Northamptonshire Day in England Date in the current year: October 25, 2024

Northamptonshire is situated in the East Midlands. It is bordered by Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. Major towns in Northamptonshire include Northampton (the county town), Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Rushden, and Wellingborough.

The first mention of Northamptosnshire dates back to 1011; it can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle — England’s oldest chronicle. For most of its history, Northamptonshire was a primarily agricultural county. The situation changed after the Industrial Revolution, when it became one of Britain’s major centers for the leather industry and shoemaking.

Because of this, Saint Crispin is considered the unofficial patron saint of Northamptonshire. Saints Crispin and Crispinian were twin brothers from a noble Roman family who converted to Christianity. They fled from religious persecution to Soissons, where they preached Christianity by day and made shoes by night. Their trade earned them enough profit to support themselves and aid the poor.

Because of their faith and success, the brothers attracted the ire of governor Rictius Varus. He ordered to torture Crispin and Crisnipian and then had them thrown into a river with millstones around their necks. They miraculously survived, but were subsequently beheaded by order of Emperor Maximian. According to another account, they were thrown into a cauldron of molten tin.

Saints Crispin and Crispinian are the patron saints of shoemakers and leather workers. Since Northamptonshire became a major center for shoemaking and the leather industry in the 19th century, the locals consider Saint Crispin to be the county’s patron. Therefore, in 2014, shortly after the adoption of the official flag of Northamptonshire, the County Council declared Saint Crispin’s feast day Northamptonshire Day.

Although Northamptonshire Day is officially celebrated on October 25, BBC Radio Northampton hosts Northamptonshire Day festivities about a month earlier. BBC Northamptonshire Day events and activities include a market featuring local producers, special guided tours of the county’s main attractions, music concerts, various contests, and more.

On October 25, flag raising ceremonies are held throughout the county. The flag of Northamptonshire, adopted in September 2014, is a maroon banner with a gold cross fimbriated in black with a rose in the center. The cross stands for the location of the county in the middle of England, and the rose has long been considered a symbol of Northamptonshire. Maroon is the official color of the local cricket and football teams, and black represents the leather industry that used to be so important for Northamptonshire’s economy.