It’s late at night. You’re near Newcastle Central station, walking through the Georgian streets by the railway arches. Drunks fall past you, revellers in body-con dresses and white t-shirts, tramping back up towards the Bigg Market in search of a greasy kebab and trebles for a cheap price. You turn left past the castle, the … Continue reading A Vicious Streak a Mile Wide – the Vampire Bunny of Newcastle
Traditions and Folklore
On St Clement’s Day: a Special Knitted Monk
Today, November 23rd, is St Clement’s Day. Meet Clement: Ok, so this one isn’t the saint himself. The actual patron saint of sailors and blacksmiths is not four and a half inches tall. He was the third or fourth pope and was martyred by the Romans tying him to an anchor and chucking him in … Continue reading On St Clement’s Day: a Special Knitted Monk
On Guy Fawkes Night
So today is Guy Fawkes Night, another excuse for revelry when you’ve just got over the hangover from Halloween. (I went to an epic house party this year with mates as three raptors and Chris Pratt from Jurassic World. We were the best group costume ever.) The Fifth of November is a relatively modern festival … Continue reading On Guy Fawkes Night
On the Whalton Bale (4th July)
Happy 4th July to our American cousins (I’m a bit late, but the sentiment stands). Admittedly, as a Brit, I mainly know Independence Day as the day Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum saved the earth using Apple technology and Morse code, but that’s not the only celebration going on the 4th. In a small village … Continue reading On the Whalton Bale (4th July)
On St George’s Day
Today – the 23rd April – is St George’s Day. Patron saint of England, soldiers, boy scouts and one of the most famous early martyrs across the world. It’s well known that St George was not from England, so how did he end up as the country’s patron saint? And where has his medieval popularity … Continue reading On St George’s Day
On Easter Eggs
So it’s the appropriate time of year for Easter Eggs. (The clue really is in the name.) There are loads of really unusual and interesting traditions surrounding Easter – it is a major festival of the Christian west after all – but I’m going to focus on eggs today. Why eggs? Well, Archbishop of York … Continue reading On Easter Eggs
On St Cuthbert’s Day
This week saw the Feast Day of St Cuthbert on Friday 20th March. No doubt on this date you were all still getting over your St Patrick’s Day super-hangovers, but I’m here to educate you about Cuthbert, one of the famous Northumbrian saints from the early middle ages. Amongst his fans are ill people, proud … Continue reading On St Cuthbert’s Day
On Valentine’s Day Traditions
Walking through a well-known supermarket this week, I came across a large display of pink wine, red heart-shaped chocolate boxes, more pink wine and cards. This was accompanied by a sign, where it was writ, in big letters, “Discover Valentine’s Day”. Eh? “Discover”? How many people are there wandering around wondering why shops are decorated … Continue reading On Valentine’s Day Traditions
On New Year’s Resolutions, and the Origins Thereof
So it’s now a week or so after New Year – broken any resolutions yet? No? Well done. They say it takes a month for a change to become a real habit, so keep it up and you’ll be flying. You have? Fair enough, you’re only human. Most people finish with their resolutions because they’ve … Continue reading On New Year’s Resolutions, and the Origins Thereof
On New Year’s Traditions
Out with the old and in with the new. The changing of the calendar and turning of the year is marked, of course, by New Year’s Eve (and frankly, if you didn’t know that, I’d be worried about you). This event is celebrated in many different ways across the world but I’m here to talk … Continue reading On New Year’s Traditions
Scranshums 