Britain's Folklore Year: A seasonal journey through our customs, celebrations and rituals

by Mark Norman

A fascinating journey through Britain’s folklore, season by season.
Engaging text written by a folklore expert.
Includes spells and charms from Britain’s folklore and magic.
Shows where you can visit rituals and events today.
Specially commissioned linocut illustrations throughout.
Supported by the National Trust.


Season by season, this book traces the colourful events, customs and rituals of Britain’s folklore and shows where you can visit many of them today. The book is studded with spells and charms too and has beautiful original linocut illustrations throughout.

The book reveals the origins and history of some of our best-known customs like April Fool’s Day, maypole dancing and wassailing, and also introduces us to many lesser-known ones around the UK, such as Beating the Buns, Sanding the Streets, Hunting the Earl of Rone and Bawming the Thorn.

There are entertaining (and often perilous) sporting traditions too, from worm-charming to wife-carrying, from nettle-eating to cheese-chasing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful exploration of a plethora of British traditions – some mainstream, some obscure – with a variety of origins, accompanied by charming illustrations and interspersed poems, spells, etc. It strikes a balance between factual and accessible, giving just enough focus to each tradition to satisfy curiosity without feeling bogged down by superfluous historical content. The inclusion of some recommendations for further reading wouldn’t have gone amiss, but I don’t think the book was worse for lacking it – especially as it is clearly aimed toward a general public who may not have the experience nor the desire to engage with deeper research. This book is a well-written and approachable bite-sized analysis of British history and folklore, with the occasional touch of humour throughout.

ARC provided by Collins Reference/National Trust Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.
With thanks to NetGalley and Collins Reference/National Trust books for the arc.
This is a short (only 224 pages) guide to the traditional calendar customs (events such as cheese-rolling, Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, April Fools Day etc) of the British year. If you are looking for a quick introduction to some of the main events in the calendar then this is a very readable volume to start with. The tone is light (at times perhaps a little too flippant), but the author’s background in podcasts means that this keeps the book accessible and not too academic to be off-putting for newcomers to the topic. The brevity of the book does mean that this is a whistlestop tour of some of the better-known events in the country and readers who want a more complete almanac of British calendar customs might do better with the National Trust’s earlier (1985) volume on the topic “The National Trust Guide to the Traditional Customs of Britain” by Brian Shuel, or, for a more academic treatise, then the works of Ronald Hutton shed more light on the history of many of these British traditions.
Having said that this is a short and whirlwind tour around the calendar custom year, I did feel that the author was trying to cover a little too much in this work as in addition to describing some of the main British Calendar Customs he also throws in sections on spells and charms as well as snippets of folklore background to events- interesting but probably better dealt with in their own volumes.
The book does have some lovely linocut illustrations.
Overall a nice little introduction to a fascinating topic.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britain’s Folklore Year by Mark Norman, this book covers every conceivable holiday and holidays which make you wonder how did they come up with that? Chances are Mr. Norman is going to tell you. from Kent to Wales to Scotland no state is missing when it comes to those who have holidays weather popular or obscure from the Celtic to the Christians from the spring festival to the spring equinox and it’s winter cousin every holiday is in this book. weather celebrating bread to rolling geese to finding a lifelong companion if you want to celebrate it there is a holiday in the UK you can go to this was such a fun book and what made the book that much better they had the reasons why these holidays were holidays when they came about and where they’re celebrated. I love books like this and this one did not disappoint I think Mr. Norman did a great job and this is a book I definitely recommend to my fellow readers of the strange and even stranger and all around great read. #NutGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestreview, #MarkNorman,#TheBrittainsFolkloreYear,

