People also took stock of their food supply that had to sustain them until the crops could be harvested later in the year.Traditions associated with May include May Bushes, May Flowers, May Boughs, May Poles and May Bonfires. May Day, the first day of the month of May, is one of the quarterly days in the traditional Irish calendar. It was considered bad luck to let the herd out to pasture before noon of May Day as it was believed the fairies would come along and steal the herd.People believed they would be granted good luck if they milked the neighbor’s cow on the morning of May Day. There was also an emphasis on fishing for example for salmon. Some of the early butter-prints in the National Museum’s Collection reflect this belief and are shaped like an eye. It was thought these flowers would bring luck to the household and keep Cailleachs from entering the home. In the west, the bonfire night was most celebrated on St. John’s Eve and elsewhere Halloween was the night for fires.Dancing was a feature of May bonfire celebrations. The decoration usually consisted of ribbons, cloth streamers and perhaps tinsel. Here, it is rooted in the pre-Christian festival of Bealtaine.

May Day traditionally marked the start of summer hurling and in Kilkenny, women gifted men with new hurling balls on this day.In parts of south Ulster, there was an effigy of a female May Queen carried on a pole in a procession. It was often accompanied by a procession and sports and festivities. Sometimes it was carried about the area by groups of adults although later this custom was carried out by children. There are references to a similar floral decorated May Baby in parts of Monaghan.in meaning to the expression of being ‘between a rock and a hard place’. People worked in the fields focusing on the care of animals and their movement to different pastures. Children often carried baskets of flowers and strew them in front of their neighbours’ homes as a gesture of goodwill and good luck.Sometimes May flowers were placed in the local well so as protect the water supply and the livelihood of those who used it. They usually accompanied this with a prayer such as ‘God Bless the Work’. The important job of cutting turf in the bogs also started in earnest around May Day.Traditionally on the 1 May and the 1 November, tenant farmers paid their half-yearly rents to landlords – these were known as ‘Gale Days’. Camera shy Brian is a proud Donegal man and regular contributor to our site. The tradition of selecting a Queen of May is found throughout Europe and may have associations with the ancient Roman Goddess, Flora.Like the May Poles, this tradition was more popular in large towns. Much of the traditions associated with May have been incorporated into the Marian processions found throughout the country.Children and adults collected flowers for crowning Our Lady in town processions. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Throughout Ireland, there is a strong tradition of formally showing welcome, through the spreading of rushes.

Such a practice can be found at The morning dew of May Day was also considered to have great power, like the holy water drawn from the wells. Limerick and Belfast. It was believed that the fairies could not enter the home as they could not pass such sweet smelling flowers.They were often put on farm animals so as to protect them from being ‘The tradition of spreading flowers at thresholds was most common in the northern half of Ireland, especially south Ulster. The words describe crowning Mary with flowers and blossoms in honour of the ‘Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.’ Thank you I have written three books for The History Press and quite often comment on places and customs on radio. This was decorated with flowers. There were May poles in many towns, such as Kilkenny, Mountmellick, Kildare and Longford. This was a time for celebrating the continuity of the community.

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