School: Ballymore (C.) (roll number 7444)
- Location:
- Ballymore, Co. Westmeath
- Teachers: K. Kavanagh Mrs Kearney
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0743, Page 333
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- XML “May Day Superstitions”
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- May day superstitions did not quite die away yet. Many of the old people carry the old superstitions yet. May day is one of the most important days throughout the whole year.
A turnip is placed at the entrance of the gate and a piece of may bush pierced into it to welcome everyone that visits the house and to bid welcome to the bright golden summer.
The whole family wash their face, hands, and feet in the dew upon the dew on the grass, the face and hands are washed to prevent freckles and the feet is washed to keep away chilblanes.
If a cow calves on May day it denotes good luck. A churning is always done on that day to have plenty of butter for the whole year, and if a person comes in to the house while the churning is going on they turn the handle to help to churn the cream so that they would not take the luck of the butter away with them.
If a child is born in a house on a May day, it is supposed to see ‘the hundred’. Eggs are hatched to have plenty of luck ever after. Vera Smith. 5th May 1938
- Collector
- Vera Smith
- Gender
- Female