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A year-round exploration into Britain's rich folklore past”
This is a perfect book for anyone who loves folklore, heritage or spirituality. It is a great book to give as a gift, and definitely one I will be gifting family members for around Christmas time.
I am a huge huge fan of folklore and I was so excited to see the National Trust was publishing a year folklore reflection. The book is structured by the seasons (both meteorologically and astronomically) with an overview and recap at the end. I appreciated how, at the end of the book, there is a list of folklore celebrations which you can still get involved with today. I will definitely be checking these out especially as I found out about Garland Day in Castleton!
The writing style is easy to understand and goes into enough detail to each event whilst still managing to cover a whole years worth of folklore events. Mark Norman's narrative style gives enough context without reading paragraphs of dense historical context. This allows the book to cover a whole years worth of events some popular, and some less-known.
Thank you to Netgalley and National Trust Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is one of the best gifts i’ve ever received because it’s given me the knowledge that people make boats out of yorkshire puddings.

[Pip Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative and enjoyable read

[Andrew]

***eProof gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***

Tad dry for my reading tastes, but a perfect Christmas stocking filler for those of us who love myths, legends and folklore.

[Carole Tyrrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britian’s Folklore Year

I really enjoyed this book! As a fan of British folklore and its myriad customs and celebrations, it was a very comprehensive overview of old and new customs and events throughout the year. I feel that folklore has become more mainstream acceptable over the last few years. For instance the audience at Hastings Jack in the Green Mayday celebration has grown dramatically. The British Folklore Year would be a great introduction for anyone who wants to know more about the history, meaning and traditions that make up the ritual year.
The introduction reminds the reader how much a country’s folklore can enable us to understand our culture and who we are as it
‘brings with it a sense of identity.’ The intro also discusses previous surges of interest in folklore during the 19th and early 20th centuries:
‘when people staring collecting material about traditional customs in response to the increasing urbanisation during the Industrial Revolution. It was an attempt to preserve the past by recording the lives of rural people: what they did and how they did it.’
This continued after the Second World War and more recently in the 21st century. There is an explanation of the folklore year with fixed and moveable dates and the cycle of the seasons as well as an overview of the relevant celebrations and festivities that aim to give
‘a flavour of the culturally diverse range of celebrations and festivities, both national and local, that comprise it.’
There is a sense of humour as well when the author says, prior to launching into Spring,
‘And don’t worry, no wicker men. Well not many anyway…’
The book moves through the 4 seasons with such activities as Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire, the World Stinging Nettle Eating Championships (in which the 2024 male champion chomped his way through 116ft of nettle stalks and 2023 women’s winner defended her title by getting through 64 feet, both aided by a pint of cider each), worm charming and also more recent additions such as the Yorkshire Pudding Race. The enigmatic and ancient Abbot Bromley Horn Dance is discussed as well as many others. More recent customs and events are included and although I have no idea what morris dancing is about but it always looks enormous fun.
The author, Mark Norman, is the curator of the Folklore Library and Archive so he knows his stuff and the book is written in an accessible and knowledgeable style. It’s a short book at 224 pages with lovely linocuts used as illustrations throughout and on the cover.
Finally, I was at the Rochester Sweeps Festival a couple of year ago when a group of Ukrainian dancers, dressed in their traditional national costumes, joined in and from that moment I felt that two cultures blended as one .

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Tosspots, and egg-tossers… The Tichborne Dole (ready to be given to any Tichborne Claimants… boom tish here all week)… People who willingly eat yards of undoctored stinging nettle leaves… And Uncle Tom Cobley and All. Yes, these pages carry news of no end of weird people, all abiding by long-standing or recently-invented traditions across the British and Irish Isles – and we can only love them for it. Apart from the Morrismen, of course – they're just too weird.

Yes, this is a most suitable National Trust book, as it encourages us to consider and to sustain all these old traditions, however loose the descriptor 'old' is in each case. Some stopped under Covid lockdown, some barely started before then. And the intrigue behind a lot of the older ones is perhaps surprising – there is at least one incidence of an event here that might be an ancient church tradition, and might not – surely the church ought to have had its act about it enough for us to know?

What we get are five parts to this – the first four being all the seasons looked at in turn, with their relevant festivals, celebrations, wacky events and so on. Things aren't fully chronological, due to two calendars that don't quite match being used, and due to the text liking to either randomise things or conversely lump things together by theme. Jack in the Green from May first appears here next to a variant that actually happens in September. The fifth part is a calendrical summary of a lot of choices for us to go and witness, if we wish to see how they party in Cornwall or play with fire in Scotland.

There's a decent bit of good general knowledge to be had here – what is actually done when you wassail, what a hobby horse really is, how we ought to say Samhain. It's written in an accessible manner, so while this might seem the quirkier, quainter side of Britain this is actually a most useful book. You might never wish to look at a corn dolly, and have bad memories of primary school harvest festival, but there is dramatic effigy burning and sincere hoping for a better new year once the sun returns to the harvest fields on these pages, and it's all very British and very enjoyable. A strong four stars.

[Jennifer Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love folklore. As a result (and as you might expect) I've read quite a lot about it, and in quite a lot of detail. This book is best considered as an introduction. If you're looking for a something that delves into the social and psychological origins of folklore in any depth you will probably be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you're a folklore novice, or you just want a fairly simple round-up of local traditions, then this is pretty much spot on.

It's a chronological consideration of Britain's folklore, beginning in spring (with more than a nod to both the ecclesiastical and agricultural calendars) and rounds off at the end of winter, and it looks at different traditions, where they occur, how they vary and what they have in common.

It's wide-ranging in scope and therefore doesn't allow itself the luxury of looking at some of the more significant customs that persist in different variations across the UK (for example, the Mari Lwyd and Plough Monday are two ancient traditions that deserve a lot more exploration than the author has space for). But again: if it's an introduction you're looking for then that is what you've got.

The range of traditions is also extremely wide, from the ancient pre-Christian rituals associated, in particular, with the transitions between the seasons, to very much more modern 'traditions' that are artificial and which, while they might one day become long-standing and historic, are currently very much what I would consider commercial events rather than folkloric celebrations. That includes such things as the World Stinging Nettle Eating Championships and the International Festival of Worm Charming.

It's a quick, fun gallop through some of the quirkier aspects of the UK's heritage, some of it more authentic than other parts, and I thoroughly enjoyed it -- without, I have to say, finding myself hugely better-informed as a result.

[A.J. Sefton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice addition to the bookshelf for myths and folklore in Britain. A well laid out book from the National Trust that looks at customs and traditions that are often still celebrated around the country today. It has sections on each season with brief summaries of the events that take place then, their origins, significance, symbolism and the changes over time. At the end of the book there is an event calendar complete with information on where and when activities take place in the modern day.

The familiar days are there including May Day and the maypole, April Fool's Day, winter and summer solstice as well as the Celtic seasonal festivals such as Imbolc, Lammas, Beltane and Samhain. As well as these, lesser known festivals are mentioned like Oak Apple Day, Plough Monday and Hocktide.

The best part for me are the activities that still take place, many of them happen around the midlands where I live. Things such as well dressing, the Goose Fair of Nottingham (which nowadays consists of a funfair in the streets), cheese rolling and the Henley Boat Races. There are recipes for ancient celebration foods, such as the Dumb Cake, and decorated boxes that contain spells and charms. Not tried any of those yet.

This is an attractive book with illustrations and page decor. It is easy to follow with a clear structure so that it's simple to navigate and check what's happening in your local area. There have been several books published before that cover the same things but this one is well designed and well written therefore worth shelf space. Treat it as a guide for things to do and places to visit.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

BRITAIN'S FOLKLORE YEAR offers a seasonal account of Britain's fascinating folklore traditions, and was written by a man who knows them best: Mark Norman, curator of the Folklore Library and Archive. The book is laid out in a traditional chronological format, working its way through the four seasons in order and listing all of the major festivals and yearly traditions that occur during each. The breadth of information is this book's strength: any reader is bound to be fascinated reading about such diverse and often bizarre traditions as dumb cakes, wetting the cuckoo, wormchasing, and plenty more besides.

