Buzz
The UK has been experiencing some challenging times recently. With Brexit looming and a sense of uncertainty about the future, many Brits are feeling uneasy. Perhaps this has made Christmas take on a different significance this year. In an effort to avoid the constant discussions about the B-word, people started putting up their holiday decorations much earlier than usual to focus on something more festive.
With that in mind, here are a few quirky British Christmas customs that the people of Britain could embrace to bring a bit more joy and cheer to their holiday celebrations.
10. The Tradition of Burning the Ashen Faggot
The custom of burning the ashen faggot may have origins dating back to the Saxon era and was once popular in the West of England. On Christmas Eve, a massive bundle of ash branches, called the faggot, would be brought into the house and placed upon the fire. Measuring up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) in length and 0.9 meters (3 feet) in thickness, this large bundle would burn for hours. Tied with nine pieces of cloth, the bundle was watched carefully by those gathered around it. One tradition involved unmarried women selecting one of the cloths, and the first woman whose cloth burned through would be the first among the group to marry.
Like many Christmas traditions, burning the ashen faggot often included the consumption of a generous amount of alcohol. A verse from 1795 mentions another practice connected to the cloths around the bundle of wood:
It blazes soon; nine bandages it bears, And as they each disjoin (so custom wills), A mighty jug of sparkling cyder’s brought, With brandy mixt to elevate the guests.
9. The Tale of Poor Owd Hoss
What could be more festive than a horse skull perched atop a pole? In the North of England, an old Christmas Eve custom has been revived, bringing this eerie sight back to the public. The Poor Owd Hoss (“Poor Old Horse”) sees groups of men, often dressed in whimsical costumes, parading through town streets and, admittedly, popping into a few pubs, all while gleefully brandishing the horse skull. In Richmond, the horse is trailed by singers donning traditional hunting attire, who accompany it with loud trumpet blasts. It is believed that anyone who encounters the Hoss is blessed.
Elsewhere, the skull is painted red and used to frighten revelers with its snapping jaws. Over the course of the night, the Owd Hoss may visit several pubs. It's not the kind of sight you'd want to witness after enjoying a few pints.
8. Geese Dancers
During the 12 days of Christmas, you’re lounging at home, perhaps recovering from indulgence. Suddenly, your front door bursts open, and four masked figures dressed in bizarre clothing burst in, singing and dancing. You’ve just been visited by the geese dancers. Likely named for their disguise or ‘guise, the dancers would expect food, drink, or money in exchange for their performance. In some cases, they’d even perform a cheeky version of St. George and the Dragon for households that treated them kindly.
While the geese dancers were known by that name in some regions, it seems that no place was truly safe from them in Old Britain. Other areas had guisers, mummers, tipteers, and morris dancers who could show up unexpectedly at your door.
7. Sowans Nicht
In certain parts of Scotland, Christmas Eve was celebrated as Sowans Nicht, the night when sowans was traditionally served. This dish, a simple but hearty concoction, could serve as a reminder of what to prepare if Britain finds itself short on funds after Brexit. To make sowans, oat husks and finely ground oatmeal are soaked in water for an entire week. This allows the mixture to ferment and transform into a wobbling mass called sowans, alongside a liquid known as swats.
Though this was a common dish throughout the year for many, on Christmas Eve, the sowans would be dressed up in festive fashion. Small items and trinkets could be hidden within the gooey mixture. Depending on which item someone discovered, they could predict what the future held for them.
6. Grantchester Barrel Roll
Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is traditionally a time for recovering from the previous day’s hangover, enjoying leftovers, and visiting the pub. Usually, no physical activity beyond lifting a pint is attempted on Boxing Day. But in Grantchester, a little more ambition is shown. Teams from four local pubs gather to roll hefty barrels along a 91-meter (300 ft) course.
Given the barrels' size and the speed at which they’re rolled, collisions are common, and spectators line up behind hay bales for protection. After all the exertion, many participants are left thirsty, so this event naturally blends with the customary Boxing Day trip to the pub.
5. Hunting The Wren
The wren is a sacred bird, surrounded by many myths and legends. One tale suggests it tricked its way into becoming the king of birds by hitching a ride on an eagle’s back. When the eagle grew tired, the wren launched itself into the sky to claim the crown. Regardless of its lore, there is one day every year when it is relentlessly hunted across Britain, Ireland, and France. On Boxing Day, groups armed with sticks can still be found hunting the wren, with its feathers being plucked by the hunters.
In the past, hunting the wren ended with a dead bird proudly displayed hanging from a pole, adorned with ribbons. Today, fake wrens are used. The hunt continues, accompanied by alcohol, dancing, and sharing food among participants.
4. Kirkwall Ba’
On Christmas Day in Kirkwall, Orkney, two massive teams gather to play the Kirkwall Ball (or Ba’). Two separate matches are held: one for the boys of the town and the next for the men. Players are split into two groups, the Uppies and the Doonies—those tasked with sending the ball up the road and those who must send it down. The Uppies aim to push the ball to the top of the town, while the Doonies work to get it into Kirkwall Bay. Over several hours, the ball is fiercely contested as it’s pushed through the streets.
With so many players involved, it’s often hard for even the competitors to keep track of where the ball is. Eventually, however, the ball will reach one of the goals, and the victorious team will celebrate. The prize, the Ba’ itself, is awarded to the player on the winning team who is judged to have performed the best.
3. Tolling The Devil’s Knell
It’s customary to place as many candles on your birthday cake as your age, but when celebrating the birth of the Son of God, one might want to take it up a notch. In Dewsbury, they celebrate Jesus's birthday with a unique tradition—by ringing the church bells. While many churches ring their bells a few times in honor of the occasion, in Dewsbury, they ring them once for each year since His birth. This year, the tradition known as Tolling the Devil’s Knell will see the bells toll 2,018 times.
The tradition is said to have started in 1434, when a squire neglected to attend Christmas service at the church. This infuriated the local knight, who, in his anger, threw the squire into a pond, where he drowned. In remorse, the knight atoned for his actions by purchasing a new bell for the church and requesting it be rung.
Today, the ringers have so many repetitions to perform that they work in shifts, each ringing 100 peals before rotating out. To avoid confusion amidst the numerous tolls, an electronic device tracks the number of peals they’ve completed.
2. Bucks Green Christmas Horse
Typically, having a horse inside a pub signals a major mishap, but in the UK, it can simply be part of a set of unique traditions. At the Fox Inn in Bucks Green on Christmas Day, a horse is always led or ridden through the pub before the Christmas feast begins. The exact reason behind this tradition is unclear, but it is believed to be related to maintaining a public right of way. Legend has it that if the path through the pub isn't used at least once a year, the right to access it could be lost. Whether this is true or not remains uncertain, but it serves as a rather noticeable signal that dinner is about to be served.
Well-behaved horses are rewarded with bags of crisps (also known as potato chips) and beer.
1. Wassailing
When carolers come to your door, they can either bring festive cheer or be an unwelcome interruption. In earlier times, however, when singers sang, 'We won’t go until we’ve got some,' they were not joking. These carolers would arrive with a large jug of wassail, a spiced alcoholic beverage. A particular variety of wassail, called 'lambs wool,' was made from warm ale, crab apples, sugar, spices, eggs, and cream. The name comes from the floating pieces of toast, which resembled lamb’s wool.
In exchange for sharing their drink and song with the homeowner, wassailers would expect to be rewarded. While begging was generally discouraged by authorities, wassailers were not considered beggars, as they offered a drink first. If the singers were not given at least a small portion of 'figgy pudding' as a token of appreciation, misfortune could befall the house.
