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New Year's Eve, newts and Nessie: a history of British folklore

New Year's Eve, newts and Nessie: a history of British folklore

Ceri Houlbrook and Owen Davies chronicle some of the most compelling folk stories from the British Isles – from 'first footing' to UFOs

Matt Elton

Published: December 31, 2025 at 8:00 AM

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Why should you be careful about who's first through your door on New Year's Day? What led people to believe that newts and earwigs were responsible for their ailments? And why do sticks play such a key part in children's imaginations? Ceri Houlbrook and Owen Davies, co-authors of new book Folklore: A Journey through the Past and the Present, join Matt Elton to chronicle some of the most compelling stories from British folklore – and explain why they include UFOs just as much as ghosts and goblins.

Authors

Matt EltonPodcast editor

Matt Elton is the podcast editor at HistoryExtra