THE 2012 TRUE BRITS CALENDAR

A YEAR IN THE PROVINCES (AND LONDON)

JANUARY
Darkie Day / Mummers' Day
Padstow, Cornwall
New Year's Day

The Ba' Game
Kirkwall, Orkney
New Year's Day

The Haxey Hood
Haxey, Lincolnshire
January 6 (or the 5th if the 6th is a Sunday)

FEBRUARY
Blessing the Throats Ceremony
St. Etheldreda's, London
on or around St. Blaise's Day, February 3

Shrove Tuesday Mob Football Matches--February 21

• Pancake Greaze
• Westminster School, London
• Sedgefield Ball Game
• Sedgefield, County Durham
• The Royal Shrovetide Football Match
• Ashbourne, Derbyshire
• Atherstone Ball Game
• Atherstone, Warwickshire
• Hurling at St. Columb
• St. Columb Major, Cornwall
• Ancient Order of Purbeck Marblers and Stonecutters
• Corfe, Dorset
• Alnwick Shrovetide Football Match
• Alnwick, Northumberland

Dunmow Flitch Trials 
Leap Year Day, February 29

APRIL

John Stow Memorial Service
St. Andrew Undershaft church, London
on or around April 5

Hot Cross Buns Ceremony
Widow's Son pub in Bow, London
Good Friday, April 6

Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking
Hallaton, Leicestershire
Easter Monday, April 9

MAY
Beating the Bounds--Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter
All Hallows by the Tower, London
May 17

Beating the Bounds and Hot Penny Throwing
St. Michael at the North Gate
Oxford Lincoln College, Oxford University 
May 17

Shin Kicking at the Cotswold Olimpicks

usually the Friday after the last May Bank Holiday
(the Friday after Cheese Rolling)
but in 2012, it's on June 1

The Cooper's Hill Cheese Roll
the last Bank Holiday Monday in May,
which in 2012 is on June 4
(because of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on June 5)

JUNE

Knollys Rose Ceremony
All Hallows by the Tower, London

JULY
Street-Sweeping Ceremony 
St. James Garlickhythe, London

Swan Upping
The Thames, from Greater London to Windsor

Doggett's Coat and Badge
Thames River, London

Wenlock Olympian Games
Much Wenlock, July 8-21

The London 2012 Olympics

• Olympic Games, July 27-August 12
• Paralympic Games, August 29-September 9

AUGUST
Burry Man's Day
the second Friday after the first Thursday in August
August 10

World Bog Snorkelling Championships
August Bank Holiday Monday
August 27

Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
the Monday after the first Sunday following 4 September
September 10

SEPTEMBER
World Gurning Championships
the third Saturday in September (usually)
September 15

OCTOBER
The Quit Rents Ceremony
normally—but not always—the second Wednesday in October
October 10 (tbc)

NOVEMBER
Bonfire Night
Lewes, East Sussex
November 5

DECEMBER
The Ba' Game
Kirkwall, Orkney
Christmas Day

Darkie Day / Mummers' Day
Padstow, Cornwall
Boxing Day, December 26th