Every June the town of Lanark

Lanark

Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....

 in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 holds its Lanimer celebrations. The festivities reach a high point on the Thursday of Lanimer week, when the town's schoolchildren parade in fancy dress with decorated vehicles, pipe bands, and a Lanimer Queen and her Court, who have been elected from local children.

The Lanimer celebrations are based on King

Monarch

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

 David I

David I of Scotland

David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...

 (r. 1124 - 1153) granting Lanark the status of Royal Burgh

Royal burgh

A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....

 during his reign. A condition of the charter

Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...

 stated that the merchants of the town must inspect their March or boundary stones each year. Lanark claims to have carried out this duty every year since then, and the Land Marches became transformed over time into the annual Lanimer celebrations.

Events in Lanimer Week

Lanimer week begins on Sunday when the Lord Cornet-Elect is led from the town's Memorial Hall to Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...

' Parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 Church for the 'Kirkin' of the Cornet. On the Monday evening, crowds turn out for the Perambulation of the Marches, when officials and members of the public walk the boundaries. A Scottish country dance

Scottish country dance

A Scottish country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography...

 display takes place at Lanark Cross, followed by the Sashing of the Cornet and the Shifting of the Standard. The evening ends with the Lord Cornet's Reception. Tuesday sees the Lanimer Ball at a local hotel, (Lanark Market in 2009) when the Lord Cornet escorts the Lanimer Queen-Elect. An official ride-out around the March stones takes place on Wednesday night, followed by the presentation of the New Lanark Loving Cup

Loving Cup

"Loving Cup" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on their 1972 album Exile on Main St.An early version of this song, with a completely different piano intro, was recorded between April and July 1969 at Olympic Sound Studios in London, during the Let It Bleed sessions...

 to the Queen-Elect at New Lanark

New Lanark

New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately 1.4 miles from Lanark, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers. Dale built the mills there to take advantage of the water power provided by the river...

.

This is not to be confused with Landemer which is a similar festivity held in the nearby town of Rutherglen

Rutherglen

Rutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...

, also in South Lanarkshire. Landemer is normally held the first Saturday in June, but often has to change in recent years due to commitments in the nearby Hampden Park

Hampden Park

Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...

 in Glasgow.

Lanimer Day

Lanimer Day is usually held on the Thursday between the 6th and 12th of June, barring a June election

Election

An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...

. Schoolchildren and others parade through the town in costumes accompanied decorated floats. This is known as The Lanimer Procession. They each receive a Lanimer penny for participating. With the children march brass and pipe bands, ex-cornets, and visiting dignitaries. The court ride in cars after the parade, and the Queen has an open-top coach.

Once the procession has gone once around the town centre, the children mount a stand in front of St Nicholas Church (and a statue of William Wallace

William Wallace

Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....

 on the steeple). The court also climb the stand and the Queen is crowned by a local lady, to acclaim from the assembled crowds. "Flower of Scotland

Flower of Scotland

Flower of Scotland is a Scottish song, used frequently at special occasions and sporting events. Although there is no official national anthem of Scotland, Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which unofficially fulfil this role, along with the older Scots Wha Hae, Scotland the Brave...

" and "Scots Wha Hae

Scots Wha Hae

Scots Wha Hae is a patriotic song of Scotland which served for centuries as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but has lately been largely supplanted by Scotland the Brave and Flower of Scotland....

" are played, and a Lanimer Proclamation read out, followed by "God Save the Queen

God Save the Queen

"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...

", the British national anthem

National anthem

A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...

.

Later in the afternoon, the Lord Cornet has two processions on foot and horseback. Various entertainments for children and adults are laid on at Castlebank Park, and musical entertainment takes place at the cross in the evening. Finally, children perform at the Lanimer Queen's Receptions on the Thursday and Friday nights.

Public houses in the town can apply for an extension of regular hours and some open around 8am.

External links

• http://www.lanarklanimers.co.uk/ http://www.lanarklanimers.co.uk/
• http://www.lanarkgazette.co.uk/news-feature/The-first-queen-rescues-the.1953548.jp http://www.lanarkgazette.co.uk/news-feature/The-first-queen-rescues-the.1953548.jp