VILLAGERS at Appleton Thorn near Warrington, were transported back to medieval times during the annual Bawming the Thorn ceremony.
Youngsters from Appleton Thorn Primary School performed the traditional Bawming the Thorn Dance, while other youngsters dressed in fancy dress as pupils danced around the Bawm tree, which has origins dating back to the days of the crusades.
Each June, the village hosts the ceremony of “Bawming the Thorn”. The current form of the ceremony dates from the Nineteenth Century, when it was part of the village’s “Walking Day”.
The ceremony stopped in the 1930’s, but was later revived by the then headmaster, Mr. Bob Jones in 1967.
“Bawming the Thorn” occurs on the Saturday nearest to Midsummer’s Day.
“Bawming” means “decorating” – during the ceremony the thorn tree is decorated with ribbons and garlands.
According to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury, which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who arranged for Jesus’s burial after the Crucifixion.
Picture shows pupils performing the Bawming the Thorn dance.
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