Although a short read that sometimes begs for further explanation, BRITAIN'S FOLKLORE YEAR is a handy and well-presented introduction to the topic, and benefits immensely from Frank Duffy's linocut illustrations which add a properly olde worlde feel to the descriptions. Norman works his way through various parts of the UK to highlight celebrations both major and little known, and he even finds time to entertainingly describe conker tournaments and, incredibly, the world stinging nettle-eating championships, which are enough to bring a tear to the eye of even the hardiest reader. I would have liked to find out more about the author's sources and a further reading section would have been appreciated, although overall this works well as a primer for the subject.

(Advance review copy supplied by Netgalley)

[AnneMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative and charming compendium of folkloric traditions. It was shorter than I expected and sometimes lacked the deeper research, context and history I would like for these topics. However, I assume it is meant as a smaller gift book which is not always clear from a digital ARC. In that regard, it makes a good introductory title and is often written with humour and warmth.

However, I was disappointed to see a reference to the British Isles in this book from such a wonderful and reputable organisation like the National Trust, which is controversial and archaic in my opinion. In addition, the book seemed confused about the scope. The title says it was about British folklore but includes events from Northern Ireland (which is not in Britain, but rather the UK) and the rest of Ireland (neither in the UK nor Britain). This could have been avoided by simply stating in the introduction that sometimes the author will sometimes discuss folklore from these regions because of our intertwined history and shared Celtic heritage.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in response for an honest review.

[Vicuña · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is gives a fascinating insight into literally dozens of British traditions. Some well known, many long forgotten but if you have an interest in sicial history, the title provides a brief taster of many practices. It’s divided into seasons and the selection seems a little random. But this isn’t an academic title and the material is presented in a way that will appeal to a majority of readers, young and old. I’d heard if quite a few, but knew little of the history and thought that worm charming was a myth…it’s not! And wife carrying! Great if you’re looking for a general interest title to dip your toe into some of the beliefs and rituals that have endured for hundreds of years and are rooted in ancient belief. I enjoyed it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir a review copy.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆ — A fun and approachable read for folklore lovers

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a fun book I look forward to having on my shelves. I love reading folklore books to inspire me, and this one came at the perfect time, as I'm currently writing a book that leans heavily on British folklore.

It’s approachable and easy to read; not geared toward academics, but rather the layperson. It’s a great jumping-off point for anyone wanting to explore seasonal customs, celebrations, and rituals across Britain. The book only offers a cursory overview of most topics, but it gives you a solid foundation to dive deeper from.

The tone was enjoyable, maybe not my favourite stylistically, but it definitely has its audience. Overall, a useful and charming read I’m glad to have come across.

[Tzia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely trip around the British Isles and through its history. This book looks at traditions and folklore not only from centuries ago but also those which only sprang up in the twentieth century. From well known festivals and events to obscure ones which occur only in one corner of the UK, our year in folklore is a rich one - and this book captures that.

I particularly liked the Seasonal Events Calendar - meaning that anyone who fancies experiencing some of these events knows exactly where and when to find them. The fact that the meteorological and astronomical year are both represented as well as the wheel of the year being referred to throughout were also lovely touches, as were the illustrations.

Overall a lovely coffee table book and the perfect gift for a history-lover with an eye for the unusual.

- Thanks to Net Galley for granting me the ARC in exchange for an honest review -

[Jenny Blacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book, full of info about folk traditions around the UK

I read it like front to back, and I'd suggest it's not really great for that! It'd make a lovely dip-in book, something for the bathroom or coffee table

It had a lot of info in it, but very little substance, this means it has many more named celebrations and traditions in it but scant info about each one. This isn't necessarily an issue, but worth noting that it's a starting point rather than something more in depth

Overall a nice book, would make a decent present for that "ARGH!" person in your life!

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley and Collins Reference for the opportunity to read this book.
A fun look at the history of British traditions and events throughout the year.

