Celebrating Lincolnshire Day

Lincolnshire Day began in 2006 with a petition to formally recognise the Lincolnshire Rising, a rebellion that began in Yorkshire in October 1536 as a protest against Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries and England's separation from the Roman Catholic Church.

Nine thousand Lincolnshire protesters marched to York, where Henry and his court were staying and demanded the reintroduction of Catholic worship practices. Henry agreed to the demands of the Lincolnshire protesters, but soon went back on his word. The leaders of the uprising were executed and Henry's Church of England reclaimed control of the city.

Many choose to show their participation in the festivities by dressing up in yellow; a homage to the term 'Yellowbelly' which refers to a person from Lincolnshire. Although there is no concrete explanation for this nickname, many origin stories have emerged over the years:

• Soldiers of the Lincolnshire Regiment and Royal North Lincolnshire Militia wore bright yellow waistcoats – hence the term 'Yellow Belly'
• An old folk tale describes how, if a person born in Lincolnshire slept with a shilling on their stomach, it would turn to gold by morning
• Originally 'Yellowbelly' may have been an insult aimed at those who spend their days poaching in the Fens and got covered in the yellow pollen as they stalked their game.