An Irish Halloween - A descriptive essay about practices PDF

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Halloween practices by the Irish culture. A meaning behind costumes....

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ELA An Irish(Celtic) Halloween - Informative Writing The ways in which we celebrate Halloween originated from the Irish, thousands of years ago. The Irish were the first to celebrate Halloween which was named, "Samhain" meaning the "end of summer." Traditionally, this date was designated to be November 1st. Similar to today’s Trick or Treating, in old Ireland, the poor would go from door to door and ask for money, food, or any basic needs. They would knock on the doors of the rich. All of what were collected were used for Halloween events or feasts. This occasion brought on many festive games. Snap Apple was a Halloween activity that is similar to bobbing for apples that was played many years ago. In the game, apples were attached to strings and were hanged upon the ceiling. Your hands were tied behind your back and you were blindfolded. The goal of the game was to get a decent bit of the apple in your mouth which resulted in a prize. The apple was associated with love and fertility. Women who got the first bite would be the first to get married. Long ago, coins were wrapped in pieces of clean paper and placed into children’s colcannon for them to find and keep. Sometimes people also hide a ring in the colcannon. It was thought that whoever finds the ring will be married within the year.

The Jack-O-Lantern played a big role during the early days of Halloween celebrations. There are several stories that indicate why the Irish did this. One popular thought was that the Jack-O-Lanterns was named after an Irish blacksmith named Jack. He was denied entry into Heaven, and therefore resided in Hell. Jack was ordered to walk the Earth forever, but then asked the Devil for a light. He was given a burning coal which burnt into a turnip that he had hollowed out. The Irish believed that if they place a Jack-O-Lantern in front of their window, it would keep Jack's soul from entering their homes. Halloween in Ireland celebrated the beginning of a new year, and it was believed by the Irish that evil spirits were wandering about on this holiday. To prevent this, the community would gather together and light huge fires. The point of this was to scare away the evil spirits lurking around. They would also wear animal skins and heads. The Irish or Celts served up many tasty dishes to help celebrate this occasion. The Barnbrack Cake, was a fruit bread served in which each member gets a slice. Rings or coins were often hidden in the cake and getting either of them is a sign of good luck. Boiled potatoes with kales and raw onions was a traditional dinner served. In conclusion, the Irish have similar ways of celebrating Halloween today as they did centuries ago. It’s a festive occasion filled with trick or treating, pranks,

and special dishes. Traditions such as costumes, bobbing for apples, and Jack-OLanterns originated from Irish Celts.

Sources: http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/top-ten-irish-traditions-for-halloween-see-photos105754748-237724251 Article by IrishCentral Staf Website: IrishCentral.com http://www.yourirish.com/traditions/halloween-in-ireland Website and Article by yourirish.com...