Furry Dance
Preserved but no longer current.
An ancient ceremony of Helston and other Cornish towns, held on May 8th, locally known as Flora's Day. Couples dance through the streets and houses to a tune of immemorial antiquity, probably coeval with the dance, which may be of Druidic origin.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Furry Dance” mean?
An ancient ceremony of Helston and other Cornish towns, held on May 8th, locally known as Flora's Day. Couples dance through the streets and houses to a tune of immemorial antiquity, probably coeval with the dance, which may be of Druidic origin.
Is “Furry Dance” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.