County day
A County day is a day on which a particular county may be celebrated. In particular it is a day on which to celebrate the cultural heritage of the County. These are relatively recent observances, and few counties have established county days.
A County Day may be established with a view to celebrate the County generally or out of a desire to protect heritage being lost, and there is no one way to mark the day. County days are often selected to coincide with the observance of a Saint's Day from the church calendar or another date which has some local significance.
County | Date | First observed | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
Cornwall (St Piran's Day) | 5 March | 1900 (approx.) | Previously a local holiday, revived in later years |
Huntingdonshire Day | 25 April | 2002 | Oliver Cromwell's birthday.
Founded by the Huntingdonshire Society[1] |
Somerset Day | 11 May | 2015 | Battle of Eddington |
Middlesex Day | 16 May | 2003 (approx.) | The Battle of Albuhera, 1811[2] |
Sussex Day (St Richard's Day) | 16 June | 2007 | Feast day of St Richard of Chichester.
Created by Sussex First and adopted by local councils[3] |
Hampshire (St Swithun's Day) | 15 July | 2019 | Feast day of St Swithun, patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. |
Yorkshire Day | 1 August | 1975 | The Battle of Minden (1759).
Created by the Yorkshire Ridings Society |
Nottinghamshire Day | 25 August | 2021 | Agreed by Lord Lieutenant and Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government |
Gloucestershire Day | 21 September | 2020 | The end of the 1643 Civil War siege of Gloucester. |
Monmouthshire Day | 25 September | 2013 | The feast day of St Cadoc[4] |
Oxfordshire Day | 19 October | n/a | St Frideswide's Day |
Northamptonshire Day | 25 October | n/a | St Crispin's Day |
Essex Day | 26 October | n/a | St Cedd's Day |
Lancashire Day | 27 November | 1996 | The date on which the first members were summoned to Parliament from the county.
Created by The Friends of Real Lancashire |
Caernarfonshire Day | 28 November | n/a | Death of Owain Gwynedd |