School: Westland (roll number 8428)

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1. Festival Customs

   

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   On Boxing Day, or the day after Christmas, the wren boys go round with a wren in a little box. They alway have holly and ivy round the wren. The song they sing is:-

   The wren, the wren,
   To king of all birds,
   St Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze;
   Allthough he is little his family is great,
   Come out, landlady, and give us a treat,
   Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
   A shilling or sixpence to bury the wren;
   Put your hand in your pocket and into your purse,
   And this day next year you'll be no worse.

   They go round and gather money, and divide it amongst each other and then they go somewhere and have a spree (or feast) of porter and whiskey, and cigarettes.
   On St Patrick's Day you have to get up early and gather the Shamrock and drown it in a glass of porter or whiskey and then drink the rest.
   Shraft was another name for Shrove Tuesday. There used to be a custom that no wedding could be held in the seven weeks of Lent so a couple of weddings would be held on Shrove Tuesday. On Shraft night they used to eat pancakes and bacon and eggs fried.
   Ash Wednesday is a black fast. Some people would not eat anything then, more people would eat sugar and water and porridge for breakfast, at dinner potatoes and gruel, and potatoes and salt for supper.
   Anyone who intended to be married soon, but was not

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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

   Betty Mc Whirter

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Drumlayne, Co. Meath

   Informant

   Miss Mc Whirter

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Drumlayne, Co. Meath