Halloween in Ireland

Many Irish customs originated in ancient times with four great pre-Christian Celtic festivals at the start of the seasons, the first of February and the start of spring (Imbolg), May 1 and the commencement of summer ( Bealtaine ), August 1 and the start of Autumn (Lughnasa) and November 1, the start of winter( Samhain). Some of these customs were later assimilated into Christian culture. Other customs developed later within a strong Christian environment and at special times of the year like Christmas, Easter and St John’s Eve. Various customs originated around important events in people’s lives like births, matchmaking, weddings, wakes and funerals.

Some of the most popular customs were those associated with the eve of November, which are still continued. Customs associated with October 31 (Oiche Shamhna in Irish) derived from the ancient festival of Samhain, which marked the start of winter on November 1, and became Halloween. It was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth on that night. People started to wear strange costumes and colour their faces, which they believed would frighten the roaming ghosts away. It also became a great night of festivity for children, with various customs, games and other activities. Young people dressed up in clothing modelled on supernatural figures like vampires, ghosts and witches and coloured their faces before going around from house to house ‘mumming’ as it was called, a practice now known as ‘trick-or-treating’, and expecting treats like sweets or money. The word ‘trick’ implies a threat of some mischief or prank if a treat is not given. A common game was trying to bite an apple attached to a string suspended from a ceiling with hands tied behind backs. Another game was ‘ducking’ or ‘apple bobbing’, trying to bite an apple placed in a deep basin of water without the use of one’s hands. This was followed by dallóg (a blindfold), where children were blindfolded and asked to lay a hand on one of a number of saucers around a room. These saucers had different contents like water, a ring, timber, a rosary beads and many others. Selection of water meant that the person would emigrate, a ring meant marriage, timber that the person would become a carpenter, while a rosary beads denoted religious life.

When most of the games were over, a meal was served, the highlight of which was a barmbrack containing a ring. It was said that the person who received the ring was sure to marry one day. The last game of the night generally involved a person in the middle of the floor with the dallóg (blindfold) on and the rest of the group dancing around in a circle to music. When the music stopped, the last one to sit on the ground had to put on the dallóg, while all the rest teased the person until the music stopped again. Hallowe’en was always a special night for children, who had no school the following day.

Pope Gregory 111, 731-741, decided that the saints should be honoured with a feast day, which became known as All Saints’ Day. It had regard to an ancient Roman festival remembering their dead known as Lemuria. The date of All Saints’ Day was later changed from May to November 1. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve, and it later became known as Halloween. November 2 became All Souls’ Day, when families remembered their departed relatives and friends, with many visiting cemeteries. All three are remembered in Ireland as Halloween, with primary and secondary schools closed that week for a mid-term break !

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