School: Faughalstown (roll number 9622)
- Location:
- Faughalstown, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Bean Mhic Gabhann
Open data
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- XML School: Faughalstown
- XML Page 639
- XML “Festival Customs - May Day”
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On this page
- It was an old custom for children to make a May-bush and dance around it. This bush was covered with wild flowers and the prettiest girl in the district was crowned as May Queen.
People who charmed away their neighbour's butter long ago would have to be out early on the first of May carrying the hand of a dead child.
They would have to walk through the meadow belonging to the person whose butter they were about to take, saying "All the butter in this land gather around this dead hand."
Long ago the people would give up buying candles on May Day because you were supposed to do all your work in the day light. It was an old saying "May day throw the candle away".(continues on next page)- Collector
- Desmond Smyth
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Mr G. Smyth
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Grangestown, Co. Westmeath