Every calendar month contains something interesting. We have already known much about the festivals and traditions. The following pages look at each month in detail giving us a better insight into the richness of Britain's past. We invite you to join us in our adventurous journey through the year with lots of stops along the way to learn about almost forgotten legends and pastimes from the country's folk history.

January

January was established as the first month of the year by the Roman Calendar. It was named after the god Janus (Latin word for “door”). Janus has two faces which allowed him to look both backwards into the old year and forwards into the new one at the same time. He was the 'spirit of the opening'.

In the very earliest Roman calendars there were no months of January or February at all. The ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and the New Year started the year on 1 March. To the Romans, ten was a very important number. Even when January was added, the New Year continued to start in March. It remained so in England and her colonies until about 200 years ago.

The Anglo-Saxons called the first month Wolf monath because wolves came into the villages in winter in search of food.

Plough Monday: the day on which work started again after Twelfth Night and labourers had to return to the fields. It was known to country folk. Ploughmen traditionally blackened their faces and marked the end of the Christmas period for the agricultural communities.

As agricultural work was scarce in the winter, farm labourers disguised themselves, by blacking their faces with soot, to get money by dragging a decorated plough around the larger houses in the villages. As they dragged the plough they would shout out "Penny for the ploughboys!". They were often accompanied by someone acting the Fool. This character would often be dressed in animal skins and a tail, and carried a pig's bladder on the end of a stick.

In some places, instead of dragging a decorated plough, one of the farm labourers dressed as a straw bear and along with other farm labourers would beg door to door for money.  The tradition of someone dressing up as a straw bear is maintained every year in January, in Whittlesey, near Peterborough. On the Saturday before Plough Monday the Straw Bear is paraded through the streets of Whittlesey. The Straw bear is attended by a host of morris, molly dancing, and musician from all over the UK.

                                                             February

Candlemas Day (the Christian festival of lights)

It was the day of the year when all the candles were brought into church and a blessing was said over them. They were used in the church during the coming year, - so it was the Festival Day of the Candles (or Candlemas Day).

Candles were important in those days not only because there was no electric lights. Some people thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine. For Christians, they are still a reminder of something, even more important. Before Jesus came to earth, it was as if everyone was 'in the dark'. People often felt lost and lonely, afraid. Then came Jesus with his message that he is with his followers always ready to help and comfort them as if he were a guiding light to them in the darkness. Christians often talk of Jesus as 'the light of the World' - and candles are lit during church services to remind Christians of this.

March

This was originally the first month of the Roman calendar and was named after Mars, the god of war.

Mothering Sunday: is not a fixed day because it is always the fourth Sunday in Lent (which lasts from Ash Wednesday to the day before Easter Sunday). This means that Mother's Day in the UK will fall on different dates each year and sometimes even fall in different months.

Mothering Sunday is also sometimes know as Simnel Sunday because of the tradition of baking Simnel cake (the most favoured cake - as it still is in some families)

Mothering Sunday is a time when children pay respect to their Mothers. Children often give their Mothers a gift and a card.

Mothering Sunday church service: Many churches give the children in the congregation a little bunch of spring flowers to give to their Mothers as a thank you for all their care and love throughout the year.

A Childhood Memory in England:

I remember helping to collect the bunches of wild flowers for the Mothering Sunday church service. I loved going up during the service to collect a bunch for my mum.

June

Well Dressing:

At different times during June there are ceremonies called 'well dressings'. Springs and wells of fresh water that come from the underground streams have always seem to be magical things, so some wells are honoured with decorations.

The decorations consist of branches of greenery and amazingly beautiful pictures made of flower petals and moss. The wells are dressed with large framed panels decorated with elaborate mosaic-like pictures made of flower petals, seeds, grasses, leaves, tree bark, berries and moss.

Trooping the Colours:

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of King Charles II in the 17th Century when the Colours of a regiment (the term colours refers to flag) were used as a rallying point in battles to mark the location of the commander and a troop and to make sure that every man could recognise those (troops) of his own regiment in a battle.

Since 1748 Trooping the Colour has also marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign.The official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is marked each year by a military parade known as Trooping the Colour (ceremony of Carrying of the Flag) in June and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute. Events begin at approximately 10am and the parade starts at 11 a.m. (lasts approximately one hour).

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ytS8ci1je8&feature=player_embedded

July

Swan Upping:

The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames. Swan Upping is an annual ceremonial and practical activity in Britain in which swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released.

Traditionally, the Monarch of the United Kingdom owns all unmarked swans on the River Thames. This dates from the 12th century, during which swans were a common food source for royalty. Swan upping has maintained much of the ceremonial tradition, is a means of establishing a swan census, and today also serves to check the health of swan population. They conduct the census through a process of ringing the swan's feet, but the swans are no longer eaten.

