Discover unusual Christmas customs celebrated in Yorkshire, England, ranging from apple giving to Boxing Day dips.
Christmas trees, Christmas lights, exchanging gifts, roast turkeys, mince pies, sherry, watching the King’s speech and carols. We’re not talking about any of the above or any other Christmas traditions associated with a British Christmas . We are talking about the Christmas traditions unique to Yorkshire . There are more than you would think and Yorkshire pudding with your roast turkey isn’t really one of them.
These are traditions, from the modern to prehistoric age, which Yorkshire folk celebrate – or at least celebrated. These are actual Yorkshire traditions that only (as far as we know) take place in God’s Own Country. Some of them seem a bit bizarre by modern standards but we like weird. Here they are in alphabetic order. Why not try one? What do you mean you don’t have a horse’s skull?\1. Apples If you’re in Ripon Cathedral for the Christmas Day service the choristers will bring you an apple. Ripon Cathedral School is believed to have started the tradition in the late 18th century. Boys from the school would sell red apples adorned with a sprig of Rosemary to congregants for 2p to 6p, depending on the size of the apple. The rosemary represented the Virgin Mary while the apple may have been a symbol of life. Nowadays the apples are handed out free – minus the sprig.\2. Boxing Day Dip What better way to celebrate Christmas that to run into the freezing North Sea? That’s been going on in Whitby for nearly half a century. It’s a good job it’s for charity. If you fancy a cold splash for good causes, organisers Whitby Lions have the details.\3. Christmas Cake with Cheese Traditionally served late on Christmas Eve, Victorians would save a piece of this lead- heavy cake for their Christmas breakfast. Yorkshire folk, no doubt emaciated after a year of toil, would bulk up by eating their cake with Wensleydale.\4
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