Completely Bonkers British Traditions You Definitely Won’t Have Heard Of

Worm Charming Forget snakes – worm charming is what it’s all about now. And it’s no small challenge. Worm charming is actually a national and even globally competitive sport where people literally charm worms from the ground through a variety of means. Hailing from Willaston, Cheshire, it’s a fair to say this one is less than ordinary.

The National Toe-Wrestling Championship This bizarre contest started in Staffordshire in an attempt to create a sport that the UK could actually win. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like us Brits have the strongest toes as a Canadian currently holds the record. Bad times.

The Straw Bear Festival If you fancy dressing up in a straw bear suit and dancing along a set route, this is the festival for you. Thanks, Cambridgeshire, for this erm, unusual, event.

The UK Cheese Rolling Championship This contest is exactly what it sounds like – with a bit of chasing involved. People race down a hill in Gloucester, after a huge mound of cheese that travels up to 70mph and the winner is the first over the finishing line.

Wife Carrying Championships Now this sounds like a hilarious day out for couples. This championship takes place in Dorking, where men literally carry their partners throughout an entire grueling race. The origins of this one are not as fun as the name suggests, though, as it hails from Viking times when women were snatched from raided British villages.

The UK Gurning Championships You don’t need any particular skill to take part in this contest – just the ability to pull the most grotesque faces possible.

The Haxey Hood A large of game of what resembles rugby is played by an entire village in Lincolnshire. This one originates from the 14th century when the wife of a wealthy landowner lost her hood in the wind, leading 14 local men to chase after it.

The Corn Queene Effigy Of October Plenty This festival takes place in Southwark, London, and mixes ancient seasonal traditions with theatrics. You can see traditional dancing before a procession across Borough Market where you can see the ‘Corn Queene Effigy’.

The Horn Dance Held every September 4th in Staffordshire, this ancient dance is performed by six ‘Deer-men’. Wearing actual reindeer horns, they strut their stuff around a 10-mile course.