Strange British traditions you never knew

Britain has some serious history. From monarchies to crusades; politics to tea. But let's not forget those wonderful, weird, and wacky festivities the Brits celebrate. We take a look at the strangest amongst the British traditions and uncover where they came from (or where they were simply invented!).

If you haven’t set yourself on fire for a while then this New Year's tradition is for you. Carrying barrels of burning tar is the basic idea behind the Tar Barrel Festival celebration held in Allendale, Northumberland. The tradition is 160 years old.

This foul spectacle dates back over 100 years. It takes place annually at the Barley Mow Inn in Bonsall, Derbyshire. Some owners actually train their chickens for this poultry Olympics. Participants can either bring their own hen or rent one for a small donation of £5.00.

This strange tradition began in 1997 as an argument between two local farmers at the Bottle Inn pub more than 30 years ago. Both farmers believed they had the tallest stinging nettle stalks. So confident was the farmer of his superior nettles he claimed he would eat the leaves on his 15-foot stalk if the other farmer’s stalk was longer.

Officially, every swan in England belongs to the King. Each year, an official census is taken of all the swans living on particular parts of the River Thames to check they are still there! Swan stealing is a serious offense in England.

Photo: John Cameron / Unsplash

If passion is your thing then Morris dancing is probably not for you. The Brits don’t have that boiling Latin blood; instead, we have men (and occasionally women) dressed in white trousers and tops with red braces, dancing with a jolly hop-and-a-skip while carrying sticks, handkerchiefs, bells, and even, possibly, swords.

A thousand yellow rubber ducks are launched into the water of Lymm Dingle. No, it’s not a giant bath: it's a race. It is a charity event, but the first three duck owners win a prize.

A historic tradition, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Traditionally, maypoles represent the beginning of Summer. Hundreds of years ago, a young tree was cut down and placed in the middle of the village. Then, the towns folk danced around it to celebrate the end of winter. It is one of many May Day traditions that celebrate the changing of the seasons and the start of a new life.

You can use any method you like to lure them out of the ground. Except for digging, that is simply not allowed. Past competitors have tried music, singing, and even tap dancing. What an odd tradition.

A strange tradition from Buckinghamshire. Each time a new mayor is elected, he/she must be weighed at the beginning of the term. At the end of the term the following year, the mayor is weighed again to see how much weight has been lost or gained. The tradition dates all the way back to the middle ages.

It officially started in 1965, but the event celebrates a game much older than this. The first written mention of this traditional game is from 1820. The Conker Championships began after a group of fishermen decided to play 'conker battle' instead of going fishing due to bad weather conditions. When hardened and attached to strings, your conkers can be smashed with sufficient force against your opponent’s conker, which is the objective of the Conker Championships.

This strange London tradition involves two candles being tied together and then lit and held close to the throats of people who suffer from sore throats. If I had ever needed a reason to wear a scarf...

Cornish Hurling is an intriguing custom from Cornwall. The basic premise is that teams fight over a small silver ball and have to bring it back to the mayor. Sounds simple? Well, the game can get physical. Whoever gets the ball into the goal or across the Parish line, wins. Of course, custom includes a good dipping of the silver ball into a pint before saying cheers and downing the ale.

Hopefully not a nail-biting finale (!). The annual championship is held in Derbyshire every year.

Photo: Alicia Christin Gerald / Unsplash

This bizarre tradition comes from Rochester, Kent, and is held on the first weekend of May - as many parts of the country also have their celebrations. Somewhere along the line, this stems from a pagan beginning, but the sweeps have adopted it as a welcome to the summer and warm weather. The sweeps can now clean the dirty chimneys. Everyone celebrate!

Brighton Swimming Club began this tradition in 1895 and now 100 people gather on the 25th of December and plunge themselves into the icy water. I’ll stick with my turkey sandwich and Christmas TV specials on the sofa, thank you.