School: The Vale (An Gleann)
- Location:
- Leiter, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: S. Ó Brolcháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1010, Page 414
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- XML School: The Vale (An Gleann)
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- XML “Shrove Tuesday”
- XML “New Year's Eve”
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- (continued from previous page)One Shrove Tuesday night it is customary to hold a feast. The people make pancakes and put sugar, butter, eggs and a ring in them. When they are baked they are rolled in butter and then they are eaten. This custom is carried on in almost every home on that night but like many of the other old customs it is dying away. It is about the most common of the old customs to be found in our district. The feast that is held on that night is called the "Feast before the Fast" The people still believe that whoever get the ring in the pancake will be married before the next Shrove Tuesday
- The bells in the churches are rung to welcome the new year. Three candles are lit in every window of the houses in the district up to twelve at night to welcome the new year. The local band plays the old year out and the new year in. The people go out at midnight to see what way is the wind blowing and if it's a south wind the Irish will have good luck the whole year, and if it's an east wind the English will have good luck. If you give any money away on New Year's day you give away the luck with it.
