May 3, 1S89.] *^ * * [Mooney. 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



AMERICAi^ PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, 



HELD hi PHILADELPHIA, FOR PROMOTING USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 



Vol. XXVI. July to December, 1889. No. 130. 



The IloUday Customs of Ireland. 

 By James Mooney. 



ERRATA. 



In List of Obituary Notices, on page 289, insert 

 PEALE, Franklin. (Robert Patterson) Procs. XI. 597 



P. 4.i9, line 12 from bottom, for was held a second congress lege " was fo)-med a second 

 Society." 



Sunday — Egs and bacon — The Easter dance — The dancing sun — Beliefs. 

 May-day or Bealtuine — A universal ancient festival — The second of the 

 Irish fire festivals — Kindling the new fire — Sacrifices — Passing through the 

 fires — Ceremonies relating to cattle — The gilded ball — May Sunday in 

 Cork — Bonfires and May-poles — Nettlemas night — Fire beliefs — The 

 May-pole and May-bush — The rowan tree — The May dance — The May 

 queen of Finglas^-The May boys — Miscellaneous beliefs, cattle, witches, 

 butter stealing — Fairy beliefs — Love charms — Repairing the fences — Set- 

 tling the dues — Omens — An unlucky birthday — Easter derived from the 

 ]May festival. Whitsuntide or Cingcis — Strange fatality in the season. 

 Saint John's Eve or Midsummer Niyht — Ancient festival of the summer 

 solstice — Universal festival of Modern Europe — Third great fire festival of 

 Ireland — The bonfires — Origin of the word — The celebration in the north 

 — Cattle ceremonies — The "white horse" — Fairy time— The celebration 

 in the west. Samhan, or Hallow E'en — Origin — The last of the fire festi- 

 vals — The great Feis of Tara — The modern celebration — The apple a 



PKOC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XXVI. 130. 2v. PRINTED MAT 23, 1889. 



