Halloween in Ireland: perfect ways to celebrate Samhain

Samhain is, of course, the precursor to Halloween and it is the rituals of  Halloween are from the traditional Samhain rituals that have been folded into our Halloween celebrations. Some will know the ancient Irish roots of the candy-filled fun night, many won’t. Samhain or Halloween originated here in Ireland. Halloween in Ireland is a time of feasting, special events, parades, and good craic.

People would light bonfires, wear costumes, and make offerings of food to appease and ward off any malevolent spirits that might wander into their villages.

In rural Ireland, the traditional customs of Samhain have continued for centuries, many of which are still practiced today in Halloween celebrations. The lighting of bonfires, for instance, is a common feature in some parts of the country, harkening back to the ancient belief that fire had protective powers. Families carve turnips, a precursor to the modern pumpkin jack-o’-lanterns, to ward off evil spirits. Children go door-to-door “trick-or-treating,” a practice that evolved from the ancient custom of “mumming,” where people dressed up and performed songs or poems in exchange for food offerings.

In addition to these communal celebrations, many Irish homes observe Samhain through traditional foods and games. Colcannon is often eaten, and a barmbrack cake, which contains hidden charms, is shared. Even though modern Halloween has absorbed commercial elements from American culture, in Ireland, the festival retains its strong connection to its pagan origins, blending ancient rituals with contemporary customs.

Ireland is a land of legends and fairytales and the celebration of Samhain (Halloween in Ireland) is full of superstitions and rituals. Samhain is celebrated all over Ireland including Newgrange where the winter solstice takes place deep within the megalithic barrows.

Where did Halloween in Ireland start?

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Irish Mythology – the origins of Halloween and the rituals of Samhain

Samhain is Irish Gaelic for “summer’s end.” The standard Irish pronunciation is “sow-in” with the “ow” like in “cow.” Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic dialects include “sow-een” “shahvin” “sowin” (with “ow” like in “glow”). The Scots Gaelic spelling is “Samhuin” or “Samhuinn.”

Samhain marked the conclusion of the summer and the beginning of winter, a period characterized by lengthy and frigid nights, and for numerous individuals, an omen of demise. As these two seasons coincided during Samhain, it was believed that the deceased would return to the earthly realm, hence the lighting of massive communal fires as a means of protecting the people against evil spirits. These fire festivals were extensively recorded at the royal court of Tara and featured a Feile na Marbh, a celebration honoring the departed. 

In the 8th century, the Catholic Church designated November 1st as ‘All Saints Day’ (‘All Hallows’) – a day of commemoration for those Saints that did not have a specific day of remembrance. The night before was known as ‘All Hallows Eve’ which, over time, became known as Halloween. This was done to incorporate the ancient pagan traditions of Ireland that the Church wanted to overcome and blend into Christianity.

 Irish Halloween customs – Samhain traditions

Traditional Irish Samhain/Halloween Dinner

The traditional Irish dinner is boiled potato, colcannon, cabbage, and raw onions. Not sure why the raw onions as nobody can explain that one, but coins are said to be wrapped in paper and then put into the potatoes for the children to find. I guess that’s the Irish version of trick or treat.

Barmbrack Cake

The traditional Halloween cake is served is barmbrack which is a fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice.  Hidden within the bread are a coin, a ring, and a piece of rag.  If you get the rag then your financial future is not great, the coin means prosperity and the ring is of course romance in the offing.

Samhain Traditions and Celtic Mythology

In Celtic Ireland nearly 2,000 years ago, Samhain was celebrated as it divides the year from summer to winter. At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. This day falls between two days Oíche Shamhna (October 31) and Lá na Marbh (November 2). Oíche Shamhna is Halloween and Lá na Marbh is the Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day when those who have passed away are remembered. It marks the beginning of the “darker half” of the year as the winter draws near.

Samhain (Halloween in Ireland) in Irish folklore is a time to honour the family’s ancestors and those that had passed. These spirits were honoured and invited into the family home while the harmful spirits were kept away.  Folks wore costumes and masked themselves as harmful spirits to avoid any harm. The bones of the family livestock were cast into communal fires and bonfires and food played a great role in the festivities.

Food was prepared for the living and the dead, the dead’s portion was shared with those who didn’t have as much.  The celebrations went long into the night and offerings of food and gifts were left out for the fairies and wee folk. Participants celebrated with huge bonfires to light the way into the season of the dark.

Ivy Leaf

Each member of the family places a perfect ivy leaf into a cup of water and it is then left undisturbed overnight. If, in the morning, a leaf is still perfect and has not developed any spots then the person who placed the leaf in the cup can be sure of 12 months’ health until the following Halloween.  (from Irish Halloween traditions)

Pumpkin carving and Irish Turnip carving

Carving turnips dates back to the eighteenth century and to an Irish blacksmith named Stingy Jack who colluded with the Devil and was denied entry to Heaven. He was condemned to wander the earth but asked the Devil for some light. He was given a burning coal ember which he placed inside a turnip that he had gouged out.

