February.

February fill dyke.

      St. Valentine’s day.

Children used to go round the villages and city on this day and sing: 

  Good Morrow, Valentine;
  Please to give me a valentine;
  I’ll be yourn, if you’ll be mine;
  Good Morrow, Valentine.

  Good Morrow, Valentine
  First its yourn and then tis mine
  So please give me a valentine. 
  Holly and ivy tickle my toe
  Give me red apple and let me go.

  Good Morrow, Valentine,
  Parsley grows by savoury
  Savoury grows by thyme
  A new pair of gloves on Easter Day
  Good Morrow, Valentine.

This was called going Valentining and some money or apples were given to the children.

In Peterborough and district sweet plum buns used to be made and were called Valentine Buns.  They were given by Godparents to their Godchildren the Sunday before and the next Sunday after Valentine’s Day.

      March.

March, many weathers.

John Clare says: 

  March month of “many weathers” wildly comes,
  In hail and snow and rain, and threatening hums and floods.

March wind.

A wet March makes a sad harvest.

A March without water dowers the hind’s daughter.

If March comes in smiling and gay

Saddle your horses and go and buy hay.

  March, Hic, Hac, Ham’
  Comes in like a lion
  And goes out like a lamb.

If March comes in stormy and black, she carries the winter away on her back.

      MotheringSunday.

This is Midlent Sunday when it was the regular custom, and even now very general, for the children, especially those in service, to visit their parents on that day.

Children away from home write to their parents on Mothering Sunday if unable to get home.

A special kind of cake was made for this day.

      Palm Sunday.

It is known as Fig Sunday as figs are eaten and a fig pudding is a regular dish on this day.  There used to be a great display of figs in the Grocers’ windows the week preceding Palm Sunday, but there is not such a show now.

      Good Friday.

On Good Friday, in 1904, I was reminded of an old custom by an old friend who was staying with me.  When some hot cross buns were offered, he took one and told me to hold it with him and, whilst we were holding it together to repeat with him this couplet:—­

  Half for you half for me
  Between us two good luck shall be.

When this was being said we broke the bun in two.  This is said to cement friendship between the two who break the bun.

      April.

      St. Mark’s Eve.

Take three tufts of grass plucked from a Churchyard, place them under your pillow and repeat aloud:—­