Beating the bounds or perambulating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in parts of England, Wales, and the New England region of the United States, which involves swatting local landmarks with branches to maintain a shared mental map of parish boundaries, usually every seven years. These ceremonial events occur on what are sometimes called gangdays; the custom of going a-ganging was kept before the Norman Conquest.
Beating the bounds or perambulating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in parts of England, Wales, and the New England region of the United States, which involves swatting local landmarks with branches to maintain a shared mental map of parish boundaries, usually every seven years. These ceremonial events occur on what are sometimes called gangdays; the custom of going a-ganging was kept before the Norman Conquest.
Source: Wikipedia "Beating the bounds" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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