history

The Peace before the Party: Advent Traditions

Advent calendars. They are everywhere at this time of year. From the classic chocolate ones in their various flavours and…

2 weeks ago

Accessible to Everyone: Our 55th Anniversary Appeal

This year marks a very special milestone for us here at the Weald & Downland Living Museum: our 55th anniversary.…

3 weeks ago

Our LSA Building: A Part of Britain’s Rural Revolution

When we think of Britain’s interwar years, we often picture the roaring twenties or the austerity of the thirties, but…

2 months ago

Celebrating All Hallow’s Eve Like a Medieval

When most people think of Halloween today, they imagine carved pumpkins, spooky costumes, and trick-or-treating. Yet beneath these modern trappings…

2 months ago

A Medieval Harvest Festival: Michaelmas

Michaelmas, the feast of St. Michael and All Angels, was one of the most important festivals in the medieval English…

3 months ago

Herald in the Summer: Summer Solstice & Midsummer

How do you herald in the summer? What traditions mark the changing of the seasons? For thousands of years, the…

6 months ago

Drinking with the Trees: The Tradition of Wassailing

At the heart of English tradition lies wassailing, an ancient and joyful custom that marks the New Year with blessings,…

11 months ago

Plough Monday: Welcoming in the Agricultural Year

Marking the beginning of the agricultural year, Plough Monday - celebrated on the first Monday after Epiphany - is a…

11 months ago

Twelfth Night: The Festive Finale of Christmastide

Twelfth Night has been celebrated for centuries as the joyous conclusion to the Twelve Days of Christmas. Rooted in medieval…

12 months ago

Celebrating New Year’s: Games, Gifts, and Royal Favour

What are your plans for New Year’s? Watching the fireworks? Counting down the year with a glass of champagne in…

12 months ago

Feasts, Parties and Celebrations: The Twelve Days of Christmas

How do you celebrate Christmas? Most, if not all, families will have their Christmas traditions; the food they eat, the…

12 months ago

Winter Warming: Ritual Year Traditions in the First Season

In the Ritual Year, the year is divided into the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn. This roughly maps onto…

1 year ago

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