September

I’ve been doing a series of blogs for awhile now on what to do during in a particular month if you missed out on that last minute cruise deal. Included have been some of the wackier days out/festivals that can be found around our dear old Island. One of the strangest things I’ve seen was the bog snorkelling championships in Wales last month, but there’s a couple below that nearly beat it for weirdness, read on if you dare……….

29th September - Michaelmas Day
More formally known as the Feast of St Michael the Archangel, it was once one of the most important days of the Christian year. Not as important as Christmas Day, but it did however rank alongside Shrove Tuesday.
Michaelmas differs from the other saints' days in that it honours a spirit and not a human being. St Michael is mentioned in the Bible on several occasions as his band of angels fight the dragon, the fight of good versus evil. Widely popular in the middle ages, he was depicted in art as a winged young man clad either in white robes, or in armour. He is the patron saint of knights and for some reason, grocers. St Michael was given his own feast day by Pope Gelasius in AD 487, afterwards several apparitions of Michael were reported from around the world. One was in the 8th century at what is now Mont Michel in Normandy, France and another at St Michael's Mount in Cornwall, England.

First Saturday in the month – The Royal Highland Gathering
Whilst there have been Gatherings at Braemar since the days of King Malcolm Canmore, nine hundred years ago, today’s Gathering, organised by the Braemar Royal Highland Society, has been around for a mere 188 years. Large crowds gather each year to acclaim their Monarch as Chieftain of the Braemar Gathering. International athletes take part in the "heavy" and "track" events, encouraged on by the customary Scottish Massed Pipe Bands.

The Monday following the first Sunday after the 4th of the month - The Horn Dance
This has been described as ‘possibly the oldest surviving ceremony in Britain’. Performed in Abbots, Bromley every year, it is known that the dance was performed at the Barthelmy Fair in August 1226; however the reindeer antlers that give the dance its name suggest a much earlier origin, possibly a Druidic or Viking rite. A carbon-dated fragment of horn revealed a date of 1065, plus or minus about 80 years, although that’s not to say it wasn’t about centuries before that as well.
Today the Horn Dance takes place annually on Wakes Monday. After collecting the horns from the church at 8 o’clock in the morning, the Horn Dancers, comprising of six Deer-men, a Fool, a Hobby Horse, a Bowman and Maid Marian, perform their dance to music at various locations around the village and surrounding countryside.
By the time they return to the village green that evening, the Horn Dancers will have walked and danced over 10 miles.

Sunday closest to the 19th of the month - Clipping the Church.
The people of the pretty Cotswold town Painswick, Gloucestershire "clip" or hug their church. Everyone joins hands to create a chain all around the church and they all sing a special clipping hymn. Possibly the most random festival I’ve heard of to date, might be worth a look if you’re in the area though.

On a Saturday around the 16th of the month - World Gurning Championship.
The event has been running as part of the 'Crab Fair & Sports' since 1267 every year in Egremont, Cumbria. Gurning represents everything that is quirky and British. Crab Fair Day features other such famous events as climbing up the greasy pole to try and get the leg of lamb nailed at the top, street races, a fun fair and in the evening at the Market Hall the World Gurning Championships. Contestants have to try and pull the ugliest face with their heads stuck through a horse's braffin or collar.



Happy Cruising