Traditions

The Lake District is one steeped in tradition, such as wrestling, fell running, rushbearing and the World's Biggest Liar Contest.

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Traditions Details

The Lake District is one steeped in tradition, many with roots in the Vikings who settled here in the 10th century A.D. Many words you'll hear and see in this region trace back to that time - hills are called "fells", small lakes are often called "tarns", valleys are called "dales", clearings are known as "thwaites", streams are "becks". One tradition you'll see at summer shows is Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. This odd style of wrestling - where the wrestlers wear uniforms that look like long johns with an ornately embroidered vest and centre piece, rest their chin on their opponent's shoulder, then battle to see who will be the first to break the chin-touch or touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet - is said to have come from those Viking settlers though the first match on record was in 1785. Fell Running is a local sport that's essentially trail running on the high and rugged hills in the region. Another running-through-the-woods tradition is Hound Tailing, a sport where the racecourse is made by a man dragging a bag of scented aniseed and soon after a pack of hounds follows, hopefully following the scent to the finish line. Yeah, it's fun to watch the hounds but it's the owners at the finish line - calling and whistling to their dogs - that's the best part. Rushbearing is a tradition borne out of the days of dirt-floored churches. Then the congregation would gather rushes and reeds from the waters edge and carry them to the churches to supply a new floor. Ceremonies in Ambleside and Grasmere are held in July. Finally, a more modern tradition: the World's Biggest Liar Contest at Santon Bringe each November. This one dates to the 19th century when the art of telling tall tales was going strong. Today, storytellers and comedians and liars (though rules prohibit lawyers and politicians) come together to spin yarns and tell tales before the crowds and a panel of judges who crown one of them the biggest liar in the world.

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