Tax Season

I love tax season. No really, I enjoy paying tax. I enjoy it so much I will spring out of bed before dawn to go and give my money to the taxman. If you are a Canada Revenue Agency employee, you can wipe that grin off your face right away. I am referring to a taxpayer event in Merry England.

I used to live in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire. Rugby's citizens are particularly avid taxpayers. For the past 837 years they have been rising before dawn to be present at the stone on Knightlow Hill to pay their dues to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The event is called the "Wroth Silver Ceremony" and it takes place every year on the morning of November 11th.

Is it a strong sense of tradition that drives Rugby's burghers to rise at such an ungodly hour and to walk through fields to the allocated place to voluntarily pay taxes? Highly unlikely, you might think. Is the explanation perhaps to be found in the fact that the local pub opens at 6:00am to serve warm milk and rum to participants?

OK, Canadian taxman, it seems that I owe you this year. As it happens I will be up before dawn to celebrate another tradition on 1st May. If you would like to meet me in High Park, Toronto at 5:00am on that day, I will cough up the cash I owe. But, you'd better bring the rum and warm milk!