On the Friday of Shrove Week, English schoolboys were once entitled to kiss girls without fear of punishment or rejection, a custom that lasted until at least the 1940s.
In Sileby, Leicestershire, this day was also known as Nippy Hug Day. There men could demand a kiss from the woman of their choice, but if their petition was denied, they had the right to louse, or pinch, the woman’s posterior– perhaps mimicking the pinching of lice.
Kissing Friday ends a week of special names and customs
Shrovetide
Egg Saturday – Shrove Saturday
Quinquagesima Sunday – Shrove Sunday
Collop Monday – Shrove Monday
Pancake Day – Shrove Tuesday
Lent
Ash Wednesday –
Old English Custom
Kissing Friday
Read more about Shrovetide
Read more about Shrove Tuesday Customs
Folklore and traditions during the month of February
19 February 2010
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5 comments:
Thank goodness this is no longer a tradition, eh, girls?!
Thanks for all your marvellous work !
Christina
(Italy)
We still commemmorated Kissing Friday in the sixties in the West Riding of Yorkshire, notably the Settle Area. I don't know about further afield.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the occasion!
On the day before "Petticoat Thursday" boys would lift girls' skirts to see their petticoats.
Girls would wear their best petticoats for the occasion.
In the sixties, the Headmaster attempted to put an end to these presumably pagan fertility festivals without much success.
David, Yorkshire, England.
I have found this site to be fansinating with the customs and ol' folk customs and the more i find the more i want to find. Keep up the good work where do you get your information. Wendy Gale
I wish we had that here… wouldnt that be fantastic!
From your friend in America!
(well tecnically Kansas)
(: wow UK is soo much better then boring old America. 🙁
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