School: Farnham
- Location:
- Farnham, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: F. Magahy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0975, Page 173
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Festival Customs
Shrove Tuesday (usually called "Pan-cake Tuesday) is always a great source of attraction both to adults and children. On that night a big feast of pan-cakes is partaken of by the household.
The woman of the house cooks the pan-cakes and when they are done on one side the man of the house takes up the pan tosses the pan-cake up in the air and lets it come down so that the side of the pancake that was facing up shall now face down and vice versa.
On Saint John's Day people go out and gather wood for a bon-fire. When dusk falls the family proceed to one of their own fields and light a bonfire. They dance around the fire, sing songs, play mouth organs and make themselves gay. When the fire is low they jump over it, but whoever fails to accomplish this feat it is said of them that they shall not live to see the next Saint John's Day. Now that the fire is low one of the family (usually one of the older members) takes one of the burning embers and throws it onto one of the fields and the field into which it falls is said to yield twice the crop.
On the Epiphany all the family gather(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Dympna Maloney
- Gender
- Female
