School: Radharc na Féile (roll number 14156)
- Location:
- Abbeyfeale West, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Tadhg Mac Coitir
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- XML School: Radharc na Féile
- XML Page 128
- XML “St John's Customs”
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- St John's Eve falls in Midsummer just as Christmas night falls in Midwinter. What a sight it is to look around the countryside to see a bonfire by every family. The bonfire is lighted in the open during the Summer Solstice while the yule log is burned for a fire in the Winter Solstice. In some places families gather together to light the bonfire. One person brings a bart of brosna, another person brings a sop of hay while another brings a pint of petrol. It is lighted at dusk. Some sing a song and more dance. When the embers are dying out they jump across it so as to have luck for the year. Then they bring a cow and make her jump it so as to have an increase in her milk in the future. In former days if the people had a sick animal they would burn it in the fire and if they hadn't they would(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Cotter
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Kilmaniheen West, Co. Kerry