Home Trending May 29 – Oak Apple Day in England

May 29 – Oak Apple Day in England

By
Michael Knox
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nPosted on May 29, 2020

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nI didn’t even know that some oaks grow “oak apples” – which aren’t fruit (of course – the fruit of an oak is an acorn!), but rather galls. Galls are abnormal swelling growth on plants – things like benign tumors or warts on animals. But oak apples really do look like apples!

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nMay 29 is called Oak Apple Day in commemoration of this date in 1660, when the English monarchy was officially restored.

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nYou see, there was this whole English Civil War, when a Roundhead army (supporters of Parliament) fought against royalists (supporters of the king, in this case King Charles I) for control of England’s government. The Roundheads won; in 1649 Charles I was executed, his son (Charles II) was exiled, and soon after Oliver Cromwell became the leader of the nation.

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nEven though the monarchy was squelched only around a decade, the English Civil War established that a king or queen cannot rule Britain without the consent of Parliament. 

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Now, what the heck does any of that have to do with oak apples?
See also  August 18 – Celebrate the Discovery of Helium!

Apparently Charles II hid from Roundhead armies in an oak tree. 

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nBecause of that historical story (I’m not sure if the hiding-in-an-oak-tree story is true or not!), English people decorated porches and gates with oak branches.

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nPeople would wear oak apples or sprigs of oak leaves. In some places, anyone who wasn’t wearing oak would be pinched; in other places ridiculously terrible things like being pelted with eggs or being thrashed with nettles would befall anyone not wearing oak!

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nOther traditions are still carried out in some places. A statue of Charles II is decorated each year with a garland of oak leaves. There are processions of people holding oak branches or oak-leaf-decorated sticks. There are re-enactment activities and wood gathering activities.
nI am not sure if any of these activities will occur in 2020…?

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See also  "Night Shift" - Alien 40th Anniversary Short Film

nAlso on this date:

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Musician Melissa Etheridge’s birthday 

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nPut a Pillow on Your Fridge Day

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nAnniversary of Rhode Island’s and Wisconsin’s statehood

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nPattern inventor Ebenezer Butterick’s birthday

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nAnniversary of a solar eclipse confirming the Theory of Relativity

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nAnniversary of the first successful climb of Mount Everest

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n Learn About Composting Day

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nAnniversary of Sojourner Truth speaking truth

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nPublic Holiday in Nigeria

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nBermuda Day
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n(Last Friday in May)
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nPlan ahead:

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Check out my Pinterest boards for:

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  • nMay holidays 

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  • nMay birthdays 

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  • nHistorical anniversaries in May

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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:

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  • nJune holidays

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  • nJune birthdays

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  • nHistorical anniversaries in June

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