In pre-Christian Ireland, the spring celebration on May 1 was called Bealtaine. Household fires were extinguished several days before the feast and people were forbidden to rekindle them until Druid priests lit a ceremonial bonfire on the Hill of Tara, stronghold of the High King. When Christianity supplanted pagan customs a new spring celebration was introduced: Easter, … [Read more...] about Lent and Easter: The Fast and the Feast
Slainte
Bid Thy Guests Welcome Though They Come At Any Hour
By Edythe Preet
July/August 1997
In the 16th century Elizabeth I was Queen of England. Spain and England were at war, and their armadas stalked each other on the open seas. Certain Irish sailing captains who swore allegiance to neither nation raided both fleets for profit. Some called them pirates. Some called them heroes. One became a legend. Her name was Granuaile. Grace O'Malley. Pirate Queen. Many tales … [Read more...] about Bid Thy Guests Welcome Though They Come At Any Hour
Sláinte! Many a Shabby Foal Makes a Fine Horse
By Edythe Preet
May/June 1997
It is Spring. The foals are being born. In their gawky long-legged honor, I give you the saga of the Irish and their horses. It is a history that stretches across centuries. It is a tale of friendships and working partners. It is a romance born of the land, nurtured by necessity and fastened by ancient bonds. It is one of the oldest love stories on earth. Horses arrived in … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Many a Shabby Foal Makes a Fine Horse
Slàinte! A Universal Christmas
By Edythe Preet
November/December 1998, republished in Winter 2024
All around the world, the holiday season is a time to gather with family and friends, to share abundance, to feast, to reflect on the memories of joyful times past, and to make every effort to ensure that the future will be peaceful and prosperous for all. Here in the United States, the holiday season is celebrated in a myriad of ways bequeathed us by the thousands of … [Read more...] about Slàinte! A Universal Christmas
Sláinte! Spring’s Precious Sting
Nettles - the edible leaf that is also known as the devil's leaf. Some foods don’t have a real come-hitherness about them. Who was the bold soul to first slurp a raw oyster? Artichokes have thorns and stickers growing on every surface. Rhubarb is notorious for its super sour pucker power, and, if carelessly ingested, its leaves are quite capable of killing a foolhardy … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Spring’s Precious Sting