Halloween in Ireland

Since Halloween originated from the name of Samhain. (Samhain was a pagan festival that was celebrated among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain.) Then it seems only right that we should celebrate it in their traditional ways, right?

Halloween is celebrated in many different ways all over the world and if you have children it is more than likely that you do the same thing every year. Trick or treating.

Well how about trying a traditional Irish celebration this year. The Irish traditions are great festivities that you are able to do with your children, and fun too. These are perfect if you just want to stay home with your family, yet still have a good time.

These traditions are passed down from generation to generation and many of them can still be found in use today. Below I have listed some of the traditions and food that are common to find at a Halloween celebration in Ireland.

Bonfires- Bonfires are a grand part of the Irish celebrations, but it is said that the bonfire originated in pagan times when the Celts lit their hills on fire to keep the spirits would be able to find their way. In the likeness of the hills it is thought that these fires would keep the evil spirits away.

Also it is said that if you throw a lock of hair into the flames of the fire then dream of who your true love will be, then your dreams will come true.

Snap Apple- In this game an apple is tied on a string and suspended in the air. (you can play this outside or inside) Then you blindfold the children and let them try to bite the apples. The child that can get the first bite wins.

Along those same lines is bobbing for apples. You put apples into a barrel filled with water and the blindfolded children try to grab hold of one with their teeth. Sometimes the apples are imbedded with coins and prizes are put into the barrel with the apples.

Apples were used quite a bit in fall celebrations because they were plentiful during that time of year. Another game that uses an apple is where you try to peel your apple in one long strip. If you can then you throw the apple over your left shoulder. When you look at it, if it resembles a letter, that letter will be the first initial of your true loves first name.

For dinner you could have an Irish dish called Colcannon. Colcannon contains boiled potatoes, cabbage, and raw onions. Sometimes people put coins wrapped in some sort of baking paper into the potatoes for the children to find.

After dinner the Barnbrack cake is a must have. This desert is a fruit bread that contains several different items that have been baked into it. Each family member is given a slice and each is hoping for a particular item. If you get the piece of rag it means that you are going to be poor, if you get the thimble then you are destined to never marry, if you get the coin it means that you are going to have a prosperous year, if you get the ring, which is the best of all, then it is a sure sign of a romance ahead or continued happiness.

Here are a few traditions that might not work so well for the celebration in our life style today, but they sure are interesting.

The Ivy leaf- The night before Halloween each person in the family takes an Ivy leaf that is un tarnished and puts it in a cup of water. The next morning if the Ivy leaf is still perfect then the one whose leaf it is gets one year of good health.

Blind date- In this game the single girls are blind folded and sent out into the fields and pull up the first cabbage they found. If their cabbage had a lot of dirt on its roots then it ensured that their future spouse would be rich. Upon eating the cabbage they could find out if their future husband would be bitter or sweet.

Also in the past traditions of Ireland the farm animals would be anointed with holy water to keep them safe throughout the night. If the animals were showing signs of being sick before Halloween then they would spit on them to ward off any evil spirits.

So, there are a few ideas for a nice family Halloween the Irish way. Sometimes its nice to just stay home and have a cozy family celebration that your kids will still enjoy. No matter how you celebrate this year remember to have a safe one.