The legend of Stingy Jack is a key part of Irish folklore and is closely tied to the origins of the modern Halloween symbol, the jack-o’-lantern. This story has its roots in Ireland and reflects the fusion of Celtic mythology with Christian and folkloric traditions.

The Legend of Stingy Jack

Stingy Jack, also known as Jack the Smith or Drunk Jack, was a cunning man known for his trickery and miserly ways. According to the legend, Jack was a blacksmith who enjoyed drinking and playing tricks on people. One day, Jack encountered the Devil in a pub. The Devil had come to take Jack’s soul, but Jack, ever the trickster, convinced him to have one last drink before his departure. However, when the time came to pay for their drinks, Jack tricked the Devil by convincing him to transform into a coin to settle the bill.

Instead of using the coin to pay, Jack slipped the Devil-coin into his pocket, where he also kept a silver cross. The cross’s presence prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually agreed to release the Devil, but only after securing a promise that the Devil would not claim his soul for ten more years.

Eventually, Jack died. Because of his deceitful and sinful life, he was denied entry into Heaven. When he turned to Hell, the Devil, bound by their previous agreement, also refused to take him. As a result, Jack was left with no place to rest, doomed to wander the earth for eternity.

In pity, the Devil gave Jack a single burning coal to light his way. Jack placed the coal inside a hollowed-out turnip, creating a makeshift lantern to guide him through the darkness. From that day onward, Jack became known as “Jack of the Lantern,” or Jack-o’-lantern.

Villagers in Ireland hoped that the lantern in their window would keep the wanderer away. When the Irish emigrated in their millions to America there was not a great supply of turnips so pumpkins were used instead.

The Bonfire

The Halloween bonfire is a tradition to encourage dreams of who your future husband or wife is going to be. The idea was to drop a cutting of your hair into the burning embers and then dream of you future loved one. Halloween was one of the Celt ‘fire’ celebrations.

Areas associated with Samhain

In Ireland, two hills in the Boyne Valley are associated with Samhain, Tlachtga, and Tara. Tlachtga was the Great Fire Festival’s location, which began on the eve of Samhain (Halloween). The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound of the Hostages is 4,500 to 5000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before the first Celts arrived in Ireland.

Archaeological investigation of Tlachtga has revealed evidence of intense burning on the hill which has been dated from the mid-first millennium AD, this confirms folklore stories of the hill as a setting for the Samhain fires.

The Yellow Book of Lecan

The Yellow Book of Lecan is a medieval book of tales, that reported people referred to Samhain as the “Feast of Mongfind,” a pagan Festival that celebrated a legendary witch-queen who married the King of Tara in old Ireland and was central to ancient Samhain celebrations, Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary writes.

Samhain also has been known by other names. Some Celtic Wiccans and Druids call it Calan Gaeaf, Calan Gwaf, Kala-Goanv, or Nos Galan Gaeof. In Welsh, it is Nos Cyn Calan Gaual. It also is known as Oie Houney. A medieval book of tales, the Yellow Book of Lecan, reports that common folk called it the “Feast of Mongfind,” the legendary Witch-Queen who married a King of Tara in old Ireland. In the ancient Coligny Calendar, an engraved bronze dating from the first century C.E.and dug up in 1897 in France, Samhain is called Trinouxtion Samonii, or “Three Nights of the End of Summer.” Variant spellings of Samhain include Samain, Samuin, and Samhuinn.

Celebrating the Celtic Festival of Samhain – Celtic Halloween

Hill of Tlachtga Fire Ceremony

The festival of fire ceremony at Tlachtga in Ireland’s Ancient East was revived a few years back, and all are welcome to attend. The legend is that Tlachtga was once a powerful Druidess. Tlachtga and her father traveled the world through a portal, a spinning wheel of fire, to gain knowledge. Tlachtga’s father studied with Simon Magus – Simon the Sorcerer as did Tlachtga. When she was readying to continue her travels making new discoveries, her father was not. Because Tlachtga continued to travel and gain knowledge, her wisdom surpassed that of Magus and her father. This fact outraged the older men. Magnus’s three sons were sent to her. In some legends they fell in love and in others she was defiled. Either way she returned to her homeland of Ireland and gave birth to three son’s on the Hill of Ward and then died. 

Newgrange is an amazing place to visit and see the spring solstice sun re-enactment

It is believed that the spirits of dead ancestors rise from their passage tomb on Samhain, the night of October 31st, and enter the land of the living. These are the Aos Sí who are thought to be able to cross over from the Otherworld to visit people during Samhain, when the veil between the worlds is believed to be thinnest.

