from the Chronicles of Celtic Customs by Brian Day
8th May, St Michael's Day, St Indract's Day (sorry busy yesterday and
missed this)
CELTIC. The Feast of the Apparition of St Michael is celebrated in
Cornwall where St Michael is the patron saint of Helston. He is said to
have fought the devil for possession of the town, and the Devil threw a
huge stone at him (Hell's Stone) which landed where the Angel Hotel is
now and is incorporated into one of its walls. As his most powerful
weapon missed St Michael, the Devil gave up the fight, and the town,
named after the stone, celebrates St Michael's victory each year on its
Furry Day, formerly today but now moved to the nearest Saturday.
St. Indract was an Irishman who lost his life in Somerset in AD 700
while on route back to Ireland with grain for those starving after an
especially poor harvest. Saxon raiders thought he was carrying valuables.
9th May
CELTIC. On this day was the Roman festival of Lemuralia, when the
spirits of the dead walked the earth. It was similar to Hallowe'en, and
elements were once seen in May commemoration, to be removed by the
Church. Its legacy was an enduring fear of marriage in May.
--
Pat Connors, Sacramento CA
http://www.connorsgenealogy.com
Professional Genealogy Research
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