School: Tomena
- Location:
- Gortullaghan, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: T. Mac Uidhir
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0963, Page 487
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- XML “Festival Customs - The Twelve Days of Christmas”
- XML “Festival Customs - St Stephen's Day”
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- There is an old custom at Christmas of decorating the house with holly and ivy. These days are supposed to be indicators of the weather for the coming year. The first of the twelve days is the indicator for January, the second for February and so on.Another sign which is eagerly watched is the rising or lowering of the flood on New Years Day and night. If the flood in the river rises the price of provisions for the coming year increases. If the water in the river lowers, prices will come down during the coming year.
- In this district as everywhere else the Wren boys are the great attraction on St. Stephen's Day. Boys gather together in bands and having killed a wren, they go from house to house gathering money. Someone plays a flute or melodean and two of the crowd dance in every house. They then sing a song and say some rhyme made especially for the occasion. They usually wear straw hats which cover their faces and often they exchange coats with one another so they would not be recognised.(continues on next page)
