School: Slane (C.) (roll number 4852)

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1. Festival Customs (continued)

   

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   of making pancakes is kept. The First Sunday of Advent is known as "Chalk Sunday", when all bachelors are marked with chalk. The 24th June is known as St. John's Night or "Bonfire Night", on which fire are lit all over the country. The First Sunday in August has a local custom of no one should swim in the Boyne as it is supposed to receive one of its nine victims on that day. On Easter Sunday it is a custom to eat eggs. On November 2nd or All Soul's Night it is a custom not to throw out water. On October 31st or Hallow Eve, nuts are eaten and roasted with boy's' and girls' names on each nut. Boys and girls gather around the fire watching which nut will jump first.

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2. Festival Customs

   

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   Another great custom at Halloween is the waking of the fern seed. It is done in this way. Two men with good nerves go out and gather the fern seeds, they then get 10 Pewter Plates and 4 white sheets and 4 candles. They place the 10 Pewter Plates on the ground one on top of the other and place the fern seeds on the top one. They then put up the sheets in a square around the plates and light the candles they then wish for wishes. If the wish is to be fulfilled the seeds pass right through the nine plates and remain on the tenth plate at this time the Devil comes and grants them their wishes.

   

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