Rather earlier (i.e. less last-minute-panic) than usual, we have our schedule for 2025 #hoodening fixed, as shown at https://hoodening.org.uk/hoodening-schedule.html - a couple of new venues in #Margate and #Sandwich, and possibly our last visit to one of the oldest: the #CherryBrandy house (#CrownInn) in #Sarre. 🐴

Another #introduction, as our previous incarnation on EFDSS's trial folksocial.org migrated to BlueSky losing everything (OK, we'd only made a dozen posts). Our ancient annual #EastKent #folktradition of #hoodening involves visiting houses (mainly public houses, i.e. pubs!) the week before Christmas/Solstice with our #hoodenhorse, performing a short humorous play (written new each year) and a song or two (is #folkmusic right? it's often a parody of a recent pop song). Then we sing community carols and collect donations in our nosebag. For the last sixty years this has been for a local charity rather than ourselves. Everything you wanted to know about #hoodenhorses and #guising (and related #folkcustom or #folklore topics, e.g. #MariLwyd, #wassail) but never dared ask is - probably - contained in hoodening.org.uk, and the #OzaruBooks publications shown there. 🐴

So this is #Solstice/#Xmas, and what have we done? The #Hoodening's over, we all had great fun… hopefully our audiences too, 13 performances around #Thanet in #EastKent, raising around £2000 for #SERVkent (Blood Runners). A new script as always, in rhyming couplets, but no new song this year. Topical references to NHS dentists, freebie clothing, Oasis, cost of living, explosive ships & rockets, Rwandagate, Wonkagate, Aurora Borealis, rural housing, dogging, army horses, and more… #HoodenHorse

First night of the #EastKent (#Thanet) #hoodening season: St Nick village hall 7.30ish, Tartar Frigate (#Broadstairs) 9.30ish. New horse (i.e. the two-legged bit)! Expect us to be as 'word perfick' as usual. ;-)

Mastodon doesn't really do threads, but using the tag #folkbooks we'll try to fake it & suggest five folios for #folklore fans seeking last-minute gifts, focused on our East Kent tradition of #hoodening (with Amazon links for simplicity; good alternatives such as Bookshop.org and EuroBook can be found on the #OzaruBooks site at https://ozaru.net/ozarubooks/contact.html). Here goes... (click the hashtag)

Everything you wanted to know about the #EastKent #folk tradition of #hoodening and #hoodenhorses but never dared ask is - probably - contained in hoodening.org.uk, the #OzaruBooks publications shown there, the current exhibition at Maidstone Museum … and now @thefolklorepodcast podcast at http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com/episode-130.html - enjoy! #FolkloreThursday #folklore 🐴

Ein #hoodenhorse "Satan" mewn paentiad newydd gan #BenEdge. Bydd hwn - a llawer o geffylau #EastKent gwreiddiol o'n traddodiad #hoodening - yn cael eu dangos yn yr arddangosfa yn Maidstone o fis Chwefror. Os na allwch gyrraedd Maidstone, gallwch ddarllen y llyfr cysylltiedig (https://ozaru.net/ozarubooks/animal-guising.html) #folklore #marilwyd