The Origins of Halloween: An Irish Tradition
Did you know Halloween, as we know it today, has deep roots in Irish tradition? It marked the end of summer and the start of winter, a time when it was believed the dead would revisit the mortal world. The Celts celebrated it as Oíche Shamhna, or "All Hallows Eve". Samhain is the Irish word for November. The first of November was designated as All Saints' Day, or "All Hallows," a day to honour saints without their own feast day (looking at you St. Patrick!). Naturally, the night before became known as All Hallows Eve, which morphed into the Halloween we celebrate now.
Here are some of the most interesting Halloween traditions that started in Ireland:
Colcannon for Dinner
On Halloween night, Irish families would serve up colcannon—a dish made of boiled then mashed potatoes, curly kale (cabbage), and green onions. As a fun surprise for kids, clean coins were wrapped in baking paper and hidden in the potatoes. Whoever found the coin got to keep it!
The Barnbrack Cake
A staple of Irish Halloween is barnbrack, a delicious fruit bread. Each family member gets a slice, but it’s not just a sweet treat. Hidden inside the bread are a rag, a coin, and a ring. Get the rag, and you might face some financial struggles ahead. The coin means a prosperous year is coming, and the ring? Well, that’s a sure sign of love or happiness on the horizon!
Jack O'Lanterns: The Irish Roots of the Pumpkin
Did you know the pumpkin tradition began with a turnip? According to legend, an Irish blacksmith named Jack made a deal with the devil and was doomed to roam the earth, denied entry to both Heaven and Hell. With only a burning ember in a hollowed-out turnip to light his way, Jack’s wandering spirit inspired the Jack O'Lantern. When Irish immigrants arrived in America and found pumpkins more plentiful than turnips, the tradition took on its modern form.
Halloween Costumes
The idea of dressing up on Halloween goes way back to Celtic times. On the night when the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest, Celtic druids would don elaborate costumes to disguise themselves from any wandering spirits or devils. This explains why witches, goblins, and ghosts are still some of the most popular costumes today!
Games with Apples
Once trick-or-treating was over, the games would begin! One favourite is Snap Apple, where a blindfolded child tries to take a bite from an apple suspended by a string. The prize? Keeping the apple, of course! A similar game involved trying to bite an apple bobbing in a basin of water—lots of fun! Another game was peeling an apple in one long strip—if you could do it without breaking the peel, you’d toss it on the ground, and it would spell out the initials of your future love.
The Bonfire
Lighting a bonfire on Halloween night wasn’t just for warmth or fun—it was believed to spark dreams of your future spouse! Tradition held that if you threw a lock of your hair into the fire, you might dream of your true love.
Anti-Fairy Measures
Fairies and goblins were believed to roam freely on Halloween, collecting souls. If you wanted to avoid becoming their next target, you’d simply throw the dust from under your feet at them. Fairies were bound to release any souls they held captive if they encountered this little trick. Farmers also took precautions by sprinkling their animals with holy water to keep them safe and to ward off evil spirits.
So, when you carve a pumpkin or dress up in your favourite costume this Halloween, remember—you’re taking part in traditions that have been around for centuries, much like the Funeral Wake with deep roots in Irish culture! 🎃