Emporiblog - St Piran's Day
Today marks the celebration of St Piran, who is the patron Saint of Cornwall and Tin Miners. This is an annual festival and always occurs on the 5th of March and is also called The Feast of St Piran and in the Cornish language: Gool Peran.
Origins
St Piran's Day started out as a Tin Miner's holiday and was observed mostly by Miners from Breage and Germoe until about 1764. Despite being the patron Saint of Cornwall, St Piran Is actually Irish!! He was thrown into the sea with a stone around his neck and ended up in Cornwall. The week leading up to St Piran's Day was called Perrantide and most celebrations began during this time and the day after St Piran's Day was called Mazey Day and this term is still used in Penzance. The festival's popularity waned but it was revived in the late 19th century.
Customs
Unfortunately, records of original customs are few and far between but the general consensus is that lots of feasting and drinking were involved. As a matter of fact, this is where the phrase "Drunk as a Perraner" comes from and referes to a person who has had a bit too much to drink!
Nowadays, customs mostly include various parades and processions, the size and content of which vary from town to town. Decorations, Cornish music and poetry and St Piran's flag (Baner Peran) are a common occurrence as is visiting a pub and having a Cornish pasty or 2!
As far as I know, St Piran's Day parades are going ahead today so please be careful! I know that restrictions have been rolled back but the virus is still here (unfortunately) so be aware as you partake in celebrations!!
Gool Peran Lowan,
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