{"id":5055,"date":"2026-05-29T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=5055"},"modified":"2026-05-29T13:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:49:11","slug":"oak-apple-day-may-29th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/oak-apple-day-may-29th\/","title":{"rendered":"Oak Apple day May 29th"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Charles II from an old illustration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today is both Oak Apple Day and Garland Day. Oak Apple Day was set up by Parliament in 1660 as “An Act for a Perpetual Anniversary of Thanksgiving”.\u00a0 They were celebrating the restoration of Charles II to the throne in May of 1660. It was abolished in 1859, but a few places continue to celebrate the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Oak was chosen partly as a symbol of England but particularly because Charles II hid in an Oak Tree while escaping from Cromwell’s Parliamentary Army. Charles II attempt to restore the Monarchy ended with his defeat at the Battle of Worcester (September 3rd 1651). This was Cromwell’s Lucky Day as he also won the Battle of Dunbar on September 3rd (1650). (For more on these two battles see my post: https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/oliver-cromwell-and-his-lucky-day-september-3rd\/<\/a>) The Oak Tree was near Boscobel House<\/a> in Shropshire which was on the route of his epic journey to the South Coast and the safety of France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People wore oak apples (or shick-shacks) which are a type of ‘plant-gall<\/a>‘. . If Oak Apples are not available, people used sprigs of Oak leaves instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The text of the Parliamentary Bill said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That in all succeeding ages, the 29th of May be celebrated in every parish Church and Chapel in England and the Dominions thereof, by rendering thanks to God for the Kings (Charles II’s) restoration to actual possession and exercise of his legal authority over his subjects’<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Church Services for the Restoration; for the preservation from the Gunpowder Plot and the death of Charles the First were kept until the year 1859.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oak Apples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Oak apples on Quercus robur<\/a><\/em> leaf. Photo Ivar Leidus<\/a> – Own work: CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The oak apples are a type of ‘plant-gall<\/a>‘. This is an abnormal growth from a point of irritation on a plant. The irritation normally comes from the larvae of an insect. Oak Galls on leaves are called Oak Apples. But they can also form on the shoots, where they check and distort growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oak galls are full of gallic or tannic acid. They were very useful in tanning and dyeing. Medically, they were used against dysentery, diarrhoea and cholera, using a tincture. By injection they were used against gonorrhoea and leucorrhoea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might like to look at my posts on the Civil War period:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Martyrdom of Charles I & ‘Get Back’ January 30th<\/a><\/blockquote>