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Celtic Current Events

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  • Bringing in the May
    April 25, 2019 Lori McAlister

    Bringing in the May

    May 1st is a new quarter day in the Celtic calendar – Beltaine (say BYEL-tin-uh) – a fire festival to celebrate “the force that drives the green fuse through the flower,” to quote Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. It’s a time of brilliance and heat. It was on Betaine that St Patrick lit a fire on the Hill of Slane near Tara in defiance of the High King as a sign of the New Faith succeeding the old religion.
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  • Celtic Easter
    April 18, 2019 Lori McAlister

    Celtic Easter

    With such a strong history of Catholicism in Ireland, there is a trove of Holy Week traditions. Completing your “spring cleaning” by Good Friday is important preparation for the priest to visit and bless your home on Easter. The old ban on alcohol this day is still in force in some areas. No work with tools is to be done to avoid bloodshed. You should get your hair cut (to avoid headaches) and shop for new Easter clothes.
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  • Borrowing Days and April Fools
    April 7, 2019 Lori McAlister

    Borrowing Days and April Fools

    This holiday of trickery fits well with the Northern Hemispheric change of season at the Vernal Equinox. Spring weather is nothing if not temperamental and unpredictable. There is much weather lore connected to the vagaries of springtime. Most of us know that if “March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb” and “April showers bring May flowers.” Here are some Irish maxims: “Thunder in April (or on All Fools’ Day), floods in May.” “A cold April and a full barn.” And “When April blows its horn, ‘tis good for hay and corn.”
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  • “Madder than a March Hare”
    March 28, 2019 Lori McAlister

    “Madder than a March Hare”

    The White Rabbit in “Alice and Wonderland” is heard to say, “I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say ‘hello, goodbye,’ I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!” (Perhaps he’s from Ireland?)
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  • Presidential Celts
    February 21, 2019 Lori McAlister

    Presidential Celts

    In honor of President’s Day, we are peering into the family trees of some of America’s most influential leaders to find those with Celtic roots. This is tricky business as some of the connections are tenuous, at best. But as I always say, “Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story!”
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