Rush-bearing: an Account of the Old Custom of Strewing Rushes

Download or read book Rush-bearing: an Account of the Old Custom of Strewing Rushes written by Alfred Burton and published by . This book was released on 1891 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Rushbearing is an old English ecclesiastical festival in which rushes are collected and carried to be strewn on the floor of the parish church. The tradition dates back to the time when most buildings had earthen floors and rushes were used as a form of renewable floor covering for cleanliness and insulation. The festival was widespread in Britain from the Middle Ages and well established by the time of Shakespeare,[1] but had fallen into decline by the beginning of the 19th century, as church floors were flagged with stone. The custom was revived later in the 19th century and is kept alive today as an annual event in a number of towns and villages in the north of England."--Wikipedia (accessed 27 June 2002).