Today is the feast day of St John the Baptist, an important celebration in the medieval and Tudor periods, with it coinciding with Midsummer, and a day that is still important in some Catholic countries.
Fairies, fires, dancing, feasting and drinking were all part of the celebrations.
In today’s extra “on this day in Tudor history” talk, I explain how this feast day was marked in the Tudor period, and also talk about how it is still celebrated today in my local area. It’s a lot of fun!
Book recommendations: “The English Year” by Steve Roud; “The Stations of the Sun” by Ronald Hutton; “Tudor Feast Days” e-book by the Tudor Society.
