Column by Matthew Cullen
In this second issue of Irish Eyes, I will be discussing Halloween and its significance and connection with Ireland. Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1st. This marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth.
In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort during the long, dark winter…
The Gown Online 