Calendar Customs and Seasonal Events

26th — 28th June 2015
13:00—13:15
Exeter University, Students' Guild

“Calendar Customs and Seasonal Events” Conference, 26-28 June 2015, at the University of Exeter, Students Guild

From New Year’s mummers to Xmas carol singing, wassailing to well dressing, Easter eggs to Halloween lanterns, calendar customs and seasonal events mark the rhythm of the year and celebrate festive occasions in many different ways—some old, some new, and all subject to change over time. This conference will look at a variety of customs and traditions associated with the calendar and changing seasons.

Speakers: Tom Brown, Helen Frisby, Alice Gilbert, Nick Groom, Deborah Kelley-Galin, Maureen James, Sharron Kraus, Tommy Kuusela, Mark Lewis, Peter Millington, Mark Norman, Bob and Jacqueline Patten, Steve Patterson, Jennifer Reid, Bill Roberts, Peter Robson, Derek Schofield, Murray Stewart.

Big thanks to Mark Norman for making the conference come into being, to Doc Rowe for providing us with a great dvd compilation of some of his seasonal events footage, and to Sara Hannant and Stephen Banks for stepping in at the last minute to give papers. And great big thanks to all the performers: Tom and Barbara Brown, for their lovely singing; and Nick Groom with the Ramsley Pace-Eggers and the Beltane Border Morris for their wonderful performances.

Here’s the programme—there were a few changes at the last minute. Bed and breakfast accommodation was at the university via http://www.exeter.ac.uk/eventexeter/accommodation/ —tripadvisor.co.uk could do with reports from our conference attendees.

There’ll be a report on the conference in the November issue of FLS News