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Monday, 30 October 2017
Sunday, 29 October 2017
YET ANOTHER WORLD CUP FOR ENGLAND
England win U17 World Cup: 'We are heading where we want to go' - Cooper
28 October 2017 Football
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Image captionHighlights: England beat Spain to win U17 World Cup
England's Under-17 World Cup victory reflects the "good work" being done in youth development and provides further proof it is heading "where we want to go", says manager Steve Cooper.
Saturday's win over Spain secured England's third major youth title of 2017, after the Under-20 World Cup and the Under-19 European Championship.
England trailed Spain 2-0 after 31 minutes but came back to triumph 5-2.
"We've played like we want all of our England teams to play," Cooper said.
"Brave on the ball, pass, pass, pass, not one long ball, get into good areas, play as a team and some good individual play up the field as well.
"I am just so proud of the performance. We played our way back in, and stuck to our style. We are building for the future, and that is the way to do it."
England fight back to win U17 World CupRelive England's 5-2 victorySix things you didn't know about England U17s
Spain had beaten England's Under-17s in the European Championship final in May, but goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Marc Guehi, tournament top scorer Rhian Brewster and player of the tournament Phil Foden replied to Barcelona forward Sergio Gomez's double in Calcutta.
The Three Lions had never before progressed beyond the quarter-finals in the tournament and Cooper said the result "tells you everything about the character of the English players".
He told the FA's website: "This trophy is a dedication to the good work being done back in England with the club academies and the development of young players.
Rhian Brewster: 'I've never seen a player like him before'
"For me, it's recognition of where English football not just is, but where it can go and where we want it to go.
"The feeling is… I'm speechless. It's a little bit surreal and I think I'll feel a little bit better tomorrow when we actually realise what we've done."
England's golden year at youth level
19 May: England lose to Spain on penalties in the European Under-17 Championship final
10 June: England win a second successive Toulon Tournament, with victory on penalties
11 June: England beat Venezuela 1-0 in the Under-20 World Cup final
27 June: England lose to Germany on penalties in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals
15 July: England win the European Under-19 Championship, beating Portugal 2-1
28 October: England are crownedUnder-17 World Cup winners after beating Spain 5-2
The next Fabregas? Or Anderson?
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionBrewster was top scorer, while Foden was named Player of the Tournament. Brazil keeper Gabriel Brazao won the Golden Glove
Manchester City midfielder Foden, 17, said: "We knew we were capable of coming back, we just decided to stay calm. We didn't get off to the best of starts but at half-time we got together and came out fighting. You've seen that in the second half."
Under-17 World Cup Golden Ball winners1999Landon Donavan (United States)2001Florent Sinama Pongolle (France)2003Cesc Fabregas (Spain)2005Anderson (Brazil)2007Toni Kroos (Germany)2009Sani Emmanuel (Nigeria)2011Julio Gomez (Mexico)2013Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)2015Kelechi Nwakali (Nigeria)2017Phil Foden (England)
When City manager Pep Guardiola was told of Foden's success after his side's 3-2 Premier League win at West Brom, he said: "What position did he play? When I find out, I will put him in that position."
The Spaniard added: "He is a young player. He is a player in our squad. Every day he is in the locker room with our guys. That is the best way to learn, from the experienced guys, about what it means to be at a high level.
"Big congratulations to the manager, all the staff and the players, because for English football, they need that.
"It is the step they need. It happened in Spain. Spain was always only the last 16, quarter-finals. They arrived one moment in the semi-finals and since then they have won every time. That's why it is so important. Finally win. Big congratulations."
Reaction
Wayne Rooney: Yessss!!! Congratulations to all involved. Been class throughout the tournament 👏🏆
David Beckham: Our future is bright, congratulations to the boys, staff and families. What an amazing achievement - let's now build for the future and give this talented group the opportunity.
Harry Kane: Congrats to the U17s - a fantastic achievement!
Michael Owen: Our young lions triumph again. Brilliant achievement and once again, just goes to show we produce top class young talent. Well done lads.
Image copyrightJADON SANCHO/TWITTER
Match of the Day commentator Guy Mowbray: Showed Pep Guardiola Phil Foden's goal that made it 3-2 England - he visibly beamed when then talking about him.
