Very British: The Glorious Twelfth

A grouse is a smallish fat bird, which is shot for food and sport. In Britain, grouse shooting begins every year on August 12th (known as the ‘Glorious Twelfth’) and ends on December 10th. It is popular especially with the aristocracy and richer classes of the British society.
The "Glorious 12th" begins the season when thousands of grouse hunters take to Britain's heather moors in pursuit of the bird.
A survey by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust said the grouse population has grown by an average of 25%. But some moors have been ravaged by a heather-eating beetle, which have destroyed the grouse's natural habitat. A mild winter followed by a warm and wet early summer provided the ideal condition for heather beetle larvae to thrive. In spite of all difficulties, the Glorious Twelfth is a very traditional day. Everyone gets geared up for it. It is part of Britain's cultural heritage. It's been going for 150 years and it hasn't changed.