Sunday 29 May 2016

Pinch Bum Day

Officially today is Oak Apple Day...the day you wore an oak apple [acutally an oak wasp gall] pinned to your lapel to show your allegiance to the restored monarch King Charles II. Following the Battle of Worcester, Charles escaped the Roundheads by hiding in an oak tree...supposedly Major Carless had to keep tweaking the Royal Posterior to stop the fellow from dropping off! He was crowned on 29th May 1660.

Here in Sussex it was known as Pinch Bum Day. Traditionally the children were given a half day off school...if you didn't wear the oak apple then supposedly others could either give your buttocks a tweak or whip the back of your legs with nettles.

This folkloric tradition has now passed into the annals of history.

Arilx


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7 comments:

  1. Eileen T29 May 2016 at 10:24

    Oak Apple Day is still celebrated in Great Wishford, Wiltshire, although not in the way you described. Here's a link to the description - http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/moonraking/folklore_oak_apple.shtml

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aril29 May 2016 at 11:43

      I am really pleased to hear that Eileen!
      Arilx

      Delete
  2. Fat Dormouse29 May 2016 at 10:40

    When I was a Morris Dancer we would always dance out on Oakapple Day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aril29 May 2016 at 11:44

      We do May day but don't know of any sides locally that do Oakapple Day...hopefully [and probably] I am wrong!
      Arilx

      Delete
  3. Winters End Rambler29 May 2016 at 14:53

    We celebrated Ash Wednesday at school...if you didn't take a piece of Ash stick to school other children could stamp on your shoes! How uncomfortable we would find such goings on today! X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aril29 May 2016 at 21:33

      Yes they were definitely different times...I was smacked at school when I misbehaved!
      Arilx

      Delete
  4. Cro Magnon30 May 2016 at 05:08

    That's the first mention of Oakapple Day that I've seen for yonks!

    ReplyDelete

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