| Where: | Frampton on Severn, Gloucestershire at the Church of St Mary the Virgin |
| When: | Sunday near February 3rd |
| Time: | From 4 pm with Compline service 5 pm |
St Blaise is the patron saint of wool-combers, and in Frampton on Severn today his feast is marked by a special event at the church, on the Sunday nearest to his festal day of February 3rd. In the past the day was celebrated with a pancake fair, and the saint was widely venerated in the area around Stroud in which the wool trade was so important. St Mary’s Church at Frampton once had a large mural of the saint on its wall, and the building, consecrated in 1315, has many interesting features. Nowadays pancakes. local apple juice and cider are served at the church at a special service which features the enormous figure of the processional giant St Blaise, who was made for the 700th anniversary of the consecration in 2015. The saint is accompanied by music and dancing with a variety of Beasts including of course the Severn Boar. St Blaise is also venerated at other locations around the country, and because he saved the life of a boy who had a fishbone trapped in his throat, some of the other services involve a Blessing of the Throats in which candles are crossed over the supplicants neck area.
Helpful Hints
In 2025 the service should be on Sunday 2nd February (to be confirmed). The festivities last around an hour, after which there is a short service of Compline with plainsong. All are welcome.
Click here for the Church: https://www.facebook.com/StMarysFOS
and here: http://www.stmarys-framptononsevern.org.uk
Click here for the Giant: https://www.facebook.com/severnblazers
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