h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

1st and 2nd November Soul-caking West Midlands The cakes would be delivered door-to door by children. These cakes would be exchanged for confectionery and coins

21st December Winters Solstice Brighton Burning of the clocks It is an annual paper and willow lantern parade which are carried through the streets of Brighton and when they reach the beach they burn their lanterns as a token gift for the end of the year. It is a new tradition that was started in 1994 as way of celebrating the winter festival regardless of faith or creed.

December The Mummers, Somerset It is an early form of pantomime which is very loosely based on the St George the Dragon legend. It has been performed around Europe since the Middle Ages. These plays are performed on the streets of Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath. These plays have been performed in Somerset since the late 1970s by the Bristol Morris dancers.

26th December Boxing Day Grantchester, just outside Cambridge This relatively new custom originated in the 60's and revived in 2003 Is 4 teams relay roll the empty barrels as fast as they can up and down the Coton Road before lunch on Boxing Day.

31 December Hogmanay Swinging of the the Fireballs, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire The ceremony takes place at midnight each year. It starts with a procession of the fireball dancers which make their way down Stonehaven’s High Street.

31 December Tar Barl festival Allendale, Northumberland A procession of lighted tar barrels that are carried on the heads of revellers who are called guisers. The tradition goes back to 1858. It originates from the problems carollers who could not keep their candles lighted because of the strong winds that were blowing their candles out. A suggestion of using a lighted tar barrel which its easier for the to carry them on their heads when they are moving from place to place.

Interesting

I've seen a mummers play as part of our local Boxing Day custom of watching Morris dancers rather than the Boxing Day hunt, and the other customs are new to me.

Thank you Sasha for your kind comments. have watched Morris dancing but not anyone of the customs and traditions listed in my journal. I started to get interested in finding about the seasonal festivals from an old dairy book of British food which had some of them listed in the regional events section.

[Amy P]

Thank you Amy

First Saturday in January
Wassailing the apple trees or Apple Howling
Apple Howling in various places in Sussex and others parts of England where they grow apple trees
This is an ancient ritual to encourage the trees to grow a bumper crop of apples. A horn is blown and the Morris dancers march to the orchard with their torches and form a wide circle around the largest and oldest tree of the orchard and a traditional chant is sung.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EuYvWY2adM

YouTube link did not work , try again.

Wassailing returns to Willingdon in Sussex

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EuYvWY2adM

Ripponden: Twelfth Night Mummer's Play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEDaRQO5Utk

[Amy P]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned Catalan's Christmas traditions, which mainly seem to revolve around poo...

<BB<

I thought you might like to know that today (birth of Our Lady) is traditionally a candle fest in France. Well, Lyon mainly. Whisky would know about it.

http://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/en/page/history

5 December: Kids in Germany place their shoes on the window sill before they go to bed, hoping Saint Nicolaus will put candy or the like in them during the night

Boxing day: My local jazz club Riverside has a concert with Hans Knudsen's jump band