I am on my annual house-stay in Grasscroft, UK, and I had
the opportunity to experience a rushcart festival in Saddleworth. I had no idea
what a “rushcart” was or why there was a festival attached to it, so I decided
to check it out.
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| Replica - found throughout town |
In town, I encountered much merriment and excitement. I
arrived about an hour before the cart, built by the Morrismen of the town, was
to set off on its way to show off in Delph. There was a lady that looked
similar to my Aunt Marti enjoying the crowds of festival-goers, so I asked her
what the big to-do was. Because this person looked much like my Aunt Marti, I figured
she’d have no problem filling in a tourist. And I was right. The English Aunt
Marti told me all about the tradition, which dates back to the 1300s, and
generally only happens in the northwest area of England. She said the purpose
first started to prepare the church for the winter by laying rushes and sweet
herbs on the church floor and eventually grew to be more celebratory than functional.
Eventually, the tradition died out in the early 1700s, either by lack of
interest or need. Around 1970, the Morrismen of Saddleworth revived the practice,
and every year it has grown to attract visitors from all over the globe (except
for two years during the pandemic when it was canceled). English Aunt Marti
told me there would be dancing, drinking, and singing – all in the name of the
rushcart. She was right.
From what I observed, today’s rushcart festival is an
opportunity for folk far and wide to come out, drink unabashedly with their
fellows, and show off their ability to pile layers of rushes on a two-wheeled
cart. They dress in outlandish costumes that have significance to their
heritage (or so I was told), dance teams (called “sides”) perform traditional
reels, and everyone has a pint in their hand – toasting the good times and the
times to come. I spent a lot of time watching the sides dance. The amount of
kicking, clogging, turning, and bending blew my mind. Every dance, save the
women’s dance, reminded me of Chandler’s dancing in “Friends.” So, every time a
lovely old gent bent his arms, waved his kerchief, or raised his stick, I saw
Chandler. I am sure the image would not be appreciated as they put a lot of
work into their dances. I couldn’t help but wonder if the rushcart festival was
once observed by Matthew Perry, and he put away the image for future use.
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