A day for honouring wells and sacred springs

St Chad of Mercia (Anglo-Saxon 'Ceadda'; d. March 2, 672) was a monk and priest in 7th-Century England, in Mercia, one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Ceadda was possibly derived from a pre-Christian deity of healing springs and holy wells, and the saint is the patron of such wells. His symbol was Crann Bethadh, the Tree of Life or World Tree ...

Today, St Chad's day, is the day to clean and groom holy wells and fountains, known in Britain as well-dressing. Other days include Ascension Day, when in places such as Lichfield in England, villagers walked around the boundaries of the cathedral precinct area, carrying elm boughs and beating the eight places where wells had once been or still were present. In some places, such as Wirksworth, England, Pentecost Day was a day for well dressing ..

Categories: saints, folklore, calendarcustoms, uk