Dublin: The current generation of people participates as a good way to have Halloween fun, where children (of all ages) dress up to play trick or treating, turn pumpkins into jack o' lanterns and tell scary stories to scare people into each other. But Halloween has come a long way from its origins in the ancient festival of Samhain in Ireland.
Did you know that the tradition of carving pumpkins began in Ireland in the 18th century?
The Irish carved turnips and placed lights in their windows to keep away roaming spirits on Halloween night.
When Irish immigrants came to North America, they found that turnips were less common, so they substituted pumpkins for their Halloween tradition. Instead of pumpkins, turnips were carved and used in Ireland in the early days. When the celebration moved to America, pumpkins took over.
In the ancient Celtic world of Ireland, Samhain was the end of summer and the beginning of winter, a time of long, cold nights and a sign of death for many. When these two periods pass at Samhain, the dead are thought to have returned to the underworld, so great fires are lit against evil spirits. These fire festivals are well-documented in history and include the Feile na Marb, the festival of the dead. In some parts of Ireland it was believed that a smoke or mischievous spirit would frighten unsuspecting people.
Originally Savin "Samhain" occurs during lunar cycles in early November and was fostered in Ireland in the 6th century, despite the advent of Christianity. When Christianity designated November 1 as All Saints' Day or All Hallows' Day in the 8th century, the Irish Celts (the original inhabitants) were reluctant to abandon their festival, so Savin celebrated "Samhain" as All Hallows' Eve, which later became Halloween.
There was no mention of Halloween in the United States until the early 19th century, following the transatlantic migration of 2 million Irish to escape the Great Famine of 1845-1849. With them, the Irish brought ancient customs like Halloween as a celebration of their Irish roots.
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By the turn of the 20th century, America began commercializing Halloween with postcards, figurines, and later masks and costumes, making the festival one of the most profitable times of the year for retailers. America has actually influenced Halloween, and many believe it is more of an American invention than an ancient Irish tradition.
With such a cultural influence, Halloween is celebrated in Ireland today much like it is in the States. Adults and children dress up as witches, ghosts, zombies and all sorts of monstrous figures and go to fancy dress parties or trick or treating. Homes are decorated with jack-o'-lanterns, brooms and other Halloween decorations, while in Ireland families share a traditional Halloween fruitcake called barnbrack.
At Halloween you'll see tea bracs claiming to be barbracks, but don't believe they're tea cakes, Ireland has them all year round, though it's the dark season, today the pumpkins are carved, the bracs are made, there's trick or treating, and as they say these days, apples or apples bobbing will snap!
There are many family oriented events taking place across Ireland to celebrate Halloween. One of Ireland's biggest Halloween events is the Banks of Foyle Halloween Carnival in Derry, Northern Ireland. Every year, thousands of people enter the city dressed in scary costumes, and on October 31st, a great carnival takes place inside the city's medieval walls, accompanied by live music. It has a festive atmosphere with an outdoor fireworks display.
Ireland's capital city Dublin plays host to Samhain, a sort of carnival of all things macabre, with a huge parade from Parnell Square down O'Connell Street and finishing at Temple Bar, complete with costumes.
There are ghost tours inside Ireland's oldest inhabited castle, led by five specters. There is the ghost of Sir Walter Hussey, murdered on his wedding day in the 15th century, who walks the halls seeking revenge on his rival who killed him and married his fiance. Later, Lady Maud Plunkett follows her long-dead husband through the castle's corridors. But most terrifying is the ghost of Miles Corbett, who appears as a Cromwellian soldier before he is hanged and falls to his four. Ghost tours of the fort outline many fascinating stories throughout the building's 800 years,
The world famous Bunratty Castle and Folk Park offers a whole host of family fun with fancy dress, magic shows, face painting, traditional music and spooky Halloween games. As the home of Halloween, of course Ireland will be there this October 31st.
