My good lady wife and I are both Northern.
I'm probably what you might call untypical northern, and as a family we are not that weird. Individually, we're probably all a bit fucked up, but we are without collective rituals.

My wife's family on the other hand are typical Northern, and as such are steeped in weird rituals. Meal times are hilarious.

When t'food arrives on t'table, regardless of what it may be, the salt is passed around from family member to family member in order of seniority. The food is then covered in salt, and I mean covered. The food is usually typical northern fayre, so not that healthy to start with. As I very rarely add salt to anything, I find this very disturbing.

Mrs. PA has continued her salt dependency throughout the years we have been together. I once asked her why she put so much salt on food, and she said that when younger she saw her elders do it and assumed that it cooled the food down - because as soon as they had put the salt on, they proceeded to shovel it in.

There are loads of others, like Friday bath night, the 7 rigid rules of Xmas (TM), same food on the same day each week.

They're good people, but gripped by routine.
( Piper Alpha is being a grumpy northerm bastard on:, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 8:14, 2 replies)

what were the
7 rigid rules of xmas?
(negative armadillo There never was much hope..just a fool's hope., Fri 21 Nov 2008, 9:32, closed)

"gripped by routine"
click!
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 9:39, closed)