It’s that time of year when the wind begins to whip, darkness takes over the light, and the shadows begin to creep. Halloween, now a very commercial holiday, has a much deeper and darker origin.
Today we look at that origin, the Samhain traditions, and how Celtic Ireland still remembers this ancient event.
A long-time friend of The Fairytale Traveler brings us this piece of Irish heritage from the ‘Emerald Isle’ itself, Mr. Ed Mooney. He shares with us his Samhain Traditions leading to the origins of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating.
Many fantastic stories relate to this time of year, from the shidhe rising from their dwellings to tales of other-worldly encounters, ghosts and haunting’s, etc.
So many, in fact, I could write volumes of books on the subject, but for now, I shall concentrate on a few nice little traditions which I had when growing up.
Apart from being a New Year’s celebration or Harvest Festival, which predates the arrival of the Celts in Ireland, Samhain is a special time where the past, present, and future all become intertwined.
The dead and the Other World inhabitants are free to walk among the living during this time as the veil that separates our two worlds is at its thinnest.
Whilst our ancestors had a healthy respect for the dead, not all other world visitors would be welcome.
Samhain Traditions
Ancient Flames at the Hill of Tara and Dressing Up
The first and possibly most common was the bonfire, a continuation of an ancient practice where a sacred flame would be taken downstream from Tlachtga to the Hill of Ward, where the fire would be light from the sacred flame.
The Bonfires of old were believed to keep the evil spirits away, and people would dress in disguise in the belief that spirits of ill intent would not recognize them.
Kids originally dressed up as ghosts, witches, and monsters to go out ‘Trick or Treating.’ People did this to disguise the living from the dead. From Tara, all other fires across the country would be light