of Februa; and the Greeks at this same period held their feast of lights in honour of Ceres.  Pope Innocent explains the origin of this feast of Candlemass.  He states that “The heathens dedicated this month to the infernal gods.  At its beginning Pluto stole away Proserpine, and her mother Ceres sought for her in the night with lighted torches.  In the beginning of this month the idolaters walked about the city with lighted candles, and as some of the holy fathers could not extirpate such a custom, they ordained that Christians should carry about candles in honour of the Virgin Mary.”  This method of keeping the feast of Candlemass does not now prevail in this country; so far as the laity are concerned, the festival may be said to have died out, but according to Dr. Brewer, the festival is kept by the Roman Catholic Church as the time for consecrating the candles used in the Church service.

Formerly there were other public festivals, as Lammas, Michaelmass, &c., which the Church had substituted for heathen feasts which have ceased to be public festivals, and I trust we may indulge the hope that the time is not far distant when, instead of all such festive relics of heathenism, the Church and people will substitute one daily festival of obedience to the honour of the founder of Christianity, viz., the festival of a righteous life.

INDEX.

Page.

Acts of Assembly against keeping Popular Festivals, 155
Acts of Sessions against keeping Yule, 155
Ague, A Cure for, 95
All Hallow’s Festival, its Origin, 177
Animals in People’s Stomachs, 103
Anthropomorphism, 5
Appendix, 143
Appointment of 25th December for Christmas, 152
Apple, The, Superstitions concerning, 122
Aspen, Superstitions connected with, the 124
Ash, Superstitions connected with, the 124
Astoreth, The, of the Jews, 10
Augustine’s, St., or Austin’s Mission, 152
Auguries connected with Funerals, 64
Aytoun on Fairyland, 21

Baal, Name of Sun-God, 10, 161
Babies Carried off by Fairies, 34, 40
Babies to be taken up a Stair first time taken out, 31
Bannocks at Yule and New-Year’s Day, 160
Baptism, Early Practices at, 31
Baptismal Water, 140
Bedding at Weddings,