Gary Lineker: England have won the U17 World Cup after beating Spain 5-2… yes Spain. We have a new golden generation. Well played boys, well played.
Your comments on #bbcfootball, 81111 via text
Jan Noble: Sack the seniors and send this lot to Russia in the summer.
Setay: Foden, what a player he is, think in about three more years he will be a world star.
Nigel Harradence: Hopefully these England lads will be given an opportunity in the Premier League now. Proved they are good enough.
Emily: I hope the England full team watched the fight and heart by the U17 team.
Analysis
Ex-England defender Danny Mills
The players have to go on and build on this - make sure this is not the pinnacle of their careers. They want to be Premier League and England stars of the future. They have proved they are winners. Hopefully managers will see they can cope with pressure to win matches.
The goal before half-time was crucial. It gave them fresh legs, and they had a real go at Spain. Foden was exceptional, and is an absolute talent. They got behind the Spanish defence like we wanted them to. We often talk about England's mentality, they looked down but they played with freedom and expressed themselves.
We have two World Cup-winning teams - this is unprecedented! It needs to be celebrated more.
New England Under-19 manager Paul Simpson, who led the Under-20s to World Cup victory in June.
It was a magnificent, spirited performance. They thoroughly deserved this emphatic victory. We talk about that English bulldog spirit and we got that, but we had ability as well. There was an incredible work ethic, really good goals, and they showed such resilience to come back from two goals down.
We have got a top group of players right through the set-up. But we are also fully aware that these are the development teams. What we want to do is keep improving so that the senior team can be successful.
The only way we can do it is by working with the clubs and hoping that as a whole game we can come together with one goal - to have a successful English national team.
Everybody can take belief from what they've seen. Hopefully this is just the start.
England win U17 World Cup: Young Lions fight back to beat Spain in final
28 october 2017
Rhian Brewster: 'I've never seen a player like him before'
25 october 2017
Copyright © 2017 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Friday, 27 October 2017
Thursday, 26 October 2017
UNIVERSAL CREDIT A NEW POVERTY TAX.POSTS SHARED FROM FACEBOOK
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UNIVERSAL CREDIT INFO... With Christmas on our doorstep the Universal Credit roll out is going ahead as planned with most people being changed over at the beginning December, which will leave many families with little to no money for up to 12 weeks. Just a heads up for anyone who
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UNIVERSAL CREDIT INFO... With Christmas on our doorstep the Universal Credit roll out is going ahead as planned with most people being changed over at the beginning December, which will leave many families with little to no money for up to 12 weeks. Just a heads up for anyone who
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More tory evil... UNIVERSAL CREDIT INFO... With Christmas on our doorstep the Universal Credit roll out is going ahead as planned with most people being changed over at the beginning December, which will leave many families with little to no money for up to 12 weeks. Just a heads
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Now that's what you call a speech! @carolynharris24 smashing the Government for what they've done to the people of Swansea
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Retweeted Laura Perrins (@LPerrins): Most already have a 'bloody job.' That's the point....
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Mark Antony Raines
R.I.P FATS DOMINO A MUSIC LEGEND
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017) was an American pianist and singer-songwriter of Louisiana Creole descent. He had 35 records in the U.S. Billboard Top 40, and five of his pre-1955 records sold more than a million copies, being certified gold.[1]
Domino in 1962 (age 34)
Background informationBirth nameAntoine Dominique Domino Jr.Also known as
Fats The Fat Man
BornFebruary 26, 1928
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.DiedOctober 24, 2017 (aged 89)
Harvey, Louisiana, U.S.Genres
Rock and roll boogie-woogie New Orleans rhythm and blues
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musicianInstrumentsPiano, vocalsYears active1947–2007Labels
Imperial London ABCMercury Broadmoor Reprise Sonet Warner Bros. Toot Toot
From 1955-60, he had eleven top 10 hits and his record sales were reportedly surpassed only by Elvis Presley.[2]
During his career, Domino sold over 65 million records.[3] His musical style was based on traditional rhythm and blues, accompanied by saxophones, bass, piano, electric guitar, and drums.[1]
Life
Influence and legacy
Discography
See also
References
External links
Wednesday, 25 October 2017
THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN ARE CELTIC IRELAND
Menu
Home → Irish Symbols →Halloween
The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland
The dark side of Halloween
To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past.
Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day.
The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids.
It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new.
To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding.
But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind.
Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar
The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish.
The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation.
In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manxit is Sauin.
The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual.
The original Celtic year
Imbolc: 1st FebruaryBeltaine: 1st MayLughnasa: 1st AugustSamhain: 1st November
The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November.
The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve.
The Roman Autumn festival
Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period.
Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event.
Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day.
The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear.
The origin of Halloween's spookiness
For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix.
Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated.
To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime.
They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits.
Apples
Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began.
It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible.
For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors.
Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful atSamhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future.
Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry
While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld.
It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town.
Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close.
Free Halloween booklet
The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween.
Find out more about
Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat
The 'evil' leprechaunIrish symbols
The origin of Halloween games
Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet.
There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this.
They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year.
Photo Credits,
this page, from top:
Main column:
* Dreamstime
* Failte Ireland
* DerryConventionBureau
* Failte Ireland
This column:
* istock
* istock
| Home Page | Disclaimer | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy Policy |
Copyright © Claire Santry
2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com.
Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage.
Menu
The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland
The dark side of Halloween
To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past.
Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day.
The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids.
It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new.
To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding.
But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind.
Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar
The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish.
The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation.
In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin.
The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual.
The original Celtic year
Imbolc: 1st FebruaryBeltaine: 1st MayLughnasa: 1st AugustSamhain: 1st November
The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November.
The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve.
The Roman Autumn festival
Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period.
Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event.
Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day.
The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear.
The origin of Halloween's spookiness
For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix.
Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated.
To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime.
They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits.
Apples
Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began.
It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible.
For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors.
Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful at Samhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future.
Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry
While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld.
It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town.
Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close.
Free Halloween booklet
The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween.
Find out more about
Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat
The 'evil' leprechaunIrish symbols
The origin of Halloween games
Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet.
There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this.
They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year.
Photo Credits,
this page, from top:
Main column:
* Dreamstime
* Failte Ireland
* DerryConventionBureau
* Failte Ireland
This column:
* istock
* istock
| Home Page | Disclaimer | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy Policy |
Copyright © Claire Santry
2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com.
Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage.
ShareThis Copy and Paste
Menu Home → Irish Symbols → Halloween The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland The dark side of Halloween To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past. Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day. The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids. It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new. To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding. But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind. Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish. The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation. In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin. The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual. The original Celtic year Imbolc: 1st February Beltaine: 1st May Lughnasa: 1st August Samhain: 1st November The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November. The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve. The Roman Autumn festival Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period. Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event. Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day. The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear. The origin of Halloween's spookiness For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix. Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated. To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime. They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits. Apples Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began. It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible. For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors. Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful at Samhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future. Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld. It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town. Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close. Free Halloween booklet The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween. Find out more about Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat The 'evil' leprechaun Irish symbols Discover the story of the Jack O'Lantern The origin of Halloween's Trick or Treat ritual The origin of Halloween games Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet. There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this. They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year. Photo Credits, this page, from top: Main column: * Dreamstime * Failte Ireland * DerryConventionBureau * Failte Ireland This column: * istock * istock ← Return to top of page | Home Page | Disclaimer | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Copyright © Claire Santry 2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com. Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage. Menu Home → Irish Symbols → Halloween The origin of Halloween lies in Celtic Ireland The dark side of Halloween To find the origin of Halloween, you have to look to the festival of Samhain in Ireland's Celtic past. Samhain had three distinct elements. Firstly, it was an important fire festival, celebrated over the evening of 31 October and throughout the following day. The flames of old fires had to be extinguished and ceremonially re-lit by druids. It was also a festival not unlike the modern New Year's Day in that it carried the notion of casting out the old and moving into the new. To our pagan ancestors it marked the end of the pastoral cycle – a time when all the crops would have been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding. But it was also, as the last day of the year, the time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind. Samhain: its place in the Celtic calendar The Celts celebrated four major festivals each year. None of them was connected in anyway to the sun's cycle. The origin of Halloween lies in the Celt's Autumn festival which was held on the first day of the 11th month, the month known as November in English but as Samhain in Irish. The festivals are known by other names in other Celtic countries but there is usually some similarity, if only in the translation. In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Manx it is Sauin. The root of the word – sam – means summer, while fuin means end. And this signals the idea of a seasonal change rather than a notion of worship or ritual. The original Celtic year Imbolc: 1st February Beltaine: 1st May Lughnasa: 1st August Samhain: 1st November The other group of Celtic languages (known as Q-Celtic) have very different words but a similar intention. In Welsh, the day is Calan Gaeaf, which means the first day of winter. In Brittany, the day is Kala Goanv, which means the beginning of November. The Celts believed that the passage of a day began with darkness and progressed into the light. The same notion explains why Winter – the season of long, dark nights – marked the beginning of the year and progressed into the lighter days of Spring, Summer and Autumn. So the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before ie its Eve. The Roman Autumn festival Harvest was celebrated by the Romans with a festival dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of the tree, especially apples. The origin of Halloween's special menus, which usually involve apples (as do many party games), probably dates from this period. Pomona continued to be celebrated long after the arrival of Christianity in Roman Europe. So, too, did Samhain in Ireland and it was inevitable that an alternative would be found to push pagan culture and lore into a more 'acceptable' Christian event. Sure enough, the 7th-century Pope Boniface, attempting to lead his flock away from pagan celebrations and rituals, declared 1st November to be All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day. The evening before became known as Hallows' Eve, and from there the origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear. The origin of Halloween's spookiness For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time, but with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix. Being 'between years' or 'in transition', the usually fairly stable boundaries between the Otherworld and the human world became less secure so that puka, banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. There were also 'shape shifters' at large. This is where the dark side of Halloween originated. To ward off the evil let loose at Samhain, huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime. They also deliberately made a lot of noise to unsettle the spirits and drive them away from their homes. The timid, however, would leave out food in their homes, or at the nearest hawthorn or whitethorn bush (where fairies were known to live), hoping that their generosity would appease the spirits. Apples Samhain marked the end of the final harvest of the summer, and all apples had to have been picked by the time the day's feasting began. It was believed that on Samhain, the puca – Irish evil fairies (see right hand column) – spat on any unharvested apples to make them inedible. For some, the tradition of leaving food (and a spoon to eat it!) in the home – usually a plate of champ or Colcannon – was more about offering hospitality to their own ancestors. Just as spells and incantations of witches were especially powerful at Samhain, so the night was believed to be full of portents of the future. Ireland's best Halloween party is in Derry While the origin of Halloween doesn't lie specifically in Derry, the world's biggest Halloween party is held in that city every year. More than 30,000 people take to the streets, most of them dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires and monsters from the Otherworld. It's a time when you're almost certain to hear the Banshees screaming – assuming you can hear anything much above the marching bands, ceilidh music, hard rock and calypso as the carnival proceeds through the town. Waterloo Place plays host to a free concert, and many events, including Ghost Walks, are held throughout the city before a spectacular fireworks display brings celebrations to a close. Free Halloween booklet The National Folklore Collection, which is managed at University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween containing old Irish tales, legends and customs. You can download it (pdf 950Kb) here: Dúchas - Halloween. Find out more about Jack O'Lantern and Trick or Treat The 'evil' leprechaun Irish symbols Discover the story of the Jack O'Lantern The origin of Halloween's Trick or Treat ritual The origin of Halloween games Perhaps the best-known of Halloween games is 'ducking/bobbing for apples. This is a game where the object is to retrieve an apple from a barrel or large bowl of water without using hands or feet. There was nothing particularly symbolic about the origin of Halloween games such as this. They are fun games in which all ages can participate, and apples were plentiful at this time of the year. Photo Credits, this page, from top: Main column: * Dreamstime * Failte Ireland * DerryConventionBureau * Failte Ireland This column: * istock * istock ← Return to top of page | Home Page | Disclaimer | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Copyright © Claire Santry 2008-2017 Irish-Genealogy-Toolkit.com. Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage. ShareThis Copy and Paste
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