This was an interesting look at traditions from years gone by. Its a short snippet about each event and layed out through the seasons. There's also a handy breakdown of events for each month that still happen. The illustrations were good and i can imagine even better in a physical copy. This is one of those books that reads better phsyically then electronically. It was well laid out and had enough detail to explain each event and why it happened. A fun short read into British folklore.

[Stephanie Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating seasonal tour of folklore, heritage and customs of the British year. Conveniently sectioned into the four seasons it is a lovely book to dip into season by season, and has some charming black and white drawings. All the well know customs that continue to this day are included, along with many more obscure that I had never heard of. The inclusion of an alphabetical index of celebrations at the end of the book is brilliant.

A perfect gift for lovers of British traditions that will delight for years to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Collins Reference for my advance reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review

[Y Sh A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic foundation for common and popular events throughout the year that have their roots in folkloric traditions around britain. There's some good research done at the intersection of modern paganism (wheel of the year) and actual historic accuracy (i.e. Mabon as a celtic festival never existed, the autumn equinox has been named so in the 1970s), but overall a great starting point to the folkloric traditions and stories that have managed to survive christianity in some form.

Thank you Collins Reference | National Trust Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Grace -thewritebooks]

Thank you to NetGalley and National Trust Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

exactly the kind of book I have been looking for, this ticks every niche interest that I've cultivated in the last two years. The traditions and history of Britain are so fascinating and I love getting a meaningful insight into why we do all the things we do. I'm also thinking I'll need to plot these celebrations on a map and do a road trip at some point because each of these events sounds like so much fun.
A lovely reference book for some of the best reasons for living in the UK, big fan!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and easy to read book regarding the history of many folklore events that are celebrated throughout the year in Britian.

I appreciate how the events have been grouped into seasons and expanded on but also there is a chronological list of events that take place all over the country that you can go and take part in yourself.


Thanks to Netgalley and National Trust Books for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

[Catalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

A lovely compendium of folklore and traditions grouped by season. It has a good mix of common(mainstream) and more obscure traditions. It's a great way to dip in and out, as you need, or just for a bit of fun, as some of the festivals/customs are so quirky it will make you smile. Think: run down a hill after some cheese level of fun :D. The text is accompanied by lovely illustrations, poems etc. making it a brilliant book to own in a physical format.

*Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity.

[Zo Smi · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ARC review] This book is a fairly easy read. It provides some novel trivia to perhaps give as a gift to a pub quiz enthusiast or a British history buff. Some entries are more detailed than others, and I think some depth is lacking for it to be a more widely used resource book. Some maps and lists by cities/towns would have been welcome, as would a further reading list. The illustrations also could have been better, perhaps represented by photographs or museum archive media.

[Margo Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light, easy read with lovely lino-cut illustrations. I enjoyed learning more about British folk tales and traditions, such as the 'Wise Fools' of Gotham, white glove fairs, cheese rolling ("nobody ever beats the cheese"), and the "no-holds-barred" Peckham conkers championship which "encourages cheating with conkers being baked, painted with super glue and more."

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Britain’s Folklore Year is such a fun little journey through the UK’s quirkiest and most magical traditions, season by season. Mark Norman brings to life everything from cheese-rolling to maypole dancing, with so many weird, wonderful rituals in between.

If you’re into folklore, seasonal vibes, or just love discovering unusual traditions, this book is like a year-round sprinkle of magic for your shelf. 🌿🔮✨

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book contains a lot of interesting backstories about different events throughout the year. It is a nice introduction on the topic. It covers a lot of topics in one rather short book, so I personally would have preferred it to be a longer book just to pack a bit more details in.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting and informative book. Ideal for anyone who has an interest in history or where sayings and events come from.
An Ideal gift for anyone on a quiz team.

[Natalie Key · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting part but I wanted more of the Celtic and folkloric tales. It was just too modern and factual for me.

[Tea Leaves and Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and well researched book covering so many seasonal customs celebrations and rituals.