Top 10 Irish traditions for Halloween

Celebration of Halloween began in Ireland about 1000 ADIrish immigrants brought these traditions to the United StatesHalloween was originally a pagan festival named “Samhain” meaning “end of summer”Celts believed that on the eve of Halloween, dead spirits would visit the mortal worldCelts lit bonfires to keep evil spirits away and dressed in disguisesToday our Halloween is less about dead spirits and more about having fun and dressing up.Some traditional aspects of an Irish Halloween we keep goingThese next slides list some of the ancient and more recent traditions from Ireland that have stuck with us over the years.

Samhain was the end of summer but also the beginning of a new yearIt was also the one day that spirits would walk the earthHuge bonfires would be lit to ward off these spirits and the bad fortune that followed them.People would extinguish their fires in their hearth at home before they left and would reignite them using an ember from the bonfire on their return for good luckThe day following the bonfire, the ashes would be spread across fields to further ward off bad luck for the farmers during the new year.

1. THE BONFIRE

2. JACK O’ LANTERNTwo thoughts on how Jack O’ Lanterns originatedThe 1st is that in order to carry home an ember from the bonfires – a turnup would have to be hollowed out so the person could walk home with the fire still burning.The 2nd is the legend of Stingy Jack which dates back to the 18th century. Jack was an irish blacksmith who tricked the Devil in keeping him out of Hell. When Jack eventually died he was denied entry into Heaven and Hell. The Devil gave him a burning ember to light his way. Jack hollowed out a turnup and placed the ember inside. The Irish believed that placing a hollowed out turnup or potatoe lantern in front of their window would keep Jack’s wandering soul away.When Irish and Scottish immigrants came to America they adapted the pumpkin instead as it was difficult to find turnups.

This is one of the first Jack O’Lanterns from the 19th century.

3. COSTUMES• People would

gather around the bonfire dressed in elaborate animal skins and heads.

• Spirits happened to be wandering the earth and bump into a Celt dressed in disguise they might think they to were a spirit and let them go.

• This is how we have our tradition today.

4.

Originated centuries agoThe Irish poor would go from door to door asking the rich for food, kindling or money. They then would use what they had collected for their celebrations on Halloween.

Traditional dinner on Halloween night before the fun and mischief.This dinner is made of boiled potatoes, curly kale (type of cabbage) and raw onionsTradition is to wrap coins in pieces of cleans paper and slip the into the children’s colcannon for them to find and keep.Some people would hide a ring in the colcannon. The person that found it would be married within a year

5. Colcannon

Colcannon recipe: Serves 4

Ingredients:3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered3 tbsp. milk ¼ tsp salt1/8 tsp pepper2 cups chopped cabbage or kale2 tbsp butter¼ cup chopped onions or green onions or mushrooms

Method:Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender. Drain, reserving water.Add chopped cabbage /kale to the reserved potato water. Cook 6-8 minutes or until tender.Meanwhile fry the onions or mushrooms in butterWhen they are cool enough to handle, mash potatoes with a hand masher or fork. Add the fried onions or mushrooms and cabbage.Add milk, salt & pepper and beat until fluffy.Enjoy & Happy Halloween

6. The Barnbrack

Traditional Irish Halloween cakeBarnbrack is a sweet bread with fruit and other goodies and treats throughoutUsually served at the end of the main mealNo one recipe but usually contains dried fruit and peel along with personal surprisesThree items that are usually inside the cake: rag, coin and ring.Larger groups/families may include a button, thimble, etc..

BARNBRACK

The Rag: Money will be tight/financial future is doubtfulThe Coin: Prosperous year/good financial futureThe Ring: Romance is in the air / continued happinessThe Button(man): Unlucky in love or marital problemsThe Thimble(woman): Unlucky in love or marital problems

Barnbrack recipe:Ingredients:

2 ½ cups chopped dried mixed fruit1 ½ cups hot brewed tea2 ½ cups flour1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground nutmeg½ teaspoon baking soda1 egg1 ½ cups sugar¼ cup lemon marmalade1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Method:Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea for 2 hours, then drain and gently squeeze out excess tea.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch Bundt pan. Stir together the flour cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda; set aside.Beat the egg, sugar, marmalade, orange zest, and tea-soaked fruit until well combined. Gently fold in the flour until just combined, then pour into the prepared Bundt pan.Bake in preheated oven 1 hour or until top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool in pan for 2 hours before removing. Continue to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Press the objects of choice into the cake through the bottom before serving.

7. Snap AppleTraditional game played on Halloween nightApple is suspended from a string and the participants blindfolded with their arms tied behind their backThe 1st participant that gets a good bite out of the apple wins a prizeThe apples represent love and fertilityLegend says the first to get a good bite will be the first to marryLegend also says that if the girls put the apple they bit, while bobbing, under their pillow that night, they would dream of their future lover.

8. Shaving the FriarVery popular old game in County MeathA pile of ash was put down in the shape of a cone with a piece of wood sticking out the topEach player takes a turn trying to dig the largest amount of ash without the pile and stick collapsingAll the while competitors chant: “Shave the poor Friar to make him a liar; Cut off his beard to make him afeard; If the Friar will fall, my poor back pays for all!”

9.Blind-folded cabbage pickingBlind-folded local girls would walk out into a field and pull the 1st cabbage they stumbled upon.If the cabbage had a lot of clay attached to the roots – the girls future lover would have moneyIf the girl ate the cabbage the nature of their future husband would be revealed, bitter or sweet

10. Anti-Fairy Measures

Legend tells Fairies and Goblins try to collect as many souls as they can on Halloween

Legend also says that if you throw dust from under your feet at the fairy. They would have to release any souls they kept captive.

Farm animals would be anointed with Holy water to keep them safe during the night.

On Halloween night, animals would be spat on if they showed ill. This would ward off any evil spirits.