Hot Pennies Day, Honiton, Devon

Many towns have their customs, bizarre traditions that are still continued; Hot Pennies Day is Honiton’s. This event takes place on the first Tuesday after July 19th and dates back to the 13th century when the town was granted its Royal Charter. At high noon the Town Crier hoists aloft a garlanded pole with a glove hand on the top and proclaims in fine voice that “No man may be arrested so long as this glove is up”; those words date back to the times when people could come to the Fair that followed the ceremony without worrying about being bothered for money they owed.

The town’s dignitaries then make their way to the Assembly Rooms and throw warmed pennies to the crowds in the streets below. Then it’s on to some of the public houses in Honiton for more of the same. But what’s it all about? Why do they throw hot pennies out of the windows? It seems that back in the day, the more affluent townsfolk took pleasure in this – they found it amusing to watch the peasants burn their fingers as they scrabbled for the pennies. They’d be arrested for less these days.

All information correct at the time of writing

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