geese-dancing - plugh monday

Guise- Dancing- Plough Monday




The first Monday after Twelfth-day is Plough Monday, and it is the ploughman’s holiday.

A sort of gallantry is exercised by young people by a dance called "geese-dancing.

The maidens and young men dress up for each other in disguise. They then visit their neighbours in groups where they dance and make jokes of the events that happen that year to each other, without offence being taken. This yearly custom and toleration keeps a spirit of wit and drollery up among the people. When they are done with dancing and music they are given some liquor and they go to the next house to start all over again. The term guise-dancing is a corruption of dance deguisee