Knutsford Heath, Cheshire

Monday 3 May

Mon 3 May 10:00 16:00
Custom

Holywood May Day

Sets off from The Maypole, Holywood, County Down

Thursday 6 May New moon

Thursday 20 May Flower Moon

Friday 4 June New moon

Saturday 19 June Strawberry Moon

Sunday 4 July New moon

Saturday 10 July

Sat 10 Jul from 15:00
Custom

Grasmere Rushbearing

St Oswald’s Church, Grasmere, Cumbria

Sunday 18 July Buck Moon

Monday 2 August New moon

Tuesday 17 August Sturgeon Moon

Tuesday 31 August New moon

Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon

Thursday 30 September New moon

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Thursday 28 October

Thu 28 Oct from 18:00
Custom

Punkie Night

St George’s Hall, Hinton St George, Somerset

Friday 29 October New moon

Sunday 14 November Beaver Moon

From the old calendars

1 to 25 of 142 entries

17 November

23 November

5 December

6 December

Folklore from the old calendars

Breaking the master’s cellar door at Curry Rivel No longer kept SomersetOn St Nicholas's Day the schoolboys of Curry Rivel, who were taught in a school inside the church, had a barrel of good ale brought into the church.
Cocks and pence at Wye School No longer kept KentHasted recorded that the master of Wye School in Kent, founded by Archbishop Kempe in 1447, was to teach grammar free to rich and poor alike.
Orders, Master, orders No longer kept YorkshireAround St Nicholas's Day, the schoolboys' patron, northern grammar school boys shut their master out and chanted for their orders before letting him back in.
The boy bishop Still kept WiltshireOn St Nicholas's Day a chorister was chosen as boy bishop and, with a boy dean and chapter, carried out the bishop's offices until Holy Innocents' Day.
The boy bishop’s dinner at Lambeth No longer kept London, SurreyOn St Nicholas's Day the boy bishop of Lambeth and his company were given a dinner at the parish's expense.
The child bishop sings to Queen Mary No longer kept LondonIn 1554 the boy bishop of St Paul's and his company were admitted to Queen Mary's privy chamber and sang before her on St Nicholas's Day.

21 December

24 December

25 December

Folklore from the old calendars

A horse and a gig and a good fat pig No longer kept YorkshireAt Christmas the children of Woodhouse near Sheffield went from neighbour to neighbour to beg their Christmas box with a rhyme.
Alexander and the King of Egypt No longer kept CumberlandA Whitehaven correspondent sent Hone the printed text of the mummers' play acted there every Christmas by companies of boys.
Red apples at Ripon No longer kept YorkshireAt Ripon on Christmas Day the singing boys came into the church with large baskets of red apples, each with a sprig of rosemary stuck in it, and gave them to the whole congregation.
The boy bishop tickled to death No longer kept WiltshireThe choristers of Salisbury Cathedral told of a boy bishop who fell melancholy in his term of office, so the other choirboys tickled him to make him merry and tickled him to death.
The Yorkshire gooding carol No longer kept YorkshireOn Christmas morning children in Yorkshire went gooding from house to house, carrying a small Christmas tree as the badge of their errand.

28 December

31 December

Folklore from the old calendars

Burying the old year in Guernsey No longer kept GuernseyIn Guernsey the children used to dress up a figure of a man on the last day of the year, parade it through the parish and then bury it on the seashore or in some quiet spot.
Hogmanay Still kept ScotlandWhile the English went back to work after Christmas, the Scots kept the Daft Days around the New Year, and the last day of the year was Hogmanay.
New Year’s gifts on the eve at Kirkby Stephen No longer kept WestmorlandAt Kirkby Stephen the children went round begging their New Year's gifts on New Year's Eve rather than on the day itself.
The Muncaster children’s New Year’s Eve ditty No longer kept CumberlandOn New Year's Eve the children of Muncaster went from house to house singing for a gift they said had been theirs since old King Edward's days.

Customs

Tuesday 24 November🌕 Beaver Moon

Wednesday 9 December🌑 New moon

Thursday 24 December🌕 Cold Moon

Thursday 7 January🌑 New moon

Wednesday 13 January

Hen Galan in Cwm Gwaun

Friday 22 January🌕 Wolf Moon

Saturday 6 February🌑 New moon

Saturday 20 February🌕 Snow Moon

Monday 1 March

Lanark Whuppity Scoorie

Monday 8 March🌑 New moon

Monday 22 March🌕 Worm Moon

Monday 29 March

Preston Egg Rolling

Tuesday 6 April🌑 New moon

Tuesday 20 April🌕 Pink Moon

Saturday 1 May

Knutsford Royal May Day

Monday 3 May

Holywood May Day

Thursday 6 May🌑 New moon

Thursday 20 May🌕 Flower Moon

Friday 4 June🌑 New moon

Saturday 19 June🌕 Strawberry Moon

Sunday 4 July🌑 New moon

Saturday 10 July

Grasmere Rushbearing

Sunday 18 July🌕 Buck Moon

Monday 2 August🌑 New moon

Tuesday 17 August🌕 Sturgeon Moon

Tuesday 31 August🌑 New moon

Wednesday 15 September🌕 Harvest Moon

Thursday 30 September🌑 New moon

Friday 15 October🌕 Hunter’s Moon

Thursday 28 October

Punkie Night

Friday 29 October🌑 New moon

Sunday 14 November🌕 Beaver Moon

From the old calendars

17 November

23 November

5 December

6 December

21 December

24 December

25 December

28 December

31 December

1 January

Image credits

Tuesday 24 November Beaver Moon

Wednesday 9 December New moon

Thursday 24 December Cold Moon

Thursday 7 January New moon

Friday 22 January Wolf Moon

Saturday 6 February New moon

Saturday 20 February Snow Moon

Monday 8 March New moon

Monday 22 March Worm Moon

Tuesday 6 April New moon

Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon

Thursday 6 May New moon

Thursday 20 May Flower Moon

Friday 4 June New moon

Saturday 19 June Strawberry Moon

Sunday 4 July New moon

Sunday 18 July Buck Moon

Monday 2 August New moon

Tuesday 17 August Sturgeon Moon

Tuesday 31 August New moon

Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon

Thursday 30 September New moon

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

Friday 29 October New moon

Sunday 14 November Beaver Moon