With a drop of rixum, raxum, prixum-praxum and a high cock-o’lory, the Whiteboys will be returning to the streets around the Isle of Man this Christmas.

The traditional street plays will this year be performed in towns across the island by two different groups, and will take place on Saturday, December 18, the final Saturday before Christmas.

The Southern Whiteboys, the longest-running group led by Phil Gawne, will be performing many times throughout the day,beginning at 10amoutside the Co op in Port St. Mary, followed by 10.30am by the Port Erin Railway Station and the Spar in Colby at 11.10am and Castletown Square at 11.45am.

They then head to the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh at 12.30pm, before heading to Douglas at 1.30pm, outside the Strand Centre Douglas, followed by Regent Street at 3pm.

They finish at 4pm on Michael Street, Peel.

The second group, the Peel Whiteboys, are heading to Ramsey, to perform outside the Courthouse at 11am, followed by two ’home’ shows on Michael Street, Peel, at 2pm, and a final show at the ’Dog’s Nollick’, on East Quay, Peel, at 5pm.

The Whiteboys’ plays, named after their white and garishly decorated costumes, are an age-old piece of folkloric street plays, and were once performed by many groups of mummers throughout the Isle of Man in the run up to Christmas, in exchange for money or gifts of food and ale.

There are records showing that the plays have been performed in the streets more than 200 years ago.

It usually features a comical fight to the death between knights, usually St George, St Patrick, St Denis and St Maughold, followed by the resurrection at the hands of a mysterious doctor and his bag of potions, including the aforementioned ’Rixum Raxum’.

All players embrace in friendship and reconciliation, leading to a happy ending and a concluding sword dance and carol.

Cori Phillips, from the Peel Whiteboys group, said that they hope to encourage others to carry on the tradition and form their own groups.

’The first year our group put on the Whiteboys was because we wanted to show that the tradition was open to everyone,’ said Cori.

’That absolutely anyone could get a group together and have a go. yThe dream is to see loads of different groups, all with their own spin on an ancient Manx tradition.

’It was originally going to be a one off but we’ve carried on over the years because it’s just so much fun!

’It pretends to be so serious but it’s actually just a silly, joyful, and fun experience.

’I’ll never get tired of hearing the laughs from the people who’ve come out to see us make fools of ourselves.

’If you’ve never seen it in person, it’s definitely worth a watch!’