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1 to 12 of 12 entries in June

1 June, not tied to the day

Folklore from the old calendars

Wafers and cakes for the sheep-shearing No longer kept NorthamptonshireSheep-shearing was one of the ploughman's feast days, when the farmer's wife was told to spare neither meat nor corn.

58 days after Easter

Folklore from the old calendars

The Droitwich spring that ran dry No longer kept WorcestershireDroitwich kept holiday each year and dressed its salt well with green boughs and flowers, on the ninth day after Whit Sunday according to Aubrey's informant.

Corpus Christi

Folklore from the old calendars

The Coventry pageants No longer kept WarwickshireBefore the Reformation Coventry was famous for the pageants played on Corpus Christi day, which drew crowds from far and near.

11 June

Folklore from the old calendars

The hay rake on the clog for St Barnabas No longer kept StaffordshireOn the old wooden clog almanacs, the notch for St Barnabas's Day was cut with the figure of a rake, because the day marked the start of hay harvest.

20 June, not tied to the day

Folklore from the old calendars

The Wychnor flitch No longer kept StaffordshireBeside the Dunmow flitch, Hone set out the similar custom of Wychnor in the Honour of Tutbury, from Dr Plot.

23 June

Folklore from the old calendars

Farthing Loaf Day No longer kept WorcestershireBy an old bequest of a local spinster, a farthing loaf was given on Midsummer Eve to everyone born in Church Street, Kidderminster, rich or poor, who cared to claim it, and the day was known as Farthing Loaf Day.
Fires to bless the apples No longer kept Herefordshire, SomersetOn Midsummer Eve people in Herefordshire and Somerset lit fires in the fields and along the lanes to bless the apples.
The Midsummer watch at Nottingham No longer kept NottinghamshireUntil the reign of Charles I every householder of means in Nottingham sent a man, armed with pike, musket or halberd, to keep a general watch on Midsummer Eve.

24 June

Folklore from the old calendars

A chaplet of roses at Tong No longer kept ShropshireEvery year a garland of flowers was placed on the effigy of a Vernon in Tong church.
Sir Thomas Parkyns’s wrestling No longer kept NottinghamshireSir Thomas Parkyns, a Nottinghamshire squire, was a keen wrestler who trained his servants and neighbours, showed them off in public and wrote a book called The Cornish Hug Wrestler.
Thomas Oken’s bonfires No longer kept WarwickshireThomas Oken of Warwick, in a deed of 1571, charged his feoffees to pay a few shillings every year to the neighbours of his bonfire and of three other bonfires in the High Pavement ward.
Well-flowering at Buxton Still kept DerbyshireFollowing Tissington's example, several Derbyshire towns took up dressing their wells.

From the shop: Folklore

FolkloreOwen Davies, Ceri Houlbrook
British Folk Tales and LegendsKatharine Briggs
A Dictionary of English FolkloreJacqueline Simpson, Steve Roud

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