School: Kilnaleck (B.)

On this page

1. Halloweve Customs

   

   Share Share Post

   Many old superstitious customs existed and were indulged in by people long ago on Halloweve night to find out their future wives or husbands.
   A besom was bestrode and the rider went to the doors of all the neighbours' houses and listened in the belief that the person's name whom he heard first mentioned would be the name of his future partner in life.
   Another belief was that if an apple is peeled in such a way as to have the whole skin in one piece and thrown across the right shoulder the initials of the person to whom the performer of the trick would be married would be formed on the ground.
   A rake was obtained and a rick of hay was raked at midnight. It was believed that the person to whom the raker would be married would come, take the rake from the performer of the trick and continue with the raking.
   A custom indulged in to the present day is to throw the white of an egg into a tumbler full of water and if the performer of the trick was going to cross water a white ship would be formed on the top of the water the following morning.
   Some people believed that if they washed their shirt in a three-cornered field the person to whom they would be married would come and help them to wring it.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. Halloween (~934)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Tom Halton

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   Mrs M. Halton

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   50

   Address

   Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan