School: Clochar (roll number 11910)

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1. Festival Customs

   

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   Festival customs

   On St. Stephen's Day boys gather up and dress themselves. The get a wren which they stugged[?] a few days before that. When they come to people's doors they play mouth-organs, pipes and other instruments. They say that if they dont get money they will bury the wren at the door and that it will bring seven years bad luck. Usually they are given two pence or three pence they sing at every door :-

   "A penny or two or will bury the wren"

   They go around in different crowds to all the houses in the district. They go off to town when they have the money equally divided and buy something for the money. Years ago men used to go out but it is usually boys go out now. The men used to spend their money by buying half or quarter barrels of porter and having a “join” in someone’s house.

   Hallowe’en is a great night for the children. People are not supposed to leave their own houses to go on a “ceilidhe”. This night the fairies are supposed to have the road for themselves. Some people leave spring-water outside their door and are sure that when the fairies are passing they will have a drink. No dirty water is thrown out fearing it might spoil the fairies' feet as they pass by. Other people have a table set when they are going to bed on this night and think that their dead might come back and have a great feast. Others eat an egg full of salt and the person that is going to get married to them will come to the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridie Maria Prior

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Camagh, Co. Leitrim