Today is St. John’s Eve, or Oíche Fhéile Eoin.
Bonfire Night (in the south).
It comes around so fast, to be fair.
The National Folklore Collection at UCD write:
On St. John’s night, June 23rd, there are bonfires lit all over the place. Each village has its own bonfire. All the boys and girls gather the firewood and pile it in a heap.
There is a custom of jumping the bonfire, to keep diseases from the cattle during the year, others drive the cattle between two bonfires for the same reason.
Farmers used to throw a piece of the burning wood into their fields and gardens, so as to drive away the fairies and to bring good luck on the crops.
To learn more about St. John’s Eve you can listen to the most recent episode of #BlúiríníBéaloidis, Episode 25 – Midsummer (at top).
National Folklore Collection UCD
Meanwhile…
The night was also rich in folklore, much of it concerned with fertility. Prayers and rhymes were recited to ensure a plentiful harvest.
Indeed, the fire itself was thought to have magical powers. Burning weeds in its flames would prevent arable fields from becoming overgrown, while scattering its ashes would guarantee the land’s fertility.
Similarly parading through the fields with lighted branches from the bonfire would protect the crops from disease and pestilence. It was also deemed particularly lucky to bring the ashes home to light the kitchen hearth.