Long ago the people used to tie a red rag around the cow's tail after calfing so that the fairies would not bring the cow and then they would shake holy water on her. Then they would get a lightening blessed candle and a girl would stand on one side of the cow and a man on the other side and the girl would hand the candle under the cow to the man and then the man would bring the candle around the cow so they used to do that to bless the cow.