12 Festive Fun Facts About Yorkshire

1. The Yorkshireman Who "Invented" the Christmas Dinner

We take the Christmas turkey for granted now, but it was a Yorkshireman named William Strickland from Bridlington who first brought turkeys to England from the Americas in 1526. He even had a turkey-cock added to his family’s coat of arms!

2. Christmas Cake... with Cheese?

In Yorkshire, it is practically a law that Christmas fruit cake must be served with a slice of Wensleydale cheese. As the local saying goes: "Christmas cake without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze."

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3. Tolling the "Devil's Knell"

Every Christmas Eve, the bells of All Saints Church in Dewsbury ring out a tradition called the "Devil’s Knell." The tenor bell is struck once for every year since the birth of Christ (e.g., 2,025 times this year!) to remind the Devil that he has no power here.

4. The World’s First Christmas Presents

History suggests the first non-biblical Christmas gift-giving happened in York around 200 AD. The Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, while staying in the city, gave gifts to his officials to celebrate Saturnalia—the pagan festival that eventually merged with Christmas.

5. The "Poor Old Hoss"

In Richmond, a bizarre custom involves the Poor Old Hoss—a person dressed in a real horse’s skull and a black cloak who parades through the town on Christmas Eve. It might look spooky, but seeing the "Hoss" is said to bring good luck for the new year.

6. The Yorkshire Christmas Pie

Forget a simple turkey crown; the traditional Yorkshire Christmas Pie was a Victorian feat of engineering. It often consisted of a turkey, stuffed with a goose, stuffed with a pheasant, stuffed with a chicken... all encased in a massive pastry crust.

7. Sword Dancing for a Good Harvest

In villages like Goathland, "Long Sword Dancing" is a Christmas staple. Unlike Morris dancing, this involves interlocking metal swords into a "lock" or star shape, a ritual meant to ensure the ground stays fertile through the winter.

8. Vessel Maids and "Wassail Bobs"

In the 19th century, "Vessel Maids" would carry a Wassail Bob (a box containing nativity figures) from door to door in Yorkshire. It was considered very bad luck if you didn't allow them to show you the box in exchange for a penny.

9. The Dickens Connection

Malton in North Yorkshire claims to be the inspiration for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Dickens was a frequent visitor, and it’s believed the counting house of his friend, Charles Smithson, was the blueprint for Scrooge’s office.

10. The Boxing Day Pilgrimage

Every December 26th, hundreds of people take part in a four-mile pilgrimage from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey. This tradition follows the footsteps of the 12th-century monks who founded the Abbey.

11. The Great Christmas Pudding Debate

While most of the UK eats Yorkshire Puddings with roast beef, many Yorkshire families insist they belong on the Christmas dinner plate regardless of the meat. In fact, some traditionalists still serve them before the main meal with gravy to "fill the gaps."

12. The Whitby Boxing Day Dip

For those brave (or mad) enough, the Whitby Boxing Day Dip sees hundreds of people in fancy dress run into the freezing North Sea. It’s been a local tradition for over 50 years and is the ultimate "Yorkshire cure" for a Christmas hangover.