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Show Hay Strewn in Church an Old Village Custom A curious custom has been observed from time immemorial at Old Weston. Huntingdonshire, in England. The church there is dedicated to St. Swith-in, Swith-in, and on the Sunday most nearly approaching ap-proaching St. Swithin's day the edifice edi-fice is strewn with new-mown hay. The tradition is that an old lady bequeathed a field for charitable purposes pur-poses on condition that the tenant provided pro-vided the hay to lessen the annoyance caused by the squeaking of the new shoes worn by the villagers on Feast Sunday. There are other explanations one that it is an offering of the first fruits of the harvest and another that it Is a survWal of the custom of strewing strew-ing the church (when the floor was only beaten earth) with rushes. Washington Star. |