There are Samhain Festivals all over Ireland and the UK from Tara to Loughcrew and Rath Lugh celebrations are being prepared and everyone is welcomed to honour the ancestors and step over the threshold to the new year.

Halloween events Ireland

Derry the best place in the world to celebrate Halloween

The biggest Halloween celebration in the world and this year, Derry Halloween. Derry’s Halloween festival, which has become internationally famous, is one of the largest Halloween celebrations in Europe. It draws from both Samhain traditions and modern Halloween fun. The week-long festival includes haunted houses, fireworks, storytelling, costume parades, and live music. A significant highlight is the “Awakening the Walls,” a light and fire spectacle along the city’s ancient walls, drawing on themes of Samhain as a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.

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Tlachtga Hill (County Meath)

Tlachtga, an ancient ceremonial site near the Hill of Tara, is another important location for Samhain celebrations. In pre-Christian times, this site was believed to be where the Druids lit their Samhain fires. Modern celebrations here include a large bonfire procession, with participants often dressing in traditional Celtic costumes. The event revives ancient customs, emphasizing the connection between the spiritual and natural worlds during Samhain.

Bonfire Night (Various Locations)

Bonfires are lit in various rural parts of Ireland, continuing the tradition of fire being a protective force during Samhain. In ancient times, people would light these fires to ward off evil spirits and offer protection as they entered the dark half of the year. Some towns and villages still hold communal bonfire gatherings, particularly in the west and north of Ireland.

The Puca Festival

When the 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

The Púca Festival, celebrated in counties Meath and Louth, is one of the most prominent Samhain events in Ireland today. It honors the ancient roots of Samhain, particularly in the Boyne Valley, an area known for its rich Celtic heritage. The festival features a blend of music, storytelling, and immersive performances that celebrate folklore and mythology, particularly the mischievous spirit, the Púca. Large bonfires, street performances, and art installations evoke the mysterious atmosphere of Samhain, offering visitors a glimpse into Ireland’s ancient customs.

The Bram Stoker Festival

Dublin City Council Bram Stoker Festival celebrates the legacy of one of Ireland’s most beloved and iconic writers and is now one of Dublin’s largest arts festivals. The festival draws inspiration from Stoker, his life, his work, the Dublin of his time and celebrates the Gothic, the supernatural, the after-dark and the Victorian. We’ve presented outdoor spectacles and intimate experiences, world film premieres and award-winning theatre productions; circus at night in dark forests; comedy in nightclubs; choral ensembles in darkened libraries and events spanning every genre. 

Spirits of Meath

This year, the festival will run from the 4th of October to the 10th of November will plenty of exciting events to look forward to. Expect lots of fun by day including pumpkin patches, farm activities, treasuer hunts and more!

According to legend, Samhain, the ancient Celtic Festival, originated here in County Meath in the Boyne Valley. Samhain was said to mark the harvest and a time of transition, with feasting and celebration as the long winter nights approached. To this day the Boyne Valley has remained the home of Halloween, the modern equivalent of Samhain.

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Galway Aboo Halloween Festival 2024

Something spooktacular is taking place in Galway this Halloween Bank Holiday Weekend. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the October bank holiday weekend, the city’s medieval streets will host many fun and free events planned for the weekend with high-spirits guaranteed. The fiendishly creative Macnas Halloween Parade will return, bringing up to 80,000 spectators onto the streets for the standout event of the season.

Grace Neills the most haunted pub in Ireland

The oldest pub in Ireland (it’s in the Guinness world book of Records) Grace Neill’s in Donaghadee County Down (N. Ireland) is 400 years old and apparently filled with ghosts. Since the pub was home throughout the ages for pirates, fishermen, smugglers, and soldiers and also visited by author Daniel Defoe, composer Franz List and even Peter The Great of Russia have taken a tipple at the bar.

St. Michan’s Mummies

St Michan’s Church in Dublin is surely one of the creepiest and is believed to have inspired Bram Stoker, the Dublin-born author of Dracula.  Although you really need to visit Whitby Abbey where the life of Dracula really began to come into focus for Stoker.

The church houses the organ Handel played as he was composing The Messiah and Irish nationalist martyrs buried in the graveyard – but it’s the crypt and its mummified inhabitants that really hold our macabre imaginations.

No one quite knows the processes by which the bodies have been preserved. Some theories suggest the limestone of the walls dried the bodies; others that the methane of the soggy ground did the job.

Recently some idiot stole one of the mummies’ heads but it has now been returned and the crypt has re-opened. It’s a pretty interesting crypt at that. Legs and arms stick out of coffins and the ancient bodies lie exposed. No one knows who the bodies are though and there are guesses including a Crusader Knight and a nun. 

