Pop Goes The Weasel Day

Celebrating the famous nursery rhyme, National Pop Goes the Weasel Day is celebrated annually on the 14th of June.

Pop Goes the Weasel Day celebrates the nursery rhyme we've all sung since we were kids. Around 300 years, it is a great throwback to those childhood memories. Not many people know that the rhyme is a commentary on the socio-political perspective of that era and the poverty that people had to endure.

Why Pop Goes the Weasel Day?

When you hear the phrase "Pop Goes the Weasel," the first thought that comes to your mind is about your kindergarten and the rhyme. It's a rhyme that will instantly take us back to our childhood days, carrying some fond memories, with smiles on our faces. It's a rhyme that's guaranteed to take us on a nostalgic trip into the domain of memory. It is a rhyme that was popular before and continues to be a popular rhyme even now. You can sing it out or read it to your children or enjoy it with your friends as you tell about your childhood days. The rhyme is not only about the weasel, but it reflects the social and political nature of the situation of the time, and is a good way to relate to our lives as we grow up.

With childishness and a sense of maturity attached to it, it's a rhyme worth celebrating and we celebrate it with great enthusiasm every June 14th.

History of Pop Goes the Weasel Day

The rhyme 'Pop Goes the Weasel' dates back to the 1700s. It refers to the Eagle Tavern, also known as the Eagle Freehold Tavern, located on the City of London Road. The pub was closed and converted into a music room in 1825 until 1901 when it was rebuilt as a public house and still exists today.

A boat called Pop Goes the Weasel joined the Durham Regatta way back in June 1852. That same year, in December, the rhyme became known to the public. It is considered a social dance in and throughout England. At Ipswich, a country dance ended with this rhyme on December 13th, 1852. Soon, on December 24th, 1852, this rhyme was introduced to the royal family and their private singer’s surname. On December 28th, 1852, it began to be included in publications and advertised throughout England.

At first it was just a tune, and only then were the lyrics added. It even crossed the Atlantic and traveled from England to America in the late 1850s. Rhymes quickly became popular there, though to some extent the words were still English. As a result, the US lyrics were written slightly differently from the original, however, the rhyme remained the same.

Interesting facts about Pop Goes the Weasel Day

As you know, Pop Goes the Weasel is a rhyme for young children and it is also quite popular. On the anniversary of this iconic rhyme, let's take a look at some fun and amazing facts about rhymes for kids.

• Surprisingly, nursery rhymes are not a new subject in the kindergarten curriculum. The history of rhymes dates back to the middle Ages.
• Children's songs are only considered early stage songs. After the publication of "Rhymes for the Nursery" by Jane and Ann Taylor in 1806, these songs became known as children's songs.
• William Shakespeare was a big fan of rhymes. Proof of this fact is the reference to the famous rhyme “Jack and Jill” in two of his most famous works, “Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Love’s Labor’s Lost”.
• Published in 1774, “Tommy Thumb’s Song Book” was the first collection of nursery rhymes in English.
• Now we have computers to play rhymes. The first rhyme to be digitally saved and played on a computer was the rhyme “Baa Black Sheep” in 1951.
• You must have heard the rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". It's also the name of the 17th-century drink, boiled with brandy.
• The origin of the rhyme "Pop Goes the Weasel" dates back to the early 1700s.

What do you do in Pop Goes the Weasel Day?

In addition to walking the memory lane on Pop Goes the Weasel Day, here's what you can do to really make it a day to remember for years to come.

• If you don't remember the rhyme, this is the day to refresh your memory. You can visit any bookstore or library nearby to read. If you already know it, then on this day you can teach it to your children and let them also enjoy pleasant phonics and interesting rhymes.
• You could hold a reading or recitation session with the kids in your neighborhood, with each child talking about the poem and what they love about it. If you want, you can also discuss with adults what the poem reminds them of. That could be a comprehensive discussion to spend your day.
• The poem reflects the socio-economic situation related to politics in that era. You can use this day to learn more about old history and update yourself on how the poem reflects the day and the people's lives.
• If you have other thoughts, ideas, and opinions on how to best spend the day, then you can share it with everyone using #NationalPopGoesTheWeaselDay.