International Town Criers Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

This may come as a surprise to many, but International Town Criers Day, which occurs on July 10 this year, is a real holiday. It is observed annually on the second Monday of February. Confused about the nature of a town crier? We were as well, as the term itself is now obsolete (much like the position itself). A town crier, also known as a bellman, was essentially an officer of a royal court or public authority whose duty it was to attract the public’s attention in the streets in order to make official proclamations or announcements. We do not know how effective this was, but it must have been a difficult task, especially for those prone to stage fright or who fear large audiences. Who or what might be the analogue of the ‘town crier’ in the present day? We’ll let you mull that over for a while!

The background of International Town Criers Day

The first International Town Criers Day was established in 1997 by a town crier himself, Scott Fraser of Waterloo, Ontario, because town criers do not receive the attention and recognition they deserve. Despite the significance of his profession, Fraser discovered that there was no official day to recognise his work and that of others, so he decided to create one. Since then, International Town Criers Day has sought to emphasise the contributions of town criers to society and the significance of their role in disseminating vital information to the general public by bringing this profession into the spotlight.

The earliest town criers date back to ancient Greece, when heralds were dispatched to proclaim the outbreak of war. A fun fact is that the term’stentorian’ (meaning ‘loud and powerful’ in relation to the voice) derives from the name of a Greek town crier named Stentor, who was said to have the “voice of 50 men.” In mediaeval England, town criers were essential for informing the populace of important news and current events, and they would commence their cries with the French phrase “Oyez, oyez,” which roughly translates as “hear ye, hear ye.”

Before the invention of periodicals and the spread of literacy, each country had its own form of town crier. Thus, the position of town crier was prestigious because they were required to be literate and were responsible for disseminating vital news. Occasionally, these officials were the bearers of terrible news, necessitating protection from mobs eager to’shoot the messenger.’ Therefore, laws were enacted making it treason to murder a town crier. In fact, “don’t shoot the messenger” is derived from the command to protect town criers.

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Activities on International Town Criers Day

Act as a municipal crier for a day

Make all announcements (or anything, for that matter) in a forceful, assertive, and declarative manner. This is an excellent opportunity to educate those around you about the significance of the town crier and why they deserve a day dedicated to them. Make it more entertaining by donning a costume and renting a town crier’s regalia.

Investigate village criers

Discover information about the various types of town criers that have existed across cultures and nations by conducting some research. Determine the similarities and differences between town criers and the impact they had on their communities.

Attend a village crier competition.

Various town crier championships are conducted in Europe, North America, and Australia, and the World Championship is held every other year. With categories spanning from ‘Best Dressed’ to ‘Loudest,’ these oddball competitions are certain to be memorable, so learn more about the upcoming town crier championship in your area.

5 VARIATIONS OF TOWN CRIERS IN NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

India

Town criers would strike a drum in the centre of the village and announce news on behalf of the village chief.

Nepal

The Nepalese word for town crier was ‘katuwal’ (derived from Tibetan for ‘voice’ and the suffix ‘person’), and they would also make announcements for local labour.

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, ‘Ana bera’ was the term for announcements accompanied by percussion beats, which was how news was disseminated.

Nigeria

The Igbo tribe would beat a specific drum to proclaim news.

Netherlands

Town criers in the Netherlands would sound a gong and make their announcements.

INTERNATIONAL TOWN CRIERS DAY DATES