School: Coill na Leac
- Location:
- Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: P. Mac Geibheannaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0976, Page 082
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- XML School: Coill na Leac
- XML Page 082
- XML “Christmas Customs”
- XML “St Stephen's Day”
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- (continued from previous page)their houses, and on christmas-eve, they gather holly and they decorate their houses, by putting holly round the walls and on the windows. On christmas-eve night people have candles, lit in every window, and on that night, the children hang up their stockings, expecting their presents from Santa-Claus.
- It is the custom in this district for school boys to go out on St Stephen's day with the "wren".
The boys wear long trousers, and big hats made of paper, and big false faces, that cover their faces, so that the people will not known them. Some of them wear big boots, and others go barefooted. On the day before St Stephen's day, they go about looking for a "wren", and if they catch one, they put it in a box, and bring it from house to house with them. Almost six or seven go together in one crowd, and every crowd goes a different direction in search of money. When going up the avenue to a house, they repeat this rhymn.
The wren, the wren the king of all birds.(continues on next page) - Collector
- Bridget Newman
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Derrylina, Co. Cavan
