Charms and Luck

Omens, charms and ways to bring or keep luck: first footing, turning money at the new moon, lucky and unlucky days.

Customs

The year ahead

Monday 26 October Hunter’s Moon

Saturday 31 October

Sat 31 Oct 10:00 15:00
Custom

Hop tu Naa Festival at Cregneash

Cregneash Folk Village, Cregneash, Isle of Man

Thursday 5 November

Thu 5 Nov 20:00 16:00
Custom

Shebbear Turning the Devil’s Stone

St Michael’s Church, Shebbear, Devon

Monday 9 November New moon

Tuesday 24 November Beaver Moon

Wednesday 9 December New moon

Thursday 24 December Cold Moon

Thursday 7 January New moon

Monday 11 January

Mon 11 Jan from 18:00
Custom

Burning the Clavie

Sets off from Granary Street, Burghead, Moray

Friday 22 January Wolf Moon

Saturday 6 February New moon

Saturday 20 February Snow Moon

Monday 8 March New moon

Monday 22 March Worm Moon

Tuesday 6 April New moon

Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon

Monday 3 May

Mon 3 May 12:00 15:00
Custom

Laa Boaldyn at Cregneash

Cregneash Folk Village, Cregneash, Isle of Man

Thursday 6 May New moon

Thursday 20 May Flower Moon

Friday 4 June New moon

Saturday 19 June Strawberry Moon

Sunday 4 July New moon

Sunday 18 July Buck Moon

Monday 2 August New moon

Friday 13 August

Fri 13 Aug 09:00 18:00
Custom

The Burryman

Staghead Hotel, South Queensferry, City of Edinburgh

Tuesday 17 August Sturgeon Moon

Tuesday 31 August New moon

Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon

Thursday 30 September New moon

Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon

From the old calendars

51 to 75 of 255 entries

25 December

27 December, not tied to the day

28 December, not tied to the day

Folklore from the old calendars

Charming away the milk Lore and belief Highlands, Inner Hebrides, Outer HebridesMartin found it a received opinion in the Western Isles and the neighbouring mainland that a woman could, by a charm, draw the increase of her neighbour's cow's milk to herself.
Come, butter, come Lore and belief EssexAdy, in his Candle in the Dark of 1655, told of an old Essex woman who came into a house where the maid had churned a long time and could not make the butter come.
Houseleek against lightning Lore and belief EnglandOld writers held that the bay tree was never struck by lightning, and that whoever wore a bay leaf was safe from thunder.
Keeping the fairies from the brew Lore and belief FifeProfessor Playfair wrote to Brand from St Andrews in 1804 about the superstitions of the neighbourhood.
Slunk calves and moonwort Lore and belief Devon, SuffolkGrose recorded the belief, commonly acted on in Suffolk, that a slunk or stillborn calf buried in a highway used by cattle would stop cows casting their calves.
The charm crystal Lore and belief Highlands, IrelandVallancey recorded that in the Highlands of Scotland a large oval crystal had been kept by the priests to work charms with.
The goodman’s croft No longer kept ScotlandIn 1594 the elders of the Scottish church tried hard to stamp out a custom among farmers of leaving a piece of their land untilled and uncropped year after year.
The green stone of Arran Lore and belief ButeMartin told of a green stone on Arran, round like a globe and about the size of a goose egg, handed down carefully for generations.
The taman of Tipperary Lore and belief County Durham, Munster, NorthumberlandCunning men, sometimes called white witches, were consulted to cure diseases laid on by witches, to find thieves, recover stolen goods and tell of absent friends.
Wind stones of the Western Isles No longer kept Inner Hebrides, Outer HebridesMartin described a chapel of St Columba on the isle of Fladda-Chuan with a round blue stone on its altar that was always moist.

28 December

29 December

30 December, not tied to the day

31 December

Folklore from the old calendars

A cake against the door on New Year’s Eve Lore and belief IrelandOn the last night of the year the head of each family in the south of Ireland threw a cake against the outside door.
A coffin or a ring in the ashes Lore and belief EnglandOn New Year's Eve the ashes on the hearth were sifted or smoothed and left untouched overnight.
Letting in the New Year Still kept Northern England, ScotlandOne of the most general customs of the last night of the year was to sit up until twelve o'clock, and then, when the hour had struck, go to the house door and unbar it with great formality, to let the old year out and the new year in.
The fire kept in on New Year’s Eve Lore and belief Berwickshire, Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire, SelkirkshireOn the Borders it was thought very unlucky to let the house fire go out on New Year's Eve, as on Hallowe'en, Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve.

Customs

Monday 26 October🌕 Hunter’s Moon

Saturday 31 October

Hop tu Naa Festival at Cregneash

Thursday 5 November

Shebbear Turning the Devil’s Stone

Monday 9 November🌑 New moon

Tuesday 24 November🌕 Beaver Moon

Wednesday 9 December🌑 New moon

Thursday 24 December🌕 Cold Moon

Thursday 7 January🌑 New moon

Monday 11 January

Burning the Clavie

Friday 22 January🌕 Wolf Moon

Saturday 6 February🌑 New moon

Saturday 20 February🌕 Snow Moon

Monday 8 March🌑 New moon

Monday 22 March🌕 Worm Moon

Tuesday 6 April🌑 New moon

Tuesday 20 April🌕 Pink Moon