Category: Superstitions

St. Lawrence’s Day is the last of the Dog-days; consequently, when a labourer has been spent with the heat of the rest, he may be said to have finished his work, and received his wages, which ought to be high in proportion to his expence of strength. Among the various reprints of our old literature, […]

The reasons why the first day of August was denominated Lammas-day, and gule or yule of August, may perhaps be an entertainment for your readers. The first of August is called Lammas-day, some say because the priests were then wont to gather their tithe lambs ; others derive it from the Saxon word Leffmesse, i.e., […]

One of the most popular notions yet currently relied upon by the superstitious is, ” that when it rains on St. Swithin’s holiday, we shall have a continuation of wet weather for forty days ;” and this conceit has received considerable encouragement, this year, from the coincidence of there having hitherto been a constant daily […]

Being at a country-town on the 29th of May last, I was very much pleased to see the good old custom of putting up oaken boughs, to commemorate the restoration of monarchy in the last century, so well preserved. Never surely was there a time, when it was more necessary to pay attention to everything […]

Some of your readers will probably not be displeased at seeing a catalogue of the Festivals which were celebrated in the Church of England before the Reformation. A certain number of them are enumerated in the Calendar which is prefixed to the book of common prayer ; but as that list is very defective, I […]

This is the day of Nature’s universal joy, when the sylvan deities dance upon the May-morn sunbeam, to the sweet music of the grove, and the gardens of the valley are clothed in a rich profusion of variegated blossoms. It is the festival of Love, where Harmony and Mirth present the gay garlands of Spring. […]

I shall trouble you with a few remarks on Lanmb’s wool, in addition to those of your correspondents in the last number of your excellent Magazine. I have often met with it in Ireland, where it is a constant ingredient at a merry-making on Holy Eve, or the evening before All Saints’ Day ; and […]

Scrutator last vol., p. 928, wants an explanation of lifting It was originally designed to represent our Saviour’s resurrection. The men lift the women on Easter Monday, and the women the men on Tuesday. One or more take hold of each leg, and one or more of each arm, near the body, and lift the […]

It is a matter of some difficulty to account for the expression, ” An April fool,” and the strange custom so universally prevalent through-out this kingdom, of people’s making fools of one another on the 1st April, by trying to impose on each other, and sending one another, upon that day, upon frivolous, ridiculous, and […]

HOT CROSS BUNS Yesterday being Good Friday, the ancient dames of this place were especially careful to lay up a sufficient stock of Cross Buns (which will keep without growing mouldy !), as a panacea for all disorders during the succeeding twelve-month. This superstition is evidently the relic of a Roman Catholic practice, founded on […]