It is all here: http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bj333/HomePage.season.html Irish Celebrations Enjoy! Conrad

May Day A landmark day as the first day of Summer. It was a gale day when land tenancy began or ended or when a half-year's rent was due. It was a day for change and marketing of ones skills by taking a tool symbolic of one's occupation to the fair. The cattle sheltered in the Winter and Spring were taken to the Summer pastures or: "Buaile".The fields scheduled for harvesting were carefully protected and cleared of stones. Turf cutting begins.

May day is a day for the housewife to demonstrate her skill at making the food last over the Winter and Spring. A formal meal was made with the good food which was left.

May Day was also a day for watching the weather which will help predict the end of frost and success for the summer months. One should not dig whitewash or bathe or sail on May Day.

Summer was welcomed in many ways: A May bush ws set up,flowers (especially yellow ones) were gathered into small bouquets which were hung up in the house-these must be picked before dawn of May Day. Horses bridles were also decorated with flowers. Generally flowers were tied to everything-cows, churns etc... as protective elements. In some areas branches of newly leafed trees were collected. The Sycamore being a favorite "May bough" in Cork. While the flowers were beautiful the main reason for their cutting and distribution was to ward off evil and bring good. The May Bush was extremely important in this regard in many parts. It was set up by the family on May Eve in front of the house door and was decorated carefuly with flowers and the colored egg shells carefully saved since Easter. Ribbons were also aded together with bits of candles. These candles were lit and a dance was held in honor of the Blessed Virgin Maryat dusk at May day eve.Children going door to door would chant:

"Long life and a pretty wife, and a candle for the May bush"

-of course they were looking for money as well!

Bonfires were also lit and sports competitions lead to the worst fighting of the year. May bushes became in some areas May poles. Stealing the bushes also was a source of great fighting and led to some famous rhymes:

"We'll wallab a mosey down Meadstreet in tune Ri rigdi ri ri dum dee, And not leave a weaver alive on de Combe Buyt rip up his tripe-bag, and burn his loom! Ri rigidi dum dee!"

The custom of young newly married couples giving new and decorated hurling balls:"May Balls" to the young men of the town also lead to great festivities and often violence as drink money was also given out with the balls.

Of many charms and omens for May Day the collection of May dew was the most well known. This was carefully decanted and collected to use as a medicine and for beauty. The man who washed his hands in the May dew would be good with knots and nets. There are many things you should not do on May day one of which is to pick up anything left in the roadway