Newcomers to the world of traditional customs and rituals very quickly come face to face with beasts and hobby horses. In this article, we attempt to offer some explanation for the inexplicable.
Once a year, over the long Spring Bank Holiday weekend, the occupants of Combe Martin, the Earl of Rone Council, and a fair number of spectators enact this fascinating tradition. Alex Hurr takes a deep dive into its history, but warns of distinct fever-dream vibes along the way.
Can woggle hopping be classed as a British custom? Probably not, but it still deserves a mention as an eccentric activity that briefly caught the public imagination.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Molly dancing: the hows, the whys, the history, and the dating hazards...
Tom Goskar, a born-again guise dancer in southwest Cornwall, explores the little-known Cornish tradition that is guise dancing.
As Halwyn Folk release a new video exploring Old Christmas, we take a look at some of the commonly asked questions around Twelfth Night.
Making Mischief is a new exhibition to be staged at Compton Verney, Warwickshire, dedicated to British folk costumes. It's the first of its kind. Here's all you need to know.
Meet Douglas Kell, occasional Whittlesea Straw Bear and the latest director of the Straw Bear Festival, and find out what it means to be one of the UK's most-loved folk icons.
St Agnes Day was traditionally a time when young women were able to bring about visions of their future lovers and husbands. Here's how...
A brief look at the custom known as Bringing in the May, the night before May Day, when nature ran riot.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the maypole tradition, but were too uncomfortable to ask.
Walking bush, Jack in the Green, has a history dating back to the early 1800s. Here's how the character came into being.
