Does York have traditions of its own? What do they say about us? And what traditions might we be making now?
The Government is set to launch a public appeal this summer for us to nominate our crafts, customs and celebrations.
They have in mind things like the Notting Hill Carnival, Hogmanay, Highland dancing, and artisanal crafts such as roof thatching and basket-weaving. It will form a UK-wide inventory that champions our rich tapestry of customs and traditions, helping to make us more aware of them and protect them for future generations.
York has a wealth of artisanal crafts; many connected with the evolution of the city. The Minster’s brand-new Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills builds on centuries of masterful stonemasonry in the city that dates to at least the foundations of The Minster in 1230.
York has a wealth of artisanal crafts; many connected with the evolution of the city. The Minster’s brand-new Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills builds on centuries of masterful stonemasonry in the city that dates to at least the foundations of The Minster in 1230.
York’s stained-glass craftsmanship also dates to the medieval era, and lives on today through the work of several studios in the city.
This artisan craftmanship is supported by The York Glaziers Trust, as the oldest and largest specialist stained glass conservation studio in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe. The generous bursaries of the York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship support the conservation of built and artistic heritage, and the craft skills necessary for its preservation.
But what about York’s customs and traditions that offer a more diverse public involvement? Two come to mind – although you may know of others?
York’s Mystery Plays have the oldest and largest cycle of plays, 48 in total and dating from the mid-14th century. Suppressed in 1569, they were relaunched in 1951 as part of the national Festival of Britain celebrations. The plays cover biblical events, and in the medieval era were funded by and directly involved the city’s numerous Craft Guilds. The plays were presented on carts and wagons dressed for the occasion and stopping to perform at 12 ‘stations’ across the city.
Less well-known, at least beyond the city’s boundaries, is the custom of primary school children in Poppleton dancing around a maypole on the village green. They’ve done this annually since at least 1945, although as a maypole is first recorded on the green in 1830 the tradition is possibly nearly 200 years old. This pales in comparison to the historic roots of the tradition which can be traced back to Ancient Roma and German pagan rituals connected with celebrating spring and fertility. Similar to the Mystery Plays, this custom was repressed when Protestantism became the state religion in the 16th century and took centuries to recover.
What do these traditions tell us about York and its relationship to the past?
Firstly, that the city is proud of its rich and longstanding history. Both the York Mystery Plays and Poppleton maypole dancing were consciously resurrected in the 20th century. Their relaunch was part of wider, national events – the Festival of Britain and the end of the Second World War – and so could be read as the city looking at its historic customs as a way of celebrating the national here and now.
Both rely on people getting involved. The Mystery Plays, past and present, has thousands of volunteers on stage and behind the scenes in the preparation and logistics of running the plays. Only a tiny fraction of those involved are paid “professionals”. For Year 6 pupils at Poppleton Ousebank School, it’s something of a rite of passage to dance around a maypole, ribbon in hand, hoping you don’t mess up the forming latticework by going the wrong way; weighty expectations on young shoulders!
But none of these traditions are unique. There are a small number of stonemason and stained-glass centres elsewhere in the UK. Chester, Coventry and Wakefield also host mystery plays. Maypoles and dancing celebrations can be found across the UK and overseas.
Does it matter if York has no unique traditions of its own?
Should we be more interested in making our future than resurrecting forgotten customs?
Indeed, perhaps we should be looking more at what we’re enjoying doing today that might become a tradition of tomorrow. It’s of course difficult to look around and spot what might still be happening in say a hundred years’ time. In our globalised, commercial world, it will also be challenging to establish a custom or tradition that is or remains unique to York.
By Duncan Marks
May 2025