all the fun of the fair

After work today, I decided to walk around the town rather than have a sauna, as it was such a lovely sunny afternoon. I did a bit of shopping and then walked down to the river, where the annual Rood Fair is in full swing.

A charter from 1592 stipulated that Dumfries should have two Rood Fairs every year. "Rood Day" in the Catholic calendar falls on 14th September (Rood is the early name for the Holy Cross). 'It was a period of prayer and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. For this purpose, Rood Screens or Rood Lofts were erected in churches displaying large crucifixes flanked with images of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. The Rood Fair probably coincided with this holy feast day, and provided an opportunity for pilgrims and locals to trade, eat, drink and be merry. It is possible that the Rood Fair relocated to the Whitesands area as it became increasingly secular following the Reformation"


Here is some more information about the show people involved in the modern Rood Fair in Dumfries. https://www.dng24.co.uk/a-focus-on-fairground-faces/

Have a good weekend, everybody!