The Ram feast
Preserved but no longer current.
Formerly held on May morn- ing at Holne, Dartmoor, when a ram was run down in the "Ploy Field" and roasted whole, with its skin and fur, close by a granite pillar. At midday a scramble took place for a slice, which was supposed to bring luck to those who got it.
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 “The Ram feast” mean?
Formerly held on May morn- ing at Holne, Dartmoor, when a ram was run down in the "Ploy Field" and roasted whole, with its skin and fur, close by a granite pillar. At midday a scramble took place for a slice, which was supposed to bring luck to those who got it.
Is “The Ram feast” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.