Anniversaries, feasts and commemoration in the Middle Ages

Ritual celebrations were at the heart of life in medieval communities. The passage of time was articulated by the cycle of the seasons, the exigencies of husbandry and of trade, all inextricably bound up with religious holidays and anniversaries. Great households, religious houses, towns, and village communities fasted in season and looked forward to times of feasting and pageantry. In this lecture, we look at the ways in which beliefs were celebrated, events were remembered, and local identities were forged by the shared experiences of celebration. Local Historian Dr Elizabeth Gemmill is Director of the Certificate in Higher Education and the Weekly Classes Programme.