So many Halloween traditions are Irish because Samhain was seen as the end of summer but also the beginning of another year. It was also the one day of the year when spirits could walk the earth. Local communities would gather together and light huge fires to ward off bad luck and evil spirits for the year ahead. They would be dressed up in elaborate animal skins and carved out turnip heads to scare away evil spirits. The turnip has evolved into the pumpkin today and costumes replace animal skins!
It was said that people extinguished their fires in the hearth at home before they left and would reignite them using an ember from the bonfire, for good luck. The day after the bonfire the ashes were spread across the fields to further ward off bad luck for the farmers.
It was also believed that in the bonfire could identify your future husband or wife by dropping a cutting of your hair into the fire! This is a superstitious time of year. There’s a belief that you can get signs from the Otherworld about what your future may hold.
Halloween was also a celebration when plentiful harvests were marked by feasting and games. They bobbed for apples and left out offerings of food to welcome the spirits of their ancestors. Two thousand years later, many of these customs live on, carried to new lands by Irish emigrants. This Halloween, as you carve your pumpkin, get dressed up for Trick or Treating or search your slice of barmbrack for the hidden ring, remember these ancient Celtic traditions.
Happy Halloween, stay spooky.
