When?

May

Where?

St Buryan

St Buryan Feast is one of many parish feast days (saints’ days) that are celebrated all over Cornwall. This feast is celebrated in the village of St Buryan, near Land’s End, in the middle of May. In the 21st century, the main event is focused on the ancient St Buryan Church, which holds church services and feast concerts.

Churchtown in St Buryan in 1913
Churchtown, St Buryan, in 1913 Reproduced courtesy of Mac Waters as featured on cornishmemory.com
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Like other parish celebrations, St Buryan Feast used to be a major community occasion, with nearly every household holding special dinners. These usually took place on the Monday after the main saint’s day. 

St Buryan and its feast are named after St Buriana: an Irish saint who was the daughter of a king or tribal chief. St Buriana is said to have come to the area to preach about Christianity. Eventually, she became a hermit who lived on her own, praying. St Buryan Church used to be far more important than it is now, as the home to a “collegiate church”, which is almost like a cathedral. According to legend, it was established by King Athelstan. The king promised that if he conquered the Isles of Scilly, he would build a church in St Buriana’s honour.

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