Whitby Abbey asks people to help bring back 'skipping day' this Easter
English Heritage wants to revive the tradition
Visitors to Whitby Abbey this Easter is being asked to help revive 'skipping day', an all-but-lost tradition.
English Heritage says at the height of its popularity, the custom would have seen crowds of people, old and young, take to the streets on Good Friday, often using a repurposed washing line in lieu of a rope, in a tradition that was believed to help the crops grow.
A new survey reveals that, now, most people do not know that skipping was an Easter custom and had never heard of 'skipping day.'
English Heritage Senior Historian, Amy Boyington, said: “During the twentieth century, whole families would try to skip all day on Good Friday, eating hot cross buns to keep them going. They believed skipping would bring good luck and guarantee good harvests or catches of fish in the coming year.
“We would love to hear from anyone who remembers – or has a relative who remembers – skipping on Good Friday. The rhymes that would have undoubtedly accompanied these Easter games are largely forgotten too, which is such a shame as oral tradition is so important in our understanding of social history.”