School: Drumakill (roll number 6365)
- Location:
- Drumakill, Co. Monaghan
- Teacher: Florence Harrison
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0943, Page 140
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- XML School: Drumakill
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- XML “Emblems of Value”
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- It is the custom for people to decorate their houses at Christmas time with holly and mistletoe. Some say that the reason that holly is used is because that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made of the wood of the holly tree. Others say that it is because that there are few flowers in bloom at Xmas and the holly branches are a very pretty sight with their bright red berries, and are suitable for decoration on. May day the mayflowers and Marsh mallows are gathered and scattered around the byres, and at wells to keep witches away. On Palm Sunday branches of the palm bush are taken to the priest and blessed by him. The palm is taken home and hung up in the houses or sometimes in the outhouses too until Ash Wednesday of the next year comes. Then it is burned and the ashes and rubbed on the foreheads of the people. It reminds them that they are made of dust and that to dust they shall one day return. People of this district used to go to Lough Patrick and get some water. They sprinkled this water on their cows on the first day of May. Noggins and piggins which were the old wooden vessels the people used, are still preserved in some houses as emblems of sentimental value.
- Collector
- Jane Wilson
- Gender
- Female
