![Every 5th November the streets of Ottery St Mary are lit by blazing tar barrels, carried by the residents of the town; the barrels weigh 30kg and are carried at […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_9214-426x250.jpg "Ottery St Mary Flaming Tar Barrels")
![This is an ancient custom dating back hundreds of years -nobody knows exactly how long but it’s reputedly one of the oldest traditions in Europe. It starts with a simple […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_7518-480x250.jpg "Abbots Bromley Horn Dance")
Welcome to Calendar Customs!
This site aims to list the wide variety of traditional and unusual events that take place each year in the UK and to help visitors take part in them. Each event has its own page giving details of its timing and location, as well as a very brief history and notes on what to expect. Enjoy!
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Browse all Customs by Month
![Haxey Hood is one of the ancient mass-participation festival games and is the earliest in the year, sometimes taking place in snow. Instead of a football, the players use “hoods” […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Fool-is-Smoked-640x250.jpg "Haxey Hood")
Haxey Hood
Haxey Hood is one of the ancient mass-participation festival games and is the earliest in the year, sometimes taking place in snow. Instead of a football, the players use “hoods” […]
Featured Stories
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![The Moonraking Festival is usually held every other February at Slaithwaite to commemorate a local legend of cunning smugglers, who nearly got caught retrieving their contraband hidden in the local […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Moonraking-195x110.jpg "Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival")
Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival
The Moonraking Festival is usually held every other February at Slaithwaite to commemorate a local legend of cunning smugglers, who nearly got caught retrieving their contraband hidden in the local […]
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![The Pancake Race at Olney is the best-known of its kind in the UK and beyond – there is even a “twin” event in Kansas! Competitors must be female residents […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IMG_9519-195x110.jpg "Olney Pancake Race")
Olney Pancake Race
The Pancake Race at Olney is the best-known of its kind in the UK and beyond – there is even a “twin” event in Kansas! Competitors must be female residents […]
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![Imbolc is the feast day of St Brigid and marks the beginning of spring in the pagan year; Brigid was a pagan goddess later christianised and adopted by the church […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/IMG_0263-195x110.jpg "Imbolc & Butser Imbolc")
Imbolc & Butser Imbolc
Imbolc is the feast day of St Brigid and marks the beginning of spring in the pagan year; Brigid was a pagan goddess later christianised and adopted by the church […]
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Dance
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Ancient Custom
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Dance
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December
Chester Saturnalia
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