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
Video Archive
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![This is a well established revival of the ancient custom of wassailing the apple trees combined with the perhaps even more exciting Mari Lwyd, the skull-topped hobby-horse of Welsh folklore. […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_9500-115x115.jpg "Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd")
Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd
Posted on January 25, 2012 | 6 CommentsThis is a well established revival of the ancient custom of wassailing the apple trees combined with the perhaps even more exciting Mari Lwyd, the skull-topped hobby-horse of Welsh folklore. […] -
![The Goathland Plough Stots are a traditional longsword dance team with a history at least a couple of hundred years long; they have 6 dances each with its own tune […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_9415-115x115.jpg "Goathland Plough Stots")
Goathland Plough Stots
Posted on January 14, 2012 | 6 CommentsThe Goathland Plough Stots are a traditional longsword dance team with a history at least a couple of hundred years long; they have 6 dances each with its own tune […] -
![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-115x115.jpg "Haxey Hood")
Haxey Hood
Posted on January 6, 2012 | 2 CommentsHaxey 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” […] -
![The Derby Tup is also known as Old Tup or the Derby Ram and is a mumming play associated with house visiting customs around Christmas time in the Sheffield area. […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_9374-115x115.jpg "Derby Tup")
Derby Tup
Posted on December 27, 2011 | 6 CommentsThe Derby Tup is also known as Old Tup or the Derby Ram and is a mumming play associated with house visiting customs around Christmas time in the Sheffield area. […] -
![The Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers perform every Boxing Day wearing unique military style uniforms and carrying metre-long swords. The team of eight are accompanied by musicians and perform an intricate […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_9376-115x115.jpg "Handsworth Sword Dance")
Handsworth Sword Dance
Posted on December 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsThe Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers perform every Boxing Day wearing unique military style uniforms and carrying metre-long swords. The team of eight are accompanied by musicians and perform an intricate […] -
![Grenoside Sword Dancers are a team with records dating back over 150 years and probably much longer. Traditionally they perform on their home turf every Boxing Day with a side […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_9365-115x115.jpg "Grenoside Sword Dance")
Grenoside Sword Dance
Posted on December 26, 2011 | 1 CommentGrenoside Sword Dancers are a team with records dating back over 150 years and probably much longer. Traditionally they perform on their home turf every Boxing Day with a side […] -
![Christmas Carol singing is a feature of the season all over the country ; in one area of Yorkshire they have their own unique local carols which are sung in […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/carols-115x115.jpg "Yorkshire Local Carols")
Yorkshire Local Carols
Posted on December 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsChristmas Carol singing is a feature of the season all over the country ; in one area of Yorkshire they have their own unique local carols which are sung in […] -
![A number of locations around the UK host midwinter swimming events – not all of them are even on the coast – and they seem to be growing in popularity […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_1227-115x115.jpg "Christmas Day,Boxing Day & New Years Day Dip")
Christmas Day,Boxing Day & New Years Day Dip
Posted on December 26, 2011 | 8 CommentsA number of locations around the UK host midwinter swimming events – not all of them are even on the coast – and they seem to be growing in popularity […] -
![The city centre of Durham hosts a variety of illuminated installations from many worldwide artists and designers in a festival held every other year. The focus is usually on the […]](https://calendarcustoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_9270-115x115.jpg "Lumiere Durham")
Lumiere Durham
Posted on November 23, 2011 | 1 CommentThe city centre of Durham hosts a variety of illuminated installations from many worldwide artists and designers in a festival held every other year. The focus is usually on the […] -
![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_9214-115x115.jpg "Ottery St Mary Flaming Tar Barrels")
Ottery St Mary Flaming Tar Barrels
Posted on November 5, 2011 | 2 CommentsEvery 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 […]