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Published in 1813, this two-volume almanac of British customs and superstitions is one of the earliest sources for British folklore.
List of contents
Editor's advertisement; Preface; New Year's Eve; New Year's Day; Twelfth Night; St. Agnes's Day or Eve, Jan. 21st; St. Vincent's Day, Jan. 22d; St. Paul's Day, Jan. 25th; Candlemas Day, Feb. 2d; St. Blaze's Day, Feb. 3d; Valentine's Day, Feb. 14th; Collop or Shrove Monday; Shrove-tide, or Shrove Tuesday; Ash-Wednesday; St. David's Day, March 1st; St. Patrick's Day, March 17th; Mid-Lent Sunday; Palm Sunday; All Fool's Day, April 1st; Shere Thursday, also Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter Eve; Easter Day; Easter eggs; Easter holidays; Lifting on Easter holidays; Hoke Day; St. George's Day, April 23d; St. Mark's Day or Eve; Parochial perambulations in Rogation Week. Ascension Day or Holy Thursday; May Day customs; May Poles; Morris dancers; St. Urban's Day, May 25th; Royal Oak Day, May 29th; Whitsuntide; Trinity, or Trinity Sunday, Even.; Eve of Thursday after Trinity Sunday; St. Barnabas Day, June 11th; St. Vitus's Day, June 15th; Corpus Christi Day, and Plays, June 14th; Summer Solstice. Midsummer Eve. The Vigil of St. John the Baptist's Day; St. Peter's Day, June 29th; St. Ulric, July 4th; St. Swithin's Day, July 15th; St. Margaret's Day, July 20th; St. Bridget, July 23d; St. James's Day, July 25th; Gule of August, commonly called Lammass Day; Assumption of the Virgin Mary, August 15th; St. Roch's Day, August 16th; St. Bartholomew's Day, August 24th; Holy-Rood-Day, Septemb. 14th; Michaelmas, Septemb. 29th; St. Ethelburgh's Day, October 11th; St. Simon and St. Jude's Day, October 28th; Allhallow Even.; The Fifth of November; Martinmas, Novemb. 11th; Queen Elizabeth's accession, Novemb. 17th; St. Clement's Day, Novemb. 23d; St. Catharine's Day, Novemb. 24th; St. Andrew's Day, Novemb. 30th; St. Nicholas's Day, Decemb. 6th; On the montem at Eton; Customs a little before, at, or about Christmas; Of the Yule clog, or block, burnt on Christmas Eve; Of the word Yule, formerly used to signify Christmas; Sports, games, etc. at Christmas; St. Stephen's Day, Decemb. 26th; St. John the Evangelist, Decemb. 27th; Childermas or Holy Innocents' Day; Country wakes, called also feasts of dedication, revellings, rush-bearings, and in the north of England hoppings; Harvest home, alias Mell Supper, Kern or Churn supper, or Feast of Ingathering; The feast of sheep shearing; Saturday afternoon; The borrowed days; Days lucky or unlucky; Cock crowing, time of the morning so called; Strewing churches with flowers on days of humiliation and thanksgiving; Cock-fighting; Bull-running in the town of Stamford; Additions to Vol. 1.
Summary
First published in 1813 as a revision of an earlier edition, this two-volume almanac of British customs and superstitions is widely regarded as one of the earliest authorities on folklore. Volume 1 details the origins and practices of annual festivals including religious holidays, saints' days, and pagan celebrations.
