Election of the Mayor of Ock Street

During the 18th century, it was customary for the people of Abingdon to roast a black ox on St. Edmund of Abingdon’s Feast Day (June 19). In 1700 an argument arose during the ox roast over who would get the horns, and a man named Hemmings took possession of the horns. The crowd hailed him as the “Mayor of Ock Street.” Today, only people who live on Ock Street may vote for the mayor. The winner toasts his election by drinking from a special applewood chalice, and he is carried through the streets in a flower-decorated chair by the Abingdon Morris dancers. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

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