Everyday Folklore

Turn to any date and you'll find something to learn or do based on folklore of the day, the month, or the season.
Some days will take no more effort than sticking your head outside the window to see which way the wind is blowing, while others might involve train rides and scouring giant horses cut into hillsides. And each day is just a tiny snapshot of the folklore that goes on. It'll give you something new to learn every day. But you'll also find yourself far more engaged with the world around you, like recognising the deliberate way the year is divided by festivals and celebrations, or as the days tick by you'll read about new finds in the hedgerows and sidings that you can use to ward off witches or decorate your home with. And you'll realise that every month has its own identity (July is all about the weather, December is all about fear and hope), and how all these beliefs and sayings and rituals find ways of surviving and connecting us no matter what's happening all around us.
Dip into this fascinating and quirky book when you wake up, or on your way to work, like doing your daily Wordle or checking the news.

Liza Frank grew up watching B-movies and dreaming of being Chrissie Hynde before working backstage in theatre and film for over a decade. She has written extensively about folklore for The Everyday Lore Project and for a Masters in Folklore Studies from University of Hertfordshire, as well as teaching literacy and creative writing in primary and secondary schools. Out of the many traditions she's tried, her favourite was recreating a Gruel Thursday ritual off the beach in Brighton. That and competitive mince pie eating. She also writes an agony aunt column using folklore to solve dilemmas, and searches for sons of preacher men to persuade them to teach her something. In 2007, her slightly wild photographic exhibition was published as the book My Celebrity Boyfriend. She still dreams of being a rock chick.