Would you like to climb a grease-covered pole? If you participate in the Marymass Festival in Irvine, Scotland, you’ll have the chance to climb and win a prize.
You’ve got to love the Scots for keeping the weirdest traditions alive. Every year in Irvine, hundreds of people gather to watch brave souls attempt something that sounds like a dare gone wrong: climbing a 25-foot pole slathered in grease to grab a ham that’s literally wrapped in barbed wire. Yes, you read that right – barbed wire. The Marymass Festival has been doing this for centuries, and despite insurance companies probably having nightmares about it, the town refuses to let this gloriously ridiculous tradition die. Picture dozens of people slipping and sliding down a greasy pole while a crowd cheers them on, all for the honor of winning what might be the world’s most dangerous lunch meat. It’s the kind of bonkers community event that makes you wonder how it ever started, but also secretly wish your town had something half as entertaining.
Scotland know how to party
How many festivals and events do you need to enjoy every year? Part of Scottish traditions is to celebrate nearly everything, and the country has more than 200 festivals every year. This gives you many chances to enjoy some old-school Scottish fun, like what you’ll find at the Endinburgh Fringe to Highland Games, or the experience of climbing a crazy pole during Irvine’s Marymass Festival. The date of this festival changes every year, but it’s held on the fourth Saturday after the third Monday of August. That seems oddly specific, but so does the festival itself and the strange competition that could have you climbing a pole covered in grease.
Old-time festivals are the best
Scotland has a rich history of celebrating various events, and the country has been the thorn in the side of England for centuries. Some ancient Scottish customs are extremely strange and interesting, but this tradition of greasy pole climbing might be one of the strangest. When this festival began, back in 1372, there was very little technology and a lot of disease, hunger, and boredom. This makes for the perfect combination for a festival in which the prize is a ham wrapped in barbed wire that’s situated at the top of a 25-foot pole.
A torturous prize
Hunger in the 14th century caused wealthy landowners to find cruel and entertaining ways to feed the poor. The tradition of the Marymass Festival in Irvine, with the barbed wire ham prize, is thought to have begun as an entertaining way to feed the poor. As one of the strange and quirky festival events, a team of participants works together to reach the top of a 25-foot pole to grab the ham wrapped in barbed wire. During the early days, this ham would be shared among the townsfolk, but today that’s not how it’s handled.
Once the ham is grabbed, it is paraded around to town pubs and the festival grounds as a way to raise money for local causes.
A two-year hiatus from going after the ham
This Irvine-based Scotland festival was cancelled in 2022 and 2023. While these were post-COVID years, the reason for cancelling the festival was a lack of insurance. That’s right, even unusual festivals held in Scotland require insurance. The townspeople were furious, and after securing a local insurance company for the event, it returned in 2024. Now, this festival is bigger and better than ever, showing how important community traditions are in Scotland.
Grease without glory
The Scottish Sun news reported that the Grease Pole Competition returned triumphantly in 2024, but no team was able to claim the pork-based prize at the top of the pole. There’s more to the Marymass Festival in Irvine than a competition to see which team can make it to the top of the pole to grab the ham. There are events for ladies, including the “Marymass Queen” and her four “Marymass Marys,” which are five teen girls from local high schools who participate and pay homage to Mary Queen of Scots, who first arrived in the town in 1563. This part of the festival first began in 1928 and has been going strong ever since.
A famous winning team
The Marymass Festival in Irvine has a famous winning team, led by boxer-turned actor Rab Affleck, who was able to grab the prized ham 16 years in a row. That seems like quite an accomplishment and Affleck continues to make headlines as an actor who played in movies including Gangs of New York and Layer Cake.
If you want to enjoy fun and odd festivities in August, head to the Marymass Festival in Irvine, Scotland, to experience everything this festival has to offer. Remember, there’s an odd date combination associated with when the festival takes place.
https://youtu.be/wvPopp0mXmM
