Folk customs & old traditions.

Some of the most memorable costumes on this site never go near a theatre stage. Padstow’s ’Obby ’Osses move through the town, Abbots Bromley’s dancers carry antlers, South Queensferry’s Burryman wears his extraordinary covering of burrs, and Marshfield’s mummers vanish beneath strips of paper. Each belongs to a particular community and occasion. The oddness draws you in, but it's the people, the music and the small repeated actions that make a custom worth your time.

There are several ways to pick an outing from this collection. Helston’s Flora Day brings dancing through town, Tissington’s well dressings invite a closer look at carefully made displays, and Tom Bawcock’s Eve ties Mousehole’s celebration to a story and a very distinctive pie. Think about whether your group would rather follow movement, listen to a performance or take their time over a place. A quieter-looking tradition can offer just as much to discover as one with a big crowd.

This category takes in newer gatherings as well as inherited village customs. Derry Halloween and Whitby Goth Weekend have their own creative communities and programmes, so start with the current event information rather than imagining everything here is ancient. Origins are sometimes uncertain, and a good story stays a story when the evidence won't settle it. The guides separate the charming local explanation from the dates and details that can actually be confirmed.

Visitors are usually most welcome as an attentive audience. Let performers finish, keep their working space clear and ask before you join in or touch a costume. Dropping something in a collection or buying a programme can be a practical way to support the people keeping an occasion going. Check the next date, the event's own access information and any admission arrangements before planning the trip. Choose one custom that intrigues you and give it time: watching the whole little play can be far more satisfying than collecting a dozen hurried photographs.