Some girls took a candle into a dark room and peered into a looking glass while they ate an apple or combed their hair, and saw the face of their true love looking over their shoulder. Others went out into the garden in couples, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pulled the first kail-runt or plant they came to. According to its being big or little, straight or crooked, it was regarded as prophetic of the kind of man they would marry. If the heart of the stem was soft or hard, so would be the man's nature, and, if any earth adhered to the root, it signified "tocher" or fortune.
October prophecies:—
(a) If October brings much frost and wind,
Then are January and February mild.
(b) Dry your barley in October and you will always be sober.
(c) In October manure your field,
And your land its wealth shall yield.
(d) October never has more than fifteen fine days.
NOVEMBER
November was the ninth month according to the old Latin calendar. It was known as Wint Monat, or wind month, by the Saxons, as the stormy weather then experienced prevented the Vikings putting to sea and attacking their shores. It was sometimes called Blot Monat, or blood month, as it was then customary to kill large numbers of cattle and salt them for winter use.
November prophecies:
(a) If ducks do slide at Hollantide (Nov. 11th),
At Christmas they will swim.
If ducks do swim at Hollantide,
At Christmas they will slide.
(b) At St. Martin's Day (Nov. 11th),
Winter is on the way.
(c) Set trees at Allhallo'n-tide (Nov. 1st), and command them to
grow. Set them at Candlemas (Feb. 2nd) and beg them to
prosper.
(d) Where the wind is on Martinmas Eve, (Nov. 10th), there it will
be for the rest of the winter.
(e) If there be ice that will bear a duck before Martinmas (Nov. 11th),
there will be none that will bear a goose all the winter.
(f) Wind north-west at Martinmas (Nov. 11th), severe winter to
come.
(g) As at Catherine (Nov. 25th), foul or fair, so will be the next
February.
DECEMBER
Decem means ten and December was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar. Probably it has had more names conferred upon it than any other of the twelve months. Among the Saxons, it was originally Winter Monat, but after their conversion to Christianity, it was Heligh Monat, or holy month, in honor of the birth of Christ.
December proverbs: