Charming old traditions

[esterwin]

I have been talking to my Aunt today and we have been having a nostalgiafest about the past. Remembering fetes, maypole dancing and being given a piece of hot cross bun at church on Easter Sunday.
Does anyone have charming old traditions from their childhood that have either died out or are far less common these days?

On Bonfire Night, every terraced street where I lived had a big bonfire on the cobbles in the middle! We loved it.

Yes to Bonfire Night. All the dads would build a big 'bonny' on the waste ground (croft). The mums would make treacle toffee, toffee apples, tater ash & jacket potatoes. Each house would buy a box of fireworks and we'd all gather together for a community display.

We have a very small local country show where competition over quality of jams and size of veg grown is fierce. The dc do a handwriting sample at school to win a prize, as well as some other things like modelling an animal out of vegetables and creating a centrepiece from wild gathered plants.

They also run races for a 10p prize. It is all very sweet.

Penny for the guy.

I met two lovely local ladies in the hospital foyer when I was waiting for DH to drive the car round to bring me and DD1 home from hospital after her birth.

They each tucked a “silver” coin under her in the car seat because to line to her bed with silver would bring her good luck😌

A handwriting sample competition sounds very old fashioned.
I like they win 10p for the race. They get a prize, but it is so little there is hardly going to be fierce competition for it.

We also have a scarecrow competition where we live now. Really good fun. We sometimes do Advent windows as well.

Playing conkers
Donkey rides
Punch and Judy
The milkman
Penny sweets in little foil trays
Taking film to be developed
Ice cream vans

Does anyone still put a coin or two in when gifting a new purse?
I was explaining to my DD (when she asked why I'd put a £1 in the new purse I'd bought her) that it's tradition as it makes the purse 'lucky' as in money attracts money.
I remember the females in our family doing this.

We still have Rose Queens, May Queens, etc. There are Spring/Summer fetes in all the local villages and they crown their Queen, and they all get invited to each others' coronations. It's lovely.

@TracyBeakerSoYeah

Does anyone still put a coin or two in when gifting a new purse? I was explaining to my DD (when she asked why I'd put a £1 in the new purse I'd bought her) that it's tradition as it makes the purse 'lucky' as in money attracts money. I remember the females in our family doing this.

isn't this called hanseling?

I really hope that one tradition has gone for ever and never makes a comeback. Balloon races. Terrible for wildlife.

I still put money in a purse or wallet if giving one as a gift. But I have never heard the word hanselling before.

I was in Sittingbourne a couple of years ago, and a carnival procession came through. It was lovely to see.

We still have an ice cream van, SW village.
It gladdens my heart, it plays 'Greensleeves'

Yes to never giving an empty purse. It must always have a coin in it.

Older people still put a coin in a new baby's pram for good luck. Made a small fortune one day with dd1.

At Halloween we used to tie an apple to a string that was attached to the top of a door frame. You had to put your hands behind your back and try and take a bite out of the apple while it swung about precariously. My dc couldn’t fathom the attraction of being punched in the teeth by an apple.

I tried to show them how to bob for apples too but they declined to be waterboarded.

I did see their point tbf

Apple bobbing worked best when an apple was a treat.
I remember at Brownies they tied up some pancakes on a string and smothered them in syrup. They then tied our hands behind our backs and we had to reach up and eat them while the syrup dripped over us. We were happy to do this as it was sweet!

When I was little part way through the church service just before the sermon they used to snuff out the candles in front of the altar. There used to be a lovely smell of snuffed candle drifting down the church.

I remember at school church service at a certain time of year we would get a bit of bread with honey on it. But I have no idea of the significance.

@Classica Hanseling is what we call it, in Aberdeenshire. Wouldn’t give a purse without a coin in it.
Also - knives must be paid for with a coin, or you cut a friendship.

Whit walks. Everyone used to dress up, usually in white, and walk around the town. Custard tarts were popular for tea afterwards.

Mischief Night - November the 4th. A really, really big night in my childhood, but I wouldn't call it "charming" - it could get a bit nasty, with some actual vandalism. We used to put a bowl of water under the letter-box, in case fireworks were posted through it, and everyone put their cars in the garage that night in case they got deliberately scratched. One year we had to rescue a boy from a small tree in our garden, as his friends (or enemies) had hauled him up into it, tied him to the branches and left him there.

iklboo
Do you live in a village in s.wales? We drove through said village today and there were loads of scarecrows dressed up, it was fab, the dc were delighted, especially at a Thor one

I know one that hasn’t died out is amongst travellers, if you pay them they always give you a bit of money back (think pay £10 and give £1 back) I can’t remember the exact reason why but think it’s a luck thing