When Yorkshire Day 2022 is and how it is celebrated

Yorkshire pride is always alive and well, but today it will be out in full force as people celebrate Yorkshire Day.

The region is home to some of the UK’s most stunning scenery, from rolling countryside to historic abbeys, and plays an important part in the nation’s culture and history.

Here’s everything you need to know about the day, and how it is being celebrated.

Yorkshire Day is celebrated on 1 August every year. The date honours the Battle of Minden, one of the major battles of the Seven Years’ War.

The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry regiment, now part of The Rifles, fought in the battle. Yorkshire Day was chosen to be celebrated on the same day as Minden Day to recognise their bravery.

1 August is also the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, for which a Yorkshire MP, William Wilberforce, campaigned.

What are the origins of Yorkshire Day?

Yorkshire Day was first celebrated in 1975 by the Yorkshire Ridings Society. It started as part of a protest movement against local government reforms that came into force the previous year.

Dr Henry Irving, a senior lecturer in public history at Leeds Beckett University, said: “Yorkshire Day is a relatively recent tradition.

“It began as a defiant way to celebrate the county’s history and heritages. Government changes abolished Yorkshire’s three traditional ‘Ridings’ and saw parts of the historic county transferred to Humberside and Lancashire.

“Yorkshire Day is an opportunity to promote the county, send a defiant message to politicians in London, and help boost the regional economy.”

He added that few people would now argue for a return to the historic Ridings, but the potential of devolution to metro mayors had increased the significance of local political identities.

“The day has a wider cultural value, as it gives the people of Yorkshire a chance to reflect on their heritage, and it’s a great opportunity to increase tourism and investment in Britain’s largest historic county” he said.

“The fact that Yorkshire Day is still celebrated demonstrates the local pride and a particular Yorkshire ingenuity.”

Food is an important part of Yorkshire Day celebrations, so expect to see an abundance of Yorkshire puddings, Wensleydale cheese and parkin, a traditional ginger cake.

A key annual tradition sees the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity read in the city of York.

Events celebrating Yorkshire culture are held across the region. You’ll find everything from morris dances to Yorkshire pudding and spoon races.

Sewerby Hall and Gardens will hold its annual event, which will include the chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, councillor John Whittle, reading the proclamation.

Guests will be invited to try their hand at making a Yorkshire flag, listen to local music, and take part in a Rusticus Encounter with the pirate captain.

Keighley will host a Yorkshire Day festival which will include workshops, a parade, children’s rides, entertainment and markets.

Hetty and Betty Cafe in Whitby is putting on special Yorkshire tea afternoons all week, serving up the finest Yorkshire fare.