Origins of Irish Halloween Traditions 2021
Halloween is nearly upon us and the easing of COVID19 restrictions in Ireland this October has arrived just in time for one of the Irish hospitality industries favourite holidays of the year. Though Halloween has its roots deeply engrained in Irish culture, the origins of some of its most recognisable traditions have often been overlooked or have become lost in the minds of the general public. This week we're discussing the development of some of the most popular Irish Halloween traditions!
Brack Cake
Many Irish households will fondly remember a barmbrack cake being baked at Halloween. The classic quick bread cake has been heavily associated with Halloween in Ireland since the 19th century. Though the cake was traditionally baked with several items inside of it, including a cloth, a coin and a pea, more modern versions had it being made with just a ring or a small coin placed inside it to avoid obvious choking hazards (well that was the hope anyway!). But why did we adopt this strange tradition at Halloween? Well, it has a lot to do with the fact that Halloween was considered to be the time of year where our world and the spirit world of the dead temporarily came together, resulting in the ability to see the future and to tell the fortunes of the living.
Taking inspiration from this, the several items that were originally baked into the cake were intended to signify the future of the recipients of each item. For example, the coin would signify that the receiver was destined to amass a great fortune, whereas the cloth was meant to indicate a future of poverty or misfortune. In recent years, brack has become less common, likely due to the perceived danger involved in children potentially swallowing a whole coin or ring (the same reasoning for toys disappearing in breakfast cereals!). Many recipes for brack are readily available online, but a word of warning - the taste of brack cake is often considered a "love it" or "hate it" kind of thing for many of us..!
Pumpkin Carving/Jack-O'-lanterns
Possibly the activity most intrinsically linked to Halloween is the messy art of Pumpkin carving. Better known as "Jack-O'-Lantern's", many Irish folks will be aware that it was initially turnips that were carved at Halloween rather than pumpkins. It was thought that carving these vegetables into spooky characters would ward off evil spirits, though many also carved them to represent these spirits themselves. The name Jack-O'-Lantern originates from an old tale from Irish folklore of a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil himself twice to prevent him from taking his soul.
Banned from heaven due to his sinful nature, and saved from going to hell because of the deal he tricked the the Devil into, Jack is sent off by Satan himself to wander the earth alone with nothing but a faint lantern. The switch from turnip carving to pumpkin carving actually occurred due to Irish men and women emigrating to America, where the pumpkin fruit is native and more commonly found. Though traditionally scary faces would be cut into pumpkins, more recent times have resulted in people creating all sorts of funny designs for general amusement.
Trick or treating
Knocking on strangers doors and demanding candy, when did this rather strange exercise become so commonplace? Dressing up as other-worldly creatures in exchange for gifts actually has a quite an interesting history. Though the precise reasoning for trick or treating is debated, one of the more commonly agreed explanations is that during the Celtic festival of Samhain, the Celts would dress up in animal cloths to scare away evil spirits. This eventually evolved into dressing up as ghosts and performing amusing dances or tricks in exchange for food, an activity that was known as "mumming".
Centuries later this Celtic tradition morphed with another Christian tradition that consisted of poorer people visiting affluent members of society to offer prayers for their deceased relatives in exchange for food & other gifts. The "trick" aspect seems to take further inspiration from an Irish tradition of younger people visiting households to dance or amuse the homeowners, for which they were offered a treat in return for their efforts. Much like the carving of Jack-O'-Lanterns, this tradition found its way to America and global recognition due to Irish emigration. It's hard to imagine Halloween without trick or treating, but it's global popularity is a somewhat recent event that saw it's largest growth period in the 20th century. Sweet and candy manufacturers make billions each year from the holiday alone.
Where did the name 'Halloween' originate?
Many Irish people will be aware that Halloween originates from the Celtic festival called "Samhain", however, it's a common misconception that these two events are one in the same. Traditionally, Samhain was a festival that marked the end of the harvest season, which then gave way to the often harsh winters of Ireland. This event occurred on November 1st, with the day before it being considered a time where the realm of the dead world was accessible to the living world. The Celts believed that on this day the dead could return to walk the earth. These spirits were often blamed for poor harvests and crop failure.
The conquering of Celtic territories by the Romans led to yet another merging of traditions. The Roman day of Feralia, a day that commemorated the dead, eventually fused with the traditions of Samhain. This paved the way for the day we now know as "Halloween". Many years later a decision was made by the Christian church to make November 1 "All Saints day", which was also intended to commemorate the deceased. Another name used for this day was "All-Hallows", which led to the day before it, October 31st, being referred to as All Hallows eve. This name then gradually transformed into "Hallowe'en".
Bonfires and Fireworks
Another staple of Halloween is the lighting of bonfires and in more recent times the lighting of fireworks. The Celts are yet again to thank for the lighting of bonfires. Much like the utilisation of scary costumes to ward off evil demons, the Celts would light bonfires to scare off any spirits that may try to taint crop fields and harvests. In many cases, the ashes from these fires would be scattered along crop fields to further thwart spirits from affecting harvests. Though environmental and anti-social behaviour concerns have somewhat curbed the lighting of bonfires around Ireland, the tradition is still observed in a more controlled manner.
In stark contrast to this age old ritual, the lighting of fireworks is obviously a more modern activity. The usage of fireworks is closely linked to Guy Fawkes day, which is celebrated in the United Kingdom on the 5th of November (remember, remember!). While the tradition of lighting fireworks was to commemorate the failed attempt of Guy Fawkes to blow up the House of Lords, it has also found its way into Halloween due to the close proximity of the two dates. Fireworks, though illegal to buy and possess in Ireland, are now in common usage every year. Sadly, the use of fireworks for anti-social behaviour has resulted in the cracking down of the colourful and memorising firework displays a lot of us grew up witnessing. However, official firework presentations can still be seen throughout the major cities in Ireland on October 31st every year.
Conclusion
Halloween and Ireland will forever be heavily linked in history. The fact that one small Island nation has given birth to such a globally celebrated holiday remains a proud achievement for the population of Ireland. One of the biggest reasons we love Halloween so much is that it also paves the way for the most exciting time of the year...Christmas! There's no doubt that the day after Halloween, shops and restaurants in Ireland will be hastily decorating their premises in preparation for another fantastic Christmas holiday. If you own a business or restaurant and would like to get prepared for Christmas and the new year, Conaty Food & Catering Supplies have hospitality showrooms in both Dublin and Meath displaying thousands of items to help upgrade your business! Browse for ideas in our showrooms by booking your visit today at www.conatycatering.com/showrooms