January 2020

Buckden Roundabout

January 2020

Buckden's Christmas Lights Switch On and Market

The Buckden Christmas market and lights switch-on took place

on Sunday 1

December. Alongside the Round Table’s Santa

sleigh, Santa’s grotto and a giant snowman, visitors enjoyed

street food, mulled wine and shopping at the market stalls

while children from Buckden Academy and Angel Voices sang

carols.

The lucky winner of the raffle was Elliott Gill, who turned on

the lights in the company of St Neots Town Crier Ian Payne,

Father Christmas and Princess Anna.

The committee would like to extend a huge thank you to all

those that helped them put the event on and to wish you all a

very Merry Christmas. Keep your eyes peeled in the new year

for Fundraising activities for next year’s event!

Village News

Plough Monday

Plough Monday is a tradi-

tional English holiday mark-

ing the start of the new agri-

cultural year and the end of

Christmas. The first Monday

after twelfth night – this

year it will be 13 January –

is celebrated all over Eng-

land but particularly in the

villages of East Anglia.

Plough Monday celebrations date back to the 15

century and

vary village by village. Common recurrences include day long

celebrations by farm labourers who would collect money,

dance and drink!

In many villages, men would decorate a plough and push it

door to door asking for money. In some villages, they would

threaten to plough up the person’s door step or garden unless

they contributed but it was a light hearted celebration in gen-

eral and was accompanied by music and fun.

Participants would blacken their faces with soot, intended as a

disguise for mischief-makers. A man or boy was often dressed

up as a woman and referred to as a Molly, Betty or Bessy. A

man might also be designated to play the fool, dressed in ani-

mal skins and ribbons. In Whittlesey, a man or boy was dressed

as a ‘straw bear’.

Dancing was a common staple, often by Morris dancers. Molly

dancing is a variant of Morris dancing, involving at least one

man dressed as a woman. A play involving themes of death and

resurrection was often performed as well.

It was also common for church ceremonies involving blessing

the plough to take place either on Plough Monday or the Sun-

day immediately before.

Buckden Local History Society let us know that they couldn’t

find records of Plough Monday being recognised in Buckden

although, they say, it was no doubt celebrated here. They said,

“Sometimes, it is recalled in our parish church services remem-

bering when a plough share would be brought into church on

Plough Sunday to be blessed for a plentiful harvest.”