The last night of October — the Manx new year. The night the dead walked abroad. Children carry carved turnips and sing the Hop-tu-Naa song door to door. One of the oldest surviving Celtic calendar customs, predating Halloween.

The first of May — May Day in the Manx calendar. Mountain ash (cuirn) placed on doorways and gateposts to protect the household. Cattle driven between fires. One of the quarter days marking the turning of the Manx year.

St Bridget's Day, 1 February — the first of the Manx quarter days. Rushes gathered and laid at the threshold with a spoken invitation for the saint to enter. The crossing point between the Celtic goddess Brigid and the Christian saint. One of the deepest-rooted traditions on the Island.

Midsummer custom centred on mugwort (bollan bane), gathered and worn for protection. Part of the midsummer fires tradition — bonfires on the hilltops, the climb to South Barrule, the protective herbs. The tune 'Bollan Bane' is one of the distinctive Manx melodies.