Only in the UK

[Jonnywhy]

Similarly, I believe somewhere in the UK (can't remember where) do a proper big pancake race every year on shrove Tuesday. Not as weird perhaps, but still.

There is one better that I forgot about. The nearest town to where I'm from originally have a ball game every year on Shrove Tuesday. There are two posts - one put at either end of the town. Then a big leather ball is dropped from one of the high street shop windows (all the shops shut and get boarded up for the day). The town splits into two teams, and obviously try to score by getting the ball to hit the opposing teams post. But there aren't really any rules - people can and always do get hurt!

The winner is actually the person who ends up holding the ball at the end. And at some point a gold sovereign is dropped from one of the shop windows.

http://www.atherstoneballgame.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sounds like the origins of football

[cockijoe]

it is where football began in every english town the ball used to be a cows bladder guts or pigs head