Romance Customs

Love, courtship and marriage: charms to see a future sweetheart, Valentine customs, wedding ways and the days for divining who you will marry.

101 to 125 of 131 entries

9 August, not tied to the day

20 August, not tied to the day

31 August, not tied to the day

1 September

8 September, not tied to the day

8 September

30 September, not tied to the day

6 October

8 October, not tied to the day

11 October

18 October

28 October

31 October

Folklore from the old calendars

Burning the Nuts Lore and belief England, Ireland, ScotlandOn Hallowe'en a pair of nuts was named for a lad and a lass and laid in the fire.
Cyniver No longer kept WalesAmong the Hallowe'en customs he gathered, Hone gave a Welsh game from Owen's Welsh Dictionary.
Fathoming the Stack No longer kept ScotlandAnother Scottish Hallowe'en charm from Burns was to slip out unnoticed to a stack of barley, called a bear stack, and measure round it three times with outstretched arms.
Grass from under the holly on All Hallows’ Eve Lore and belief WalesOn All Hallows' Eve a Welsh girl walked backwards to a holly tree, pulled a handful of grass from under it and carried it to the light, where she would find hairs of her true love among the blades.
Hemp-seed round the church at midnight Lore and belief WalesOn All Hallows Eve in Wales a person would sow hemp-seed while walking round the church a little before midnight.
Pulling the Kail Stocks No longer kept ScotlandThe first rite of a Scottish Hallowe'en was to go out hand in hand, eyes shut, into the kailyard and each pull the first cabbage stalk they touched.
Seven times round the church on All Hallows’ Eve Lore and belief MontgomeryshireA Montgomeryshire servant girl walked seven times round the church on All Hallows' Eve to raise the spirit of the man she would marry, and came home asking her mistress why the master had been sent out to frighten her.
Sowing Hemp-seed No longer kept Ireland, ScotlandOn Hallowe'en a girl crept out unseen and sowed a handful of hemp-seed, dragging something behind her to harrow it in, and saying a rhyme over and over.
The Apple and the Looking-Glass Lore and belief ScotlandA girl who wanted to see her future husband went alone with a candle to a looking-glass on Hallowe'en and ate an apple in front of it, some said while combing her hair.

9 August, not tied to the day

20 August, not tied to the day

31 August, not tied to the day

1 September

8 September, not tied to the day

8 September

30 September, not tied to the day

6 October

8 October, not tied to the day

11 October

18 October

28 October

31 October

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