It’s no secret that the Brits love their traditions! Countless British customs have been established for centuries and are well-loved and widely celebrated. From Hogmanay and Burns Night to afternoon tea, the Queen’s Speech and Bonfire Night, there are tons of occasions to celebrate in the United Kingdom! In addition to Britain’s well-known traditions, there are a fair few on the more peculiar and eccentric side… Take a look at Expat Explore’s list of Britain’s most quirky traditions below!

Here are 10 Quirky traditions from the UK:

1. Cheese Rolling

If you find yourself in Gloucester at springtime, don’t be too surprised if you see a field of adults in hot pursuit of a large round of cheese. Curious as it may be, the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake is exactly what you’d expect from its name. A 3-4kg round of Double Gloucester cheese is released at the top of Cooper’s Hill. Competitors then chase after the rolling dairy, with the first person across the finish line declared the winner. First prize? The round of cheese, of course!

While nobody knows the exact origins of the bizarre race, it is estimated to have started in the 15th century. People from all corners of the globe travel to Gloucester to compete. Anyone can enter but fair warning – it is a steep, 200-yard downhill run so it is not for the faint hearted! 

Did you know? You can find out more about this quirky sports event on an episode of We are the Champions, available on Netflix. 

2. Maypole Dancing

Visit the UK on the first of May and you’ll be there just in time for maypole dancing! Another historic tradition, maypole dancing dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Traditionally, maypoles represent the start of summer. Centuries ago, typically a young tree was cut down, placed in the middle of the village and villagers danced around it to celebrate the end of winter. Today, you’ll find people of all ages dancing around the maypole while holding colourful ribbons, all across the UK. Maypole dancing is one of many May Day traditions which celebrate the changing of the seasons and new life! 

3. Bog Snorkelling

Yes, you read that right, bog snorkelling. This sport is as strange as it sounds. It is a unique test of endurance where competitors complete a 60m swim along a murky, water-filled trench in a peat bog. No conventional swimming strokes are allowed! Swimmers must propel themselves using their legs and flippers and use a snorkel. The World Bog Snorkelling Championships take place at Waen Rhydd bog in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales. As with most great ideas, the concept of bog snorkelling was born in a pub in Llanwrtyd Wells in the mid-70s. Today, the competition takes place annually in August. Both serious and recreational swimmers are welcome and it’s a day full of fun!

4. Weighing of the Mayor

The next quirky British tradition comes from High Wycombe in 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 one year later, the mayor is weighed again to see how much weight has been lost or gained. The practice came about centuries ago in reaction to the town’s mayor being a bit of a drunken slob at the time! In fact, the tradition dates all the way back to the middle ages; the thinking behind this ritual was to test whether the mayor had been gaining weight and overindulging at the taxpayers’ expense. As you can imagine, there was much jeering, booing and even the odd piece of rotten fruit thrown in anger if the mayor was heavier at the end of his term!

Today, the tradition continues symbolically. New mayors are decked out in traditional garb and weighed in on brass scales from the 1700s. This would be one way to motivate yourself to say no to takeaways! 

Photo by David Hillas CC BY-SA 2.0 

5. Cornish Hurling

Cornish Hurling, also known as Hurling the Silver Ball, is an intriguing custom from Cornwall, England. While versions of the game may differ between towns in Cornwall, the basic premise is the same. Teams (usually made up of men keen on getting a bit boisterous and rowdy) fight over a small silver ball. The game can get rough! Whoever gets the ball into the goal or across the Parish line, wins. Winners will likely be celebrating in local pubs. Dipping the silver ball into a pint before saying cheers and drinking must be done for good luck!

6. Wife Carrying Race

Another quirky tradition that is exactly what you think it is! In Dorking, Surrey, every March, couples compete along a 380-metre obstacle course. The sport dates back to the Viking invasion in 793 AD and was revived in England in 2008 in a far cheerier manner. Nowadays, you don’t need to be married to compete – but it does help if you are friends as you’ll be up close and personal with your partner! The ‘husband’ has to carry the ‘wife’ (who can be male or female as long as they weigh over 50kg) in recognised holds such as the piggy-back, fireman’s hold and popular Estonian Hold which requires the ‘wife’ to hang upside down on the carrier’s back. Whatever way, you’re in for a bumpy ride! The winning couple can look forward to a cash prize and a barrel of ale at the finish line! 

Photo by Mafia1254 CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

7. Nettle Eating Championship 

Now, this is an eating competition that might not be to everyone’s tastes. The World Nettle Eating Championship is held at the Bottle Inn pub in Marshwood, England annually. Stalks of stinging nettle are cut into equal 2ft (60cm) lengths and competitors have one hour to eat as many leaves as they can. Whoever has the highest number of bare stalks at the end, wins. This bizarre tradition began as an argument between two local farmers at the Bottle Inn pub over 30 years ago. Both believed they had the tallest stinging nettle stalks on their land. One claimed he would eat the leaves on his 15-foot stalk if the other farmer’s stalk was longer. Low and behold it was and here we are today! In fact, the competition has been going strong since 1997. One former champion shared that the beer and cider really help the nettles go down!

8. Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival

In January in the town of Whittlesea, England, a performer dons a straw bear costume and parades through town. The unique custom dates back 200 years and takes place on the Tuesday following Plough Monday. Today, the festival is full of several days of fun! Hundreds of dancers and musicians accompany the straw bear who parades through the town’s streets, entertaining everybody along the way. 

9. World Gurning Championships

Were you ever told by your parents that if you kept making funny faces and the wind blew in the wrong direction, your face would stay like that? This might be the perfect competition for you! At the World Gurning Championships, whoever can pull the strangest or funniest facial expression wins. The unusual competition takes place annually at the Egremont Crab Fair (which dates back to 1267!) in Cumbria, England. 

10. Pancake Flipping and Pancake Racing 

Last but not least, and certainly the tastiest entry on this list, is pancake flipping and racing! The UK celebrates Pancake Day on Shrove Tuesday. In towns across the UK and Ireland, people indulge in pancakes and compete in running races while flipping pancakes in a pan. Pancakes were historically eaten on Shrove Tuesday to use up fatty food ingredients before Lent. Over the years, the added excitement of racing with pancakes caught on around Britain! The tradition is believed to have started with a housewife in Buckinghamshire who was so engrossed in her pancake-making that when the church bells rang, she ran to the service, pan still in hand!  

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Embrace the full spectrum of British culture and celebrate these quirky traditions on your next trip to the UK! Take a look at Expat Explore’s exciting tours that visit the United Kingdom and start planning your next trip!