Let’s face it, Christmas Day is a day where we all eat and drink too much and then wish we hadn’t.  A lot goes into preparing for this day and it always ends up feeling rather stressful for a lot of people.

So how about coming to the Cotswolds to do something slightly bizarre for a good cause on Boxing Day to make up for it?

We’re talking about the Boxing Day Bibury Duck Race, and as far as strange things to do on Boxing Day go, this has to be one of the strangest!  It does attract a big crowd though, and it certainly beats struggling with the traffic to get to the sales.

Bibury itself is a short distance north east of Cirencester, near the B4425 that links Cirencester with Upton, near Burford.  So if you want to book a late weekend break in the Cotswolds for the Christmas weekend, you can book a Cotswolds cottage that is nice and close to the duck race itself.
So what is it about this duck race that makes it so popular?
Well for starters we’re not talking about real ducks.  That’s right – we’re talking about plastic ones.  One of the most charming parts of Bibury is the River Coln.  And this is where the grand race itself takes place.  The idea is that you buy a plastic duck for ten pounds, and enter it in the race.  This is all in aid of a good cause of course, and the cause is determined by the duck which crosses the finishing line first – or should we say whoever sponsored that duck!

As such it is a great way to liven up your Boxing Day morning and do something for local charities at this festive time of year as well.  You’ll need to be up and about early though – the best time to get there is for eleven o’clock in the morning.  If you don’t want to buy a duck you can just go along for the spectacle itself.  If you aren’t local and you haven’t witnessed it before you’ll certainly love the bizarre nature of it.

You might wonder how this strange but enjoyable Boxing Day event got started in the first place.  But unfortunately it seems the reasons for it have got lost in the mists of time.  However it does go back a good few years and no one seems to mind the lost reason – they just want to have fun every Boxing Day morning when there are local charities to support, ducks to sponsor and mince pies to tuck into!
Mulled wine is another thing to look forward to on the day and it will certainly warm you up if it turns out to be a cold morning.  And then you still have the rest of the day to enjoy no matter where in the Cotswolds you happen to be staying.  The annual race is a good way to enjoy your Christmas, so come along and sponsor a duck of your very own!