Page 97 - NT 2022 Almanac

25th July St James’s Day or Grotto Day
There is an old tradition that on St James’s Day, children would make ‘grottoes’ or little caves out of seashells. This is because the scallop shell is supposed to be the symbol for St James, who was one of the followers of Jesus.
Whitstable Oyster Festival begins on St James’s Day. An old Kentish tradition says that Julius Caesar went to Britain because he loved the Whitstable oysters! The festival is a celebration of thanksgiving that still survives today.
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