School: Kilmurry, Cill Úird (roll number 8558)
- Location:
- Kilmurry South, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Éamonn Ó Finn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0377, Page 134
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- XML “Halloween”
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- Halloween comes the last day in October every year. It is the eve of All Saints' day. The day after All Saints' day is All Souls' day. It is the custom to light three big candles and leave them lighting all night on All Saints' Night. A cake is bought called the Hallowe'en Barm Brack. This cake contains a ring, stick, pea, bean and rag. The cake is cut into thick slices and each person in the house gets a bit. It is said that the ring is for marriage, the stick for a coffin, the pea for poverty, the bean for prosperity, and the rag for a habit. Hallowe'en is also called snap-apple night.
A tub of water is placed in the middle of the kitchen. Then an apple is put into the tub and each person tries to take it out with his mouth while blindfolded. Another old custom is to hang an apple on a piece of cord from the roof of the kitchen. Then the apple is hit to make it swing and the people try to catch it in their mouths while it is swinging. Sometimes two plates are placed on the table. A ring is placed in one while the other contains nothing. Some person is blindfolded and places his hand on one of the plates. If he touches the plate containing the ring he will be married in a short while; if he touches the other one he will never be married.
- Informant
- Patrick Sheehan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Kilmurry South, Co. Cork
