1889.] '±-0 [Moouey. 



ing dooiiid to die soonest, and so on with the others. If there be more 

 than twelv persons in the household, there ar an equal number of the 

 rush candles, but there ar always at least twelv rushes. Piers describes 

 a similar custom on this night as existing in Westmeath as far back as 

 1082, when a sieve of oata was set up in an elevated position and a lighted 

 candle placed in the centre, surrounded by twelv smaller ones around the 

 edge.* The twelv small candles surrounding a larger one, and the twelv 

 rushes used in the same way in the west, had probably an astronomic sig- 

 nificance in connection with the ancient pagan fire festival, allho they ar 

 now explaind to be typical of Christ and His Apostles. 



In the eastern districts there is a proverb that "a green Christmas 

 makes a fat graveyard," as warm weather at this time of the year is be- 

 lievd to be unhealthy. Christmas night is not regarded as particularly 

 sacred, but Christmas eve is held in high veneration, and no danger can 

 come to any one walking out at that time, as no evil spirit has then the 

 power to harm. On Twelfth-night, on the contrary, as on Saint John's 

 eve and November eve, it is considerd unsafe to be out after dark. Ac- 

 cording to Lady Wilde, f the ass is said to kneel down in adoration of 

 Christ on Christmas morning, and if one can manage to touch the cross on 

 the animal's back at that moment, any wish of his heart wil be granted. 



January 1, in the church calendar, is the feast of the circumcision, but its 

 popular name of New Year points to a more remote origin in the pagan 

 festival of Janus, the god of the year, represented on old sculptures as 

 having two faces, one looking back over the year that is gon, the other 

 looking forward to the new one coming on. No particular observances 

 ar connected with the day beyond going to church and giving and receiv- 

 ing presents as on Christmas, the latter custom having come down from 

 the ancient celebration. Strangely enough, the practice of giving presents 

 was forbidden by the early church, but the popular custom proved too 

 strong to be broken down. 



As might naturally be expected in connection with the first day of the 

 year, several interesting beliefs ar held in regard to New Year. He who 

 gets up before sunrise on this morning wil not be lazy for one year — a 

 statement which we can easily believ without any great stretch of the 

 imagination. It is unlucky to pay out money, or to lend or giv anything 

 — particularly fire^out of the house on this day, regular presents only 

 excepted, as this would be to giv away the year's prosperity. This was 

 also an ancient Roman belief in connection with the feast of Janus. In 

 several districts, both north and south, it is customary to throw a pancake 

 against the door to keep out hunger during the coming year, but this 

 practice seems to be unknown in Galway. 



If a woman be the first to enter the house on New Year, bad luck wil 

 come to the inmates. In order to guard against such a misfortune two 



* Piers, Westmeath, 124. 

 t Lady Wilde, ii, 107. 



PROC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XXVI. 130. 3d. PRINTED JUNE 1, 1889. 



