The Irish Tradition of Samhain is a special time in Ireland. Here we look at the top four Hallowe’en traditions in Ireland.
1. Trick or Treat
The old tradition of Trick or Treat started centuries ago in Ireland. The poor would go from door to door, calling to the houses of the rich and ask for food, firewood or even money. They would then use this for their party celebrations for Halloween. This tradition lasts to this day when children go around to local houses dressed in fancy costumes and get sweets and cakes and occasionally money by asking the people at the door to ‘help the Halloween party’. Witches, goblins and ghosts are still the most popular choices of costumes.
2. Baking.. Or Buying.. Barnbrack
Barnbrack is the traditional Irish cake at Halloween, baked but often bought nowadays. It is a sweet bread with fruit in it, often enjoyed with butter. The difference with this bread is that there are secret messages left in it while baking and the surprise comes from who gets what in their slice.
There are four main additions to the cake with the following meanings:
The rag – You will have money problems and your healthy financial future is in doubt.
The coin – You can look forward to a happy and prosperous year.
The ring – You have a romance in store for you or your current romance will continue to be happy!
The thimble – This is a sign that you’ll never marry.
Eat a slice of barnbrack at your peril!
3. Snap Apple / Bobbing for Apples
Halloween parties are a highlight at this time of year for children and one game that never loses its popularity in Ireland is snap apple or bobbing for apples. An apple is suspended from a string in the ceiling, children are blindfolded and their arms are tied behind their backs. Whoever gets the most apple with their mouths wins the game. For apple bobbing, apples are put in to a bowl of water. Children have to be brave and put their heads in to try to get a bit. The story goes that the first person to bite an apple will be the first to marry!
4. Pumpkin Carving
The story of the Halloween pumpkin goes back as far as the eighteenth century in Ireland when a blacksmith called Jack was said to have colluded with the Devil and because of this was denied access to Heaven. He was condemned to wander around the Earth for all eternity but he asked the Devil for the mercy of some light. He was given an ember of burning coal and put this inside a turnip. Over the years in Ireland, people would put a light in their window to keep any evil and darkness away. When the Irish people emigrated to America in later years, there was not a significant supply of turnips so they began to use pumpkins instead – hence the tradition of Jack o Lantern!