August

Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill is located north of Hyde Park and two miles west of Oxford Street.

Notting Hill Carnival was initiated by London's immigration population from the Caribbean. Back in the 1950s and 60s, these black immigrants were facing harsh racism: limited job opportunities and poor housing conditions. They decided to create a festival in the style so synonymous with the Caribbean tradition, to bring people together after the race riots of the 1950's. What began as a small party now has up to two million revelers every August Bank Holiday weekend. They changed people's opinion of the Notting Hill area of west London – what was once considered dangerous and vulgar but is now one of the most fashionable districts in London.

The carnival is held on the Summer Bank Holiday, the last Monday in August. It features a colourful procession, elaborate and extravagant costumes, and the music of many bands. The carnival originated in the mid 1960s as a way of celebrating and maintaining the cultural traditions of the Caribbean immigrants who live in and around the Notting Hill area. Notting Hill Carnival is London's most vibrant celebration of diversity, colour and sound and a Europe's biggest carnival.

Notting Hill again hit the headlines in recent years due to the Hollywood blockbuster movie named “Notting Hill”, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is one of the most famous street markets in the world.

Six disciplines make up the carnival:

Mas' (from costume/masquerade)

Steelband

Calypso (political, social and satirical commentary, set to music)

Soca (the traditional music of Carnival, a fusion of Soul and Calypso)

Static Sound Systems

Samba

October

Pearly King Harvest Festival

Dating from the 19th century, the Pearly Kings & Queens are a much-loved Cockney tradition. It started when a young boy covered a suit with pearly buttons to attract attention and to raise money for the poor at charity events and fairs. Other boroughs were so impressed that they dressed up as Pearly King or Queen for purpose of charity fund.

The tradition continues to thrive today and Pearly Kings and Queens can be seen in their full spectacle at the annual Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival at the church of St. Martin-in-the Fields in London. The festival offers a spectacular display of historical London in all its glory.

November

On All Souls' Day the Roman Catholic Church remembers all those who have died - not just the great and the good, but ordinary man-in-the-street. Families visit graves with bunches of flowers and in church the names of the dead may be read out on request. In some parts of the country, All Souls' Day ends with a play or some songs. It was customary for poor Christians to offer prayers for the dead, in return for money or food (soul cakes), from their wealthier neighbours. It was believed that on All Souls' night the dead revisited their homes, so lit candles were left out to guide them and meals and wine were left as refreshment.

December

Boxing Day

In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26 December. Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means it is typically a non working day in the whole of Britain.

Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor.

The Christmas box was a wooden or clay container where people placed gifts. Christmas Boxes were used in different ways:

- To protect ships:

During the Age of Exploration, when great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, a Christmas Box was used as a good luck device. It was a small container placed on each ship while it was still in port. It was put there by a priest, and those crewmen who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box. It was then sealed up and kept on board for the entire voyage.

If the ship came home safely, the box was handed over to the priest in the exchange for the saying of thanks for the success of the voyage. The Priest would keep the box sealed until Christmas when he would open it to share the contents with the poor.

- To help the poor:

An 'Alms Box' was placed in every church on Christmas Day, into which worshippers placed a gift for the poor of the parish. These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas, which is why that day became known as Boxing Day.

- as a present for the workers:

Many poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes.

And the tradition still continues today .... The tradition of giving money to workers still continues today. It is customary for householders to give small gifts or monetary tips to regular visiting trades people (the milkman, dustman, coalman, paper boy etc.) and, in some work places, for employers to give a Christmas bonus to employees. Schools across the country gather together gifts to be put in Christmas Boxes that are sent to poorer countries.

Boxing Day has long be associated with outdoor sports, especially horse racing and hunting.

Boxing Day Hunts

Traditionally Boxing Day is a day for fox hunting. Horse riders dressed in red and white riding gear, accompanied by a number of dogs called foxhounds, chase the fox through the countryside in the hope of tiring it out. Eventually the hunters hope the fox will be so tired that the dogs will be able to catch it and kill it. Many animal welfare campaigners object to fox hunting saying it is cruel to kill a fox in this way. In November 2004, MPs (Members of Parliament) voted to ban hunting with dogs in England and Wales.

Family Time

Traditionally, Boxing Day is the day when families get together. It is a day of watching sports and playing board games with the family. Many families will go on walks in the countryside together on Boxing day.

Shopping

In recent times, some shops have broken from tradition and started opening on Boxing Day to start the New Year sales. Hundreds of people now spend Boxing Day morning in queues outside shops, waiting to be the first to dive for the sales racks as the doors opened.

Hunting of the Wren: It is unlucky to kill a wren on any day apart from Boxing Day. Hunting of the Wren on Boxing Day was once a popular activity in England.