School: Cúige (roll number 10773)
- Location:
- Coogue Middle, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: Mícheál Ó Briain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0108, Page 008
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- XML “Christmas Customs”
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- There are not as many customs practised on Christmas night nowadays as were practised in the olden days. On Christmas night most people leave the outer door open and they also leave a lighted candle on each window of the house. At Christmas time almost everybody cleans their chimneys and most children believe that they are being cleaned for "Santa Clause" to pass through them easily. On Christmas night very few people go visiting to a neighbour's house and anyone that goes waits until he thinks they have their Christmas supper eaten. When anybody comes into the house on Christmas Eve or Christmas day the people of the house usually give them some sort of drink.
The day following Christmas day is St. Stephen's and on that day most of the boys of about between the ages of seven years to sixteen years go about from house to house playing music and dancing. The flute is the most instrument they use.
Long ago they used to go out in crowds, one or more playing the violin or melodion and the rest dancing but now they go in pairs and when they go home they divide the money which they have gathered evenly between them.
- Collector
- Pearl Salmon
- Gender
- Female
