Every year the whole world honors their ghosts for a few days, in an established tradition that many believe has an American stamp. Of Celtic tradition, Halloween is truly an ancient Irish holiday which began to be celebrated with the nickname of “Samhain” which means “end of summer” by which pagan ancestors considered that during the night of October 31 the spirits of the dead returned to visit the world of mortals.
Later, it was the many Irish immigrants who spread these traditions, especially in the United States, where this celebration was adapted and welcomed with great success.
Hundreds of years ago, the Celts disguised themselves and lit large bonfires to confuse and drive away evil spirits. The tradition of lighting bonfires began in the hills of Ireland with clans and communities gathered together lighting huge ceremonial fires, one of the biggest festivals being on the top of Tlachtga, or Ward’s Hill in present-day County Meath. Today, the area around Ward’s Hill and Tara’s Hill remain one of the epicenters of Irish Halloween traditions.
Goblins, spirits, shadows, and ghosts are some of the shadowy figures that make their way from the other world to haunt the Irish people during the Halloween holiday. Among the many specters that haunt the island on Halloween are those that represent the four aspects of Samhain; light, dark, mischief and change.
Samhain is still celebrated today in Ireland’s Ancient East at the Púca Festival. Centered around Ward’s Hill, where the Halloween story began, the festival recreates the symbolic lighting of the Samhain fires in a ceremony filled with music and dance.
Traditional food for an Irish Halloween
In the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the end of the harvest was a cause for celebration for the Irish and they took the opportunity to come together and share the fruits of their labor. From this tradition derive some of the most famous typical Halloween dishes of today. For example, colcannon, a simple warm dish made with mashed potatoes and mixed with kale or green cabbage and onions, which has become popular around the world around this time.
Irish houses were traditionally filled with the smell of baked bread, thanks to the delicious delicacy known as barmbrack. Tradition indicates that all members of each family should receive a slice of this homemade cake, which contains some surprises. Finding a ring inside the cake means the discovery of true love, while a coin will bring you wealth and good fortune.
Apples have also been associated with Halloween in the island tradition. In old Ireland, after dinner, young people used the apple by letting its peel fall to the ground, believing that it would show the initial letter of their partner’s name. They also played games like looking for apples in a barrel filled with water. In modern tradition, this food is also used to make monster shapes and apple pies for the little ones.
Mysterious places on the island of Ireland
Haunted houses, cursed castles and all kinds of spooky spaces can be found throughout the island of Ireland. Each with its own story to tell, each year attracts lovers of the supernatural, eager to glimpse a ghost or feel the chill of a spirit’s breath.
For example, Loftus Hall, in County Wexford, is said to be the most haunted building in Ireland, a fairytale mansion where the devil himself came knocking on your door. Built by the Shaw family, the historic Ballygally Castle, located in Northern Ireland, is also famous for the ghost that resides in its haunted tower. The legend of this fortress tells that Lady Isobel Shaw was locked up and punished in the tower of this castle by her husband for not having a male heir and was finally murdered.
Stories of witchcraft, revenge, demonic rituals and betrayal also abound in the beautiful medieval city of Kilkenny. At least two of its buildings are said to be haunted by the same ghost, the spirit of Alice Kyteler, who was accused of being a witch but fled the city leaving her maid instead to be burned at the stake. Alice’s ghost is often glimpsed at Kyteler’s Inn, Kilkenny’s oldest inn, and at St Canice’s Cathedral.
Born at the height of the Great Famine, Irish writer Bram Stoker worked at Dublin Castle and is said to have inspired him to write Dracula. He was also helped by the stories of the living dead that his mother told him during his childhood and the experiences that he lived in a time full of hardships and miseries. Every Halloween, Dublin hosts the Bram Stoker Festival, a vampire-themed horror festival in his honor.
Derry-Londonderry, one of the best festivals in the world
Also the Northern Irish city of Derry-Londonderry, is transformed every year to be the epicenter of Halloween celebrations in Europe. During this week, this walled town dresses its gardens, facades and shop windows in the most spooky way with the aim of creating a unique atmosphere and sensation.
Chosen as the Best Destination in the World to Celebrate Halloween by USA Today, parties, concerts and performances take place during eight days in which tradition and entertainment are fused in a program of events that includes parades, dances, historical tours of the enchanted city or tours of the imposing 400-year-old walls. This year the festival will be adapted due to the health crisis and physical and virtual events will be mixed.
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