samhain

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.

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.

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 a 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 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 custom dates back to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, during which time people lit bonfires and dressed up in costumes in an effort to fend off spirits. Pope Gregory III, who reigned in the seventh century, established November 1 as the day on which all saints are honored. Over time, several of the customs associated with Samhain made their way into the celebration of All Saints Day.