New years Day and the mudathon

Maldon, Essex - 1st January

The Mudathon is an annual dash through 200 yards of usually icy cold mud in the depths of the Blackwater River, Maldon, Essex. In similar conditions but more than likely a few degrees lower (it's grim up north!) people from Whitley bay, Tyne and Wear (near Newcastle) run into the freezing North Sea. Those that take part are usually over 70 and there are bound to be a couple of heart attacks each time!

Orkney Isles - 1st January

Uppies and Doonies is another New Years Day phenomena in the Orkney isles. off the tip of northern Scotland. A 200 communal scrum lasting 4 hour The uppies and doonies define the people living on opposite sides of the village. See the Shrovetide football game in Ashbourne for more details.

Nationwide and all over Europe:

New Year's Day was traditionally a time for giving gifts. This custom began when the Romans spent the day paying visits to wish one another Happy New Year and would interchange small tokens of friendship and goodwill. As time went on, magistrates and those in positions of power began to not only expect these gifts, but to demand them.

Haxey Hood

Haxey, Lincolnshire - 6th January

The Haxey Hood is a fantastic rital performed every year in Haxey, Lincolnshire because of an event that happened 700 years ago. According to local legend, the wife of Sir John de Mowbray was riding across a field on her horse when a sudden gust of wind playfully whipped her hood off her head and sent it skipping off across the field. A group of workers in the next field over gave chase and rescued her hood. There were thirteen of them and the one who had finally rescued the lady's hood was way too shy to give it back and stood stammering and shaking slightly, another worker whipped the hood out of his hand and in an exaggerated gesture of chivalry and valour he bowed deeply as he returned the item to her ladyship. Lady de Mowbray was so amused by the whole spectacle that she donated 13 half acres, one for the memory of each worker, in order that the whole demonstration be performed annually.

Today there are 13 colourfully dressed 'Boggans' who assemble every year by Haxey church at 3pm on 6th Jan. The old Calendar's Christmas Day. There is also a fool and a lord. The fool makes a speech about observing the unwritten rules and halfway through is smoked from his stand. The Lord then leads the procession to the area of land where 13 sacking hoods are thrown into the air and the game begins. The Sway hood, which is rope bound with leather, is kicked back and forth between the two teams, half of the village being on one team and the other half on the other. Goalposts are set miles apart at pubs on opposite sides of the village and everything in between usually gets flattened!

Wassailing

Devon, Cornwall and Somerset - dates vary throughout January depending on local tradition and custom

Wassailing has been celebrated in England since the 1400's and was a way of passing good wishes between friends and family. Wassail itself is an ale based drink seasoned with spices and honey and containing such things as eggs, sugar, cream and baked apples and was served in huge silver or pewter bowls. As the bowl was passed around to drink from it the greeting 'wassail' would be spoken aloud. Wassail comes from the old English 'Waes hael' meaning 'Be well' and it was an old Saxon custom that at the start of the year the Lord of the Manor would raise the bowl and shout 'Waes Hael' to the peasants who in return would shout back 'Drinc Hael' or 'Drink and be healthy!' This soon became a door to door thing with people taking the bowl to people's houses and receiving drink and money in return. An early day carol singing crew but with more to offer!!!

Wassailing of apple trees was also a common ritual performed to ensure a good crop. Villagers would gather around the apple trees in the orchards with all manner of instruments and would bang these together to make a god awful din which would scare away the demons by waking the 'sleeping tree spirit.'

The biggest and best tree was then chosen and home made cider was poured over its roots. Cider soaked toast was placed in the branches of the same tree and blessings were said. This custom still occurs today in some remote rural areas in the south west of England. In its day the importance of it was due to the fact that wages were paid in cider and landlords needed a good crop to be able to pay workers.

Plough Monday

Nationwide - 9th January

Held on the first Monday after the twelfth night, Plough Monday was an important day in many agricultural areas of the country as it was the first day for the farm workers would return to work after the 12 days of Christmas. Young men would blacken their faces, knock on doors and ask for money and would drag an intricately decorated plough through the fields. The plough would have to be blessed first by the local vicar and the main men woulod be followed by a 'fool' who was dressed in skins and a tail and carrying a pigs bladder on a stick!

Burning the Clavie

Scotland - 11th January

Ignoring the fact that the calendar changed in Britain in 1752 to the Gregorian calendar we use today, the folk of Burnhead, Scotland celebrate their New Year on the ancient date of 11th January. They do so by burning the 'clavie' a half barrel nailed to a long pole which is used for salmon fishing. The barrel is an old whisky one filled with tar and wood chips and the same nail is used every year. The barrel is then placed on the shoulders of one of the lucky villagers (traditionally this would have been fishermen) and set alight. Each of the 10 or so men then takees it in turns to carry the burning Clavie clockwise around the streets. Every now and then they will pause at the house of former eminent citizens in order to present a smouldering clavie faggot to bring all at that household good luck for the year ahead.

Straw Bear

Whittlesea - 14th January

Held on the first weekend after Plough Monday. A straw bear is paraded around the town of Whittlesea attended by a whole host of dancers and musicians from around the country. No-one really knows how or when it started by there are certainly records dating back to 1882. One of the 'Plough' community would be dressed up in straw and called a straw bear by his colleagues. One local newspaper from that time stated that "... he was then taken around the town to entertain by his frantic and clumsy gestures the good folk who had on the previous day subscribed to the rustics, a spread of beer, tobacco and beef". The bear was considered important for a good harvest and the straw used to dress him up each year was very carefully selected. Today, the festival is accommpanied by other British traditions including Mummers plays and Morris Dancers. Well wortha visit!

Hunting the Mallard

Oxford - Every 100 years - 14th January

Occuring once every 100 years (so no tours to this one I'm afraid!) in 1901, 2001, 2101 etc. Hunting the mallard is a strange hunt across the rooftops of Oxford for a mallard which probably died many hundreds of years ago. Mallard songs (if anyone has the words please let me know!) are sung and lanterns are carried as the whole of All Souls College is searched from top to bottom. Back in 1437 a great Mallard duck was found hiding in a cosy corner as the college was being built. Every hundred years the search takes place and lasts all night! On Mallard night, after the feasting (or Gaudy) has ended, all fellows have to search for the great bird led by an elected 'Lord Mallard' and his 6 appointed officers. They carry white staffs in their hands and wear medals for the occasion. At midnight, slightly worse for wear, the bizarre procession sets off carrying lanterns and torches, singing raucously hunting for the now rather stale and not too happy looking duck, until daylight! Students...

Burns night

Scotland - 25th January

Robert Burns, beloved Scottish poet and author of the famous 'Auld Langs Syne'. Robert, or 'Rabbie' as he is affectionately known by the Scots, was admired for his verse, prose and odes but probably more so for his wit, womanising and whisky drinking! A man of great characted and high spirits.