Allantide (, meaning ''first day of winter'', or ''Nos Kalan Gwav'', meaning ''eve of the first day of winter'' and ''Dy' Halan Gwav'', meaning ''day of the first day of winter''), also known as Saint Allan's Day or the Feast of Saint Allan,
is a
Cornish festival that was traditionally celebrated on the night of 31 October, as well as the following day time, and known elsewhere as
Allhallowtide.
The festival in Cornwall is the liturgical
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...
of
St Allan (also spelled St Allen or St Arlan), who was the bishop of
Quimper
Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France.
Administration
Quimper is the ...
in the sixth century. As such, Allantide is also known as Allan Night and Allan Day. The origins of the name Allantide also probably stem from the same sources as Hollantide (
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and the
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
) and Hallowe'en itself.
The
Cornish language
Cornish (Standard Written Form: or , ) is a Southwestern Brittonic language, Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. Along with Welsh language, Welsh and Breton language, Breton, Cornish descends from Common Brittonic, ...
name for the festival is found in the Exeter Consistory Court depositions for the year 1572. It was reported in the court case that an altercation occurred ''upon Dew Whallan Gwa Metten in Eglos De
Lalant, viz. upon all hallow day ... in the parish church of Lalant''. This being ''Dy'Halan Gwav'', from ''Kalan Gwav'', with ''dy'' (day) causing an aspirate mutation to ''kalan''. Kalan Gwav, like the Welsh
Calan Gaeaf, meaning the first day of winter.
As with the start of the celebration of Allhallowtide in the rest of
Christendom,
church bells were rung in order to comfort Christian souls in the
intermediate state.
Another important part of this festival was the giving of Allan apples, large glossy red apples that were highly polished, to family and friends as tokens of good luck. Allan apple markets used to be held throughout West Cornwall in the run up to the feast.
The following is a description of the festival as it was celebrated in
Penzance
Penzance ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the westernmost major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated in the ...
at the turn of the 19th century:
In his book ''Popular Romances of the West of England'', Robert Hunt describes Allantide in
St Ives:
There are a number of divination games recorded including the throwing of walnuts in fires to predict the fidelity of partners, and the pouring of molten lead into cold water as a way of predicting the occupation of future husbands, the shape of the solidified lead somehow indicating this.
[Simon Reed - ''The Cornish Traditional Year'' 2009]
In some parts of Cornwall "Tindle" fires were lit similar in nature to the Coel Coth (Coel Certh) of Wales.
Before the 20th century the parish feast of
St Just in Penwith was known as Allantide.
[ A. K. Hamilton Jenkin - ''Cornwall and the Cornish'' 1932]
See also
*
Calan Gaeaf - Wales
*
Dziady
*
Hop-tu-Naa - Isle of Man
*
Nickanan Night
*
St Allen
*
Winter Nights
References
{{Halloween
Culture of Cornwall
October observances
Halloween
Autumn festivals
Festivals in Cornwall
Apples
Cornish festivals
Traditions involving fire
Autumn in England