The 2024 Honiton Hot Pennies event will take place on Tuesday July 30 from 12 noon. 

Its a tradition in the town dating back to the 13th century, Honiton’s hot pennies ceremony celebrated its 800th year in 2023.

Beginning at noon at The Holt, the town crier, accompanied by the mayor and local dignitaries, hoists a garlanded pole with a gloved hand at the top and proclaims, ‘No man may be arrested so long as the glove is up'.

A procession then follows the garlanded pole to a number of pubs and public houses where ‘hot pennies’ are thrown to the gathered children.

This was so that everyone would come to Honiton for the fair which followed the ceremony, without the fear of being arrested.

Nowadays, the pennies thrown are merely warm, but the tradition of the pennies being 'tossed' hot was because the affluent people who threw the coins took great delight in seeing the peasants burn their fingers while picking them up.