Samhain Tours and Storytelling

Across Ireland, many heritage sites, including castles, historic houses, and ancient ruins, offer Samhain-themed tours. These tours often involve ghost stories, Celtic mythology, and recounting the folklore of the season. For instance, places like Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin and Charleville Castle in Offaly host haunted tours, immersing visitors in eerie atmospheres that connect to Ireland’s ghostly and spiritual traditions.

Ghostbus Tour of Dublin

The Ghostbus tour takes you through Dublin’s dark side with tales and legends from Dublin’s dark history including lessons in body-snatching. You will visit a hidden graveyard and the medieval vaults beneath Dublin Castle. Your ghostly tour guides are so good you may not know where the truth ends or begins. 

Haunted History Walking Tour of Dublin

Ireland is known as being one of the most haunted countries on the planet with many of the world’s most famous supernatural characters and stories finding their roots in the tales told across the centuries by our ancestors around Irish peat fires on dark, dank nights.

“Let us lead you through the eerie, cobblestoned streets, hearing tales from the underbelly of this city, such as the burning of 18th-century madam Darkey “The Witch” Kelly, the tragic tale of The Green Lady of St. Audoen’s and how Dublin’s “Hell” got its name.”

Halloween in Ireland including 3 parties and the most haunted castles

Home to Halloween celebration and strong whiskey, Ireland invites you to embark the biggest adventure of all. Say yes to mysterious places, unforgettable events and incredible experiences. The 8 day Halloween tour is rich in inclusions. As the title says you have 3 parties: dinner party in Londonderry, a Medieval Banquet in an Irish castle and a festive Irish dinner with traditional music and dance.

Dublin Historic Ghost Tour

If you want to learn about Dublin’s dark side, take this nighttime tour that will enlighten you to Dublin’s haunted history with stories of ghosts and mysterious creatures only seen in darkness. You’ll visit a haunted castle, prison, church, and cemetery, and hear stories from your guide of the paranormal study and investigations of Ireland of the past.

Dublin: Macabre History Walking Tour

Join us for a wander through the old city centre of Dublin as we explore both sides of the river whilst listening to stories about the more gruesome part of the city’s history. Hear the story of the Death of Cuchulainn, the mighty warrior who had his eyes pecked out by the raven on his shoulder and learn about the thriving 19th-century business of grave robbing beside the city mortuary. Close to the old city walls, you will be amazed by stories of mummified corpses, legless serial killers and man-eating rats. To finish, beside the cathedral, you will hear of Dublin’s most famous brothel keeper and her untimely demise by fire at the stake.

Northside Ghost Walk of Dublin

Hidden Dublin Tours takes you through 1000 years of history starting in Oxmantown the former Viking stronghold. Tales of “hanging judges” and a visit to the most haunted houses in Dublin on Hendrick Street. 

Gravedigger Horror Hike

This unique experience offers you fun and adventure with spectacular views from the mountains, and a unique immersive storytelling experience. As the sun begins to set, you are taken by by Banshee bus to a magical location south west of Dublin city. The hike begins in the Dublin mountains to the peak of the legendary and mysterious Montpelier Hill. It has the most beautiful views overlooking Dublin city unique to this tour.

This tour is with Ireland’s only tour company with a tour permit to the Hell Fireclub. The site was looted and then destroyed in order to salvage its building materials to build a hunting Lodge in 1735. This lodge is now known in legend as the Hell Fire Club!

Come celebrate Halloween in Ireland, where the holiday originated and is still deeply rooted in tradition. Ireland’s rich folklore and ancient Celtic traditions make it the perfect destination for experiencing a truly authentic Halloween celebration. The country is full of eerie haunted castles, ancient burial grounds, and mystical landscapes that create an enchanting atmosphere for the holiday. In cities like Dublin and Galway, you can join in the festivities with parades, costume parties, and spooky street performances.

Don’t miss the famous Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin, honoring the Irish author of Dracula, or the Derry Halloween Festival, which transforms the city into a Halloween wonderland. And of course, no Halloween in Ireland is complete without a visit to a haunted house or a ghost tour to explore the supernatural legends that haunt the country. Whether you’re a believer in the paranormal or just looking for a fun and memorable Halloween experience, Ireland is the place to be.

Have you celebrated Samhain or Halloween in Ireland? Where did you go to find the best celebration of Samhain?

And just to convince you to visit more of Ireland here are a few more articles you can read.

The best of Irish slang and 100+ Irish slang phrases

10 Ancient Celtic Holidays to Celebrate in Ireland

101 Landmarks in Ireland to see

101 Landmarks in Northern Ireland

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