Folk Traditions and Rituals #20, #21
#20.
Custom: Olney Pancake Race
About: This annual race has been going for over 500 years. It is said to have started in 1445, when a local woman panicked when she heard church bells ringing from her kitchen and, fearing she would be late for a Shriving service to confess her sins before Lent, she ran through the town in her apron, holding her pan.
#21.
Custom: Atherstone Ball Game
About: This is an annual game, dating back to 1199, when Leicestershire and Warwickshire teams played a match using a bag full of gold. It’s brutal, bloody, and seemed more like an excuse for a sanctioned brawl than anything else.
