samhain

The image that comes to most people's minds when they hear the word "banshee" is that of a floating ghostly figure that wails and is in general quite terrifying. You might also be familiar with the age-old concept that banshees are considered to be portents of impending death. The whole account of the Banshee may be found here.

The 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.

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.

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.

Creepy Irish Creatures…The Gray Man or Far Liath appears as a fog and covers land and sea with his mantle. He obscures rocks so ships crash upon them and darkens the road so that travelers unwittingly stumble over cliffs to their deaths. The Gray Man (or "Fear Liath") personifies fog and confuses travelers so they stumble over cliffs to their deaths. Then there's the Questing Beast , a bizarre, barking combination of animals (head of snake, torso of a leopard, back legs of a lion, but the hooves of a deer) that wreaks havoc and appears in Arthurian legends.