Dia Duit!

• celebrate
• celtics
• celts
• discover ireland
• drink
• explore
• fest
• festival
• festivals
• food
• halloween
• halloween activites
• halloween costumes
• halloween decorations
• halloween tradition
• halloween traditions
• history
• ireland
• irish
• irish fest
• irish festival
• irish festivals
• irish halloween
• irish history
• mythology
• oiche shamhna
• samhain
• the celts

The Origins of Halloween and The Ancient Irish Festival of Samhain

It’s that time of the year again. The pumpkins are out along with the ghouls and goblins. Back home in Ireland, Mammy would be pulling out a hot barmbrack from the oven and I’d be scalding meself trying to eat it. I can almost feel the burnt mouth. There are so many Halloween activities going on with people getting ready for the festivities. It’s all very exciting. But I bet you didn’t know that Halloween actually began in Ireland? It was called Samhain. (Sow-in) ‘Oíche’ means ‘night’ in Irish and so Oíche Shamhna refers to Halloween night. Samhain (Sow-in) was...