School: Killmallock Convent School

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1. Local Customs (continued)

   

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   They tie the ribbon around their head, and it cures it.
   On Ash Wednesday blessed ashes is got at the Church and is put on the forehead, and if any ashes weren't got at the Church, the old people would get the ashes from the fire. It was the custom not to eat meat from Ash-Wednesday until Easter Sunday. On Ash Wednesday a flitch of bacon was hung up in the thatch in the kitchen. During Lent the people's dinner consisted of "Praties and point." When the family was eating the dinner they would point up at the bacon in the thatch and pretend to be eating it.
   On chalk Sunday all the old bachelors who were not married before shrove were chalked on the back when going into Mass. This custom has now died away.
   On Shrove Tuesday pan-cakes are made. It is usually called pan-cake Tuesday. When the pan-cakes are made, each one gets a chance of throwing the pan-cakes up into the air and catch them when coming down in the pan. People are generally married before shrove because it is the last day before Lent.
   On St. John's night it is a great custom to light a tar-barrel and place it on top of some old ruin or castle. This custom is still carried out.
   Easter Sunday morning there are bets given as to who will eat the most eggs, and everyone tries to beat each other. On Easter Saturday, Easter water is got at the Church and when it is brought in each member of the family blesses himself there

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. belief (~391)
         1. folk belief (~2,535)
   2. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eily O' Connell

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Kilmallock, Co. Limerick