Cailleachs Herbarium
Exploring Scottish Folk Practices and Traditions
Folk Festivals
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Fastern’s E’en – Shrove Tuesday in Scotland
Fastern’s E’en or Fasterns Een is a festival in Scotland, held on the Tuesday before Lent, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday. Fastern E’en comes from Scots. Fastern’s E’en is also known as fastern-, fastren(‘s)-, fasten(‘s)-; fasting’s- (Sc. 1750 W. McFarlane…
Marysmass – Féill-Moire -Assumption day – Festival
Marysmass, Mary’s mass, Féil-Moire (Mary’s day) the Big St Marys Feast or the Assumption day happens on the 15th of August. Personally, I think it’s a great example of the syncretic nature of Scottish Folk practices and pre reformation kirk activities.…
Charring the Old wife
Beyond the Yule breads and celebration Plant lore is the verdant heart of Scottish folk holidays and traditions charring the old wife is a unique Scottish tradition. The Yules are no exception, even though at Yuletide the greenery has all…
ByScott
The Colours of the Seasons – red, black and white
The ever-changing colours of the seasons and hue of the year is something that’s always fascinated me. When I lived in cities it was something that didn’t seem so clear. I would catch the greening and browning of trees and…
Martinmas – Sacrifice, Initiation, and Blood
What is Martinmas? Martinmas is a poor cousin of other the other high and holy days. A mostly forgotten day in the year before the start of Yule and after Samhuinn’s end. However, I think Martinmas holds some of the…
Samhuinn – Halloween, Winters Start, Guising, Divination and Fires
On the 31st of October the night of Halloween arrives. This time is also known in Gaelic as Samhuinn, or Oidhche Shamhuinn, an t-samhuinn, Hallowe’en, Hallowmas, All hallows, All saints eve, All saints, the first night of winter or meal-and-bree…
La Fhéile Mícheal – Michaelmas – Autumn Equinox
on the 29th of September Michaelmas la fhéile Mícheal arrives. Just before this the equinox when the sun rises due east and sets due west, the night and day at equal measure directing the Milky way as it stretches across…
Lùnastal – The First Sorrow – (Part 1)
Lunastal. This time of year has always been special to me, which we try to align to the new moon or full depending. It marks the beginning of the “folk Autumn” season or second half of summer in the Celtic…
An Fheill Sheathan, Midsummer, Johnsmass, summer solstice
Midsummer, the summer solstice, St Johns mass (the birth of St. John the Baptist), An Fheill Sheathan – all these names recall a festival that is at counterpoint to Yul or Jul. Like the Winter solstice feast the summer solstice,…
Samhradh Samhradh – Là Bealltainn – May Day
Its the first of May, Happy Bealltainn! One of the best days of the year in my humble opinion...its coming indicates its time to go out searching for wildcrafted herbs and fresh young shoots of plants. So what are your plans for today? Why not start it off by listening to this amazing traditional song by The Gloaming calling in the Summer (Samhradh means summer in Irish gaelic). I have provided a the lyrics and a translation after the video.
Lá Bealltainn – The Gaelic End of Winter Festival
Là Bealltainn, the summer hinge the swinging open of the door to Samhradh, summer. The liminal time, the otherworld now just a heart beat away. Yet in true Scottish irony it comes in with the “Gab of May“. These first days of…
La na Cailleach – Spring Equinox – Fools, Cuckoos, the Lady and the Devil
When the light of the sun of this day shines into the inner chamber of Sliabh na Calli (The Cailleach’s mound). By solar reckoning, the year is exactly half. Half day, half night. At one exact moment, the world balanced…
La Féill Bríd – Imbolc – Snakes, Fire and Lustration in midwinter.
Summer is coming, everyone is rushing around, readying for spring activity. Brid is coming. Must be busy. I find it exhausting at this time of year and in this climate to be thinking this is the start of action. I…
Jül/Jol – Yule – Breads and celebration
It is the midwinter solstice tonight (well officially the morning of the 22nd) the shortest day and longest night. It’s nice to think that the nights are getting longer once more but I miss the darkness of early evenings and…
Lùnastal – the first sorrow (part 2)
This is the Second part of the Lunastal Post. (Part one can be found here).
Bealtainn, and May Day Renegades.
On first glance Bealtainn and May Day might not have very much in common. One a celebration and the other a political action but I don’t see them as different at all, sadly just the numbers they attract. Bealtainn: The clarion call to a summer’s promise, the adversity of winter has come to an end and the promise of a warmer, easier and fitful time is upon us. Celebrating this festival is a highlight of the Edinburgh City “night life”, over 6000 people gathered together on Calton Hill.