Now that the days are perceptibly lengthening thoughts turn to spring…love is in the air and the major fixed-date custom celebrates St Valentine’s Day. It’s also common for Shrovetide to fall in this month with its sport and food related customs, and every fourth year sees Leap Day, which makes the shortest month just a little bit longer.
Some events take place on exactly the same date every year, regardless of which day of the week they fall upon. The following table shows events which are fixed in this way:
| Day | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imbolc & Butser Imbolc |  |
| 1 | Norham Blessing the Salmon Fishery | |
| 2 | Carlows Charity | |
| 2 | Forty Shilling Day | |
| 2 | Ripon Candlemas Festival | |
| 3 | Holborn Blessing the Throats | |
| 3 | St Blazey St Blaise's Feast Day | |
| 13 | Glencoe Massacre Commemoration | |
| 14 or nearest schoolday | Somerleyton Penny and Bun Day | |
| 14 | Valentine's Day | |
| 29 | Leap Day | |
Some event dates differ from year to year in order for them to fall on a weekend or during a particular week of the year, for example the 3rd week in January. The following table shows events where dates may vary in this manner:
| Date | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| January or February | London Trial of the Pyx | |
| Weekday in February or March | London Spital Sermon | |
| 1st Saturday | Marsden Imbolc Fire Festival | |
| 1st Sunday | Hackney Clowns Service | |
| Sunday nearest 2nd | Blidworth Cradle Rocking | |
| 2nd (earliest possible date) | Collop Monday | |
| 3rd (earliest possible date) | Shrove Tuesday | |
| Sunday near 3rd | Frampton St Blaise's Day | |
| Monday after 3rd | St Ives Hurling | |
| 4th (earliest posible date) | Ash Wednesday | |
| Early in Month | London Boar's Head Ceremony | |
| Weekend early in Month | Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival | |
| Mid to Late in Month | Jorvik Viking Festival | |
| 21 (latest possible date) | Lunar New Year | |
| A Friday near 24th | Langley Derwentwater Cross Jacobite Wreath Laying | |
| Saturday Late in Month | Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival | |
| Weekend Late in Month | Wakefield Rhubarb Festival | |
Shrove Tuesday is the day before the penitential season of Lent. Lent is the forty day period immediately before Easter, and because Easter is a movable feast, Shrovetide and Lent are also on differing dates from year to year. Shrove Tuesday can fall any time between February 3rd and March 10th, depending on whether Easter is early or late. The day following Shrove Tuesday is called Ash Wednesday (it’s the first day of Lent), and the day before Shrove Tuesday is called Collop Monday. Because Lent was a season of penance and fasting, it was customary to use up eggs by making pancakes and to let off steam with boisterous games. Some of these traditions survive today.
The fourth Sunday in Lent is Mothering Sunday, the fifth is Carlin Sunday, and the sixth and final Sunday in Lent is Palm Sunday, which falls a week before Easter Sunday.
| Date | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Collop Monday | Collops | |
| Monday before Jedburgh Ba' | Hobkirk Handba | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Alnwick Football | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Ashbourne Football | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Atherstone Football | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Chester Cheese Rolling | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Clovelly Lentsherd or Tin Can Night | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Corfe Purbeck Marblers Meeting | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Durweston Shroving | |
| Shrove Tuesday | East Hendred Shroving | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Gittisham Tiptoeing | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Harpole Clay Pipe Smoking Contest | |
| Shrove Tuesday | London Inter Livery Pancake Race | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Olney Pancake Race | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Pancake Races | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Scarborough Skipping | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Sedgefield Football | |
| Shrove Tuesday | St Columb Hurling | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Toddington Conger Hill Witch Listening | |
| Shrove Tuesday | Westminster School Pancake Greaze | |
| Ash Wednesday | Ashbourne Football | |
| Thursday following Shrove Tuesday (usually but see Helpful Hints) | Jedburgh Ba | |
| Ash Wednesday to Easter Monday | St Albans Alban Hot Cross Buns | |
| Saturday following Jedburgh Ba' | Ancrum Ba | |
| Monday following Jedburgh Ba' | Denholm Ba | |
| 2nd Saturday following Shrove Tuesday | St Columb Hurling | |
| Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent) | Coddington Mothering Sunday | |
| Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent) | Mothering Sunday/ Mothers' Day | |
| Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent) | Upwey Clipping the Church | |
| Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent) | Whitley Chapel Clipping the Church | |
| Carlin Sunday (5th Sunday in Lent) | Carlin Peas | |
| Palm Sunday weekend and Good Friday | Bury Pace Eggers | |
| Palm Sunday (6th Sunday in Lent) | Battle of Towton Walks (formerly Service & Re-enactment) | |
| Palm Sunday (6th Sunday in Lent) | Herefordshire Pax Cake Distribution | |