Oíche Shamhna
"When light turns to dark and the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead thins, the creatures of Samhain, Ireland’s ancient Halloween tradition, come to life, a night of fire, feasting and merriment to celebrate the Celtic New Year with the spirits of Halloween. I have always been quite fond of Oíche Shamhna (Halloween), as it is a tradition of Ireland that has been left untouched, unchanged. We were once known as a land of druids, folklore, warriors, gods and goddesses. The stories are endless. According to Irish folklore, Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic tradition of Samhain. The old Irish for ‘summer’s end’, Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the start of the New Year. Old manuscripts tell us that Tlachtga or The Hill of Ward, was a site of great Samhain gathering. It was at Tlachtga that the ancient Irish lit a fire from which all the fires in Ireland were rekindled. Recent archaeological excavations there suggest this ancient hill was used for feasting and celebration over 2,000 years ago, and to this day the Boyne Valley remains one of the many important historical sites of Halloween tradition in Ireland. Each of these sites has its own story, one being that every Samhain a host of otherworldly beings emerge from Oweynagat (cave of the cats) at Rathcroghan in County Roscommon. The belief in the closeness of the Otherworld and the return of the Dead was associated with Halloween. Wearing costumes and masks offered protection. The fairies couldn’t abduct you and you got to frighten your neighbours! Tricks were played on the unsuspecting, if no offering was received, which may be the origin of the ubiquitous trick or treating."
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