School: Cill Thiomáin, Durrus, Bantry (roll number 15989)

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1. Halloween Customs (continued)

   

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   tempo. Next everyone tries to duck for coins in a large tub of water. It is a long time ere all the coins are taken out of the water, but it has such fun.
   As someone goes to throw out the water, mother cries “What are you doing? Is it going to throw out water you are, on Hallowe’en night and the poor souls all around everywhere? Come in out of that” you see it is an old belief in Ireland that on Hallowe’en night the poor souls are allowed to go around looking for prayers and the people do not like to throw out water on that night for fear the poor souls would be near.
   The merry laughter and fun is kept up as the night wears on. One good trick concerns the five saucers, placed on the table. In one is put clay in another water, in another a ring, in another a cross and in the last a timble. Each one is blindfolded in turn and so supposed to reach for a saucer. The first saucer to[u]ched indicates the person's fate. The clay means death, the water is a voyage, the ring marriage, the cross a religious life; the timble an old maid.
   It is said also that on Hallowe’en night the fairies go around through the gardens and ditches and any place where fruit grows they throw something on it. People stay in on that night because they are afraid that the fairies will take them away or cause them to go astray.
   Finally, the tricks are now over.
   The family rosary is being said for the poor souls.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. Halloween (~934)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridie Kennedy

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Lissacaha, Co. Cork