DID YOU KNOW. ...

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458May 1 was the start of the light period in the old Irish/Celtic Calendar and seen as the start of summer? It is still regarded by many as ‘The start of the Ye ar’ May has more folklore associated with it than any other month in the Irish folklore calendar In many parts of Ireland you will see May Bushes erected on the Eve of May 1st where they will remain until the end of May. These bushes can still be seen in Kildare, Meath, Offaly and Wexford. They were common throughout Dublin until the 1960’s The May Bush was decorated with egg shells, ribbons and flowers. The eggs shells were retained following Easter Sunday and hand painted by girls mostly May dances were held at these bushes and these were plentiful until the 1960’s. Tr aditionally they were erected at crossroads or on ‘dung heaps’ in people yards. The May Altar tradition is a version of the May Bush and many houses still have these. In Newfoundland a hybrid between the May Bush and May Alter is still practiced. This was brought over from Ireland and it involved putting a statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the May Bush. Almost like an outdoor Christmas tree but in May! On May 1 - it was and still is common to walk in the May Dew to keep your feet healthy for the year. Likewise, many older woman will remember washing their face in the May Dew to keep their skin young and pretty The dew from May 1 was often kept in a small bottle and would be used for cures during the year was customary to drink nettle soup three times during the month of May the May 1, you never gave away anything. Many people still speak of not selling on the 1st of May as you’d give away your luck for the year. May 1, many people would go to their nearest water well and wish good luck or bad luck for the year. Aileen Lambert has recorded contemporary accounts of people still doing this only in the past year. Wexford up until the 1960s cattle were ran through small fires on the 1st of May to stop the fairies milking the cows in the fields The dairy door was always locked on May Eve as the fairies could come and take your cream/profit for the year. land was always blessed prior to May Eve, Holy water sprinkled on the field and the sign of the cross put on each field. one would whitewash in May. ‘If you whitewash in May, you’d wash your family away!” It was seen as bad luck to get married in May. ‘If you married in May, you’d rue the day”. Many people still recall this.