The idea of night and day was central to everyday existence in Celtic culture. Bealtaine and Samhain were two of their most important holidays. Their year was split between a dark half and a light half, and the transition from one to the other was celebrated with festivities. Samhain is a term that is often translated to mean “summer’s end,” and it was certainly a festival that took place during the darker half of the year.
samhain
Categories: Irish Traditions , Interesting Stories , Celtic Holidays , Halloween , Celtic Legends , Education , Legends and Folklore , History of Ireland
Categories: Irish Traditions , News , Interesting Stories , Celtic Holidays , Halloween , Celtic LegendsAs children and adults around the world take part in the spooky festivities of Halloween on the night of October 31st, All Hallows Eve, few know of its ancient Irish Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival.
Read more about Celtic Halloween Origins,
- On Halloween night children would dress up in scary Halloween costumes and go house to house. Phrases like "Help the Halloween Party" and "Trick or Treat" were the cries to be heard at each door. Halloween beliefs, customs, and costumes migrated with the first wave of Irish and Scottish immigrants that arrived in the United States in the 18th century. These immigrants came from Ireland and Scotland.
- Oct 04 2017
Irish Halloween Traditions
Believe it or not, Ireland is the country that gave birth to Halloween, and many of the modern-day practices associated with the holiday are derived from the more than two thousand years of history, culture, and tradition that the Irish has cultivated. Every year on October 31st, people celebrate All Hallows Eve, which has its roots in the Celtic festival Samhain (pronounced "Sow-when" like the word "sound" without the d and you should have it!). Samhain was a celebration honoring the dead. - Oct 17 2015
The Halloween Samhain Bonfire in Ireland
The Halloween Superstition says the Samhain Bonfire is an Irish tradition to encourage dreams of who your future husband or wife is going to be. The idea was to drop a cutting of your hair into the burning embers and then dream of your future loved one. During the festival, in addition to lighting Samhain bonfires, Celts wore costumes made of animal heads and skins.
- Categories: HalloweenThe Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, ‘All Hallowtide’ – the ‘Feast of the Dead’, when the dead revisited the mortal world. The celebration marked the end of Summer and the start of the Winter months.
- Oct 15 2014
Lambswool Recipe for Samhain
After you feast on traditional Irish foods on Halloween you will need to wash it down with an old drink called Lambswool. The name Lambswool is believed to be derivative of the Irish Gaelic, “La Mas Nbhal” meaning ‘Feast of the Apples. - Oct 10 2014
Celtic Origins of the Jack-o-Lantern
Learn about the popular American Halloween tradition started in Ireland. The tradition of carving a jack-o-lantern began in Scotland and Ireland during the 15th and 17th centuries. Magical glowing jack-o-lanterns were carved originally from turnips, pears or gourds. - Celtic witchcraft has as its basis a strong sense of spirituality and a love of the earth. With the Celts or Druids, magic was a common part of everyday life, completely accepted and never questioned.
- The "Pooka" or in Irish pÃoca (Irish for spirit/ghost), is primarily a goblin like creature in traditional Irish folklore.
Recent Posts
The Term "Irish Twins": Unpacking History, Meaning, and Origins
September 20, 2023
10 Authentic Irish Baby Boy Names and Their Rich Meanings
August 12, 2023
