Celebrating St Piran's Day in Penzance

The cultural calendar of Cornwall is punctuated by numerous historic and community festivals and celebrations. In particular there are strong links between parishes and their patronal feast days (which are often days not directly linked to official church patronal celebrations). There is also a tradition of holding celebrations associated with tin mining and fishing.

Modern community festivals

Since the 1980s there has been a development of community based festivals in Cornwall often named after a famous local resident. These have included Murdoch day in Redruth, the Daphne du Maurier Festival in Fowey, Trevithick Day in Camborne and the Montol Festival in Penzance. Other modern festivals include, Falmouth oyster festival, Newlyn fish festival, Lowender Peran in Perranporth, Dehwelans Kernow and many more.

In Moonta, South Australia, the Kernewek Lowender (Cornish for "Cornish happiness") is the largest Cornish festival in the world and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.[1]

Historic festivals

The 'Old Oss' capturing a maiden at Padstow 'Obby 'Oss festival

The following list is of festivals celebrated past and present in Cornwall which can be traced back over 100 years or more; often these celebrations have considerable antiquity. These have been classified separately to the above because they form a part of a Cornish indigenous culture. There have been attempts and successes to revive these celebrations where they have fallen into disuse. Today many of these ceremonies are kept alive by members of the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies.

† = Parish feast day

Historic festivals and feast days of Cornwall
NameLocationCurrent StatusDate
AllantideThroughout CornwallCelebrated in some parts of West Cornwall - Largely replaced by Halloween31 October
GolowanThroughout Cornwall in particular PenzanceRevived in various forms 1920s, 1935, 1990Around 23 June
Midsummer Hilltop BonfiresThroughout Cornwall in particular Kit Hill, Carn Brea, Castle An Dinas Revived in various forms from 193023 June
Furry danceHelstonContinuously celebrated with a short break in the Victorian era8 May unless a Monday or Sunday then Saturday before.
'Obby 'Oss festivalPadstowStill celebratedAround 1 May
St Piran's DayThroughout CornwallOriginally a miners' holiday now Cornwall's national day5 March. The largest festival across Cornwall is still celebrated in Redruth, the Capital (and beating heart) of Cornish Mining.
Nickanan Night also called Peasen MondayThroughout CornwallUnknown - not publicly celebratedShrove Monday
Tom Bawcock's EveMouseholeContinuously celebrated before World War II and revived in the 1950s23 December
Picrous DayEast CornwallStill celebrated in LuxulyanSecond clear Thursday before Christmas
Chewidden ThursdayWest CornwallUnknown - Not publicly celebratedFirst clear Thursday before Christmas
Madron Feast †Madron, Heamoor & formerly PenzanceStill celebratedAdvent Sunday and Monday
St Just Feast †St Just in PenwithStill celebratedFirst Sunday and Monday in November
West Cornwall May Day celebrationsWest CornwallRevived since 2001 in St Ives and since 2008 in Penzance1 May
Guise dancingThroughout CornwallStill practised in some places including the Montol Festival in PenzanceChristmas through to Twelfth Night and Plough Monday
Paul Feast †Paul, Mousehole and NewlynContinuously celebratedSunday nearest 10 October and week following
Sennen Feast †SennenStill celebratedAdvent Sunday
Crying The Neck and GuldizeThroughout CornwallStill celebratedSeptember
Bodmin WassailBodminStill celebratedNew Twelfth Night (6 January)
Knill CeremonySt IvesStill celebrated (started 1801)25 July (St James Day every 5 years)
St Keverne Feast †St KeverneStill celebratedSunday nearest 18 November
St Breward Feast †St BrewardStill celebratedSunday nearest 22 February
St Day Feast †St Day, CarharrackStill celebratedEnd of June
St Buryan Feast †St BuryanStill celebratedSunday nearest 13 May
Mevagissey Feast †MevagisseyStill Celebrated - Related to GolowanAround 29 June (St Peters Day)
Towednack Cuckoo Feast †TowednackStill celebratedAround 28 April
Goldsithney Charter FairGoldsithneyStill celebratedSt James Day (Old Style) 5 August
Zennor Feast †ZennorStill celebratedSunday nearest 6 May
Porthleven Petertide celebrations †PorthlevenStill celebrated; Related to GolowanNear 29 June
Gulval Feast †GulvalStill celebratedNear 6 June
St Ives Feast (Feast Monday) †St IvesStill celebratedSunday and Monday nearest 3 February
Hurling the Silver BallSt Columb MajorStill celebratedShrove Tuesday and then again on the Saturday eleven days later
Mawgan Feast †Mawgan-in-MeneageStill celebratedNear 8 June
Mullion Feast †MullionStill celebratedSunday nearest 6 November
Camborne Feast †CamborneStill celebratedNear 15 November
Sancreed Feast †SancreedStill celebrated (Patronal church service)Early June
St Endellion Feast †St EndellionStill celebrated (Patronal church service)Sunday nearest May Bank Holiday
St Stythians Feast †StithiansStill celebrated; Agricultural show held on the following MondaySunday closest to 10 July
St Allen Feast †St AllenStill celebrated but unknown to what extent22 February (Traditionally Rogation Sunday)
Bodmin RidingBodminStill celebrated as part of Bodmin Heritage and Riding festivalLate June or early July
Morvah FairMorvah / West CornwallNo longer celebrated but Morvah Pasty Day takes place on the same date, claimed by some to be the largest Lughnasadh celebration outside Ireland1 August
St Erth Feast †St ErthUnknown31 October
Ludgvan Feast†LudgvanStill celebratedMonday and Sunday nearest 29 January
St Hilary Feast†St Hilary, CornwallStill celebratedMid-January
Davidstow Feast†DavidstowStill celebrated1 March
Gunwalloe Feast†GunwalloeStill celebrated3 March
Porthleven Feast†PorthlevenStill celebrated22 February
St Kew Feast†St KewStill celebrated8 February

References

  • Charles Henderson "Celtic Kalendar: giving the feast days of most of the parishes in the Diocese" in: Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; pp. 9–16
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