Tag: samhain

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Folklore

Oíche Shamhna shona duit

A black labrador in a skeleton costume in front of spooky Halloween or Samhain gravestones and bones.

Samhain — or Halloween — is the best known of the ancient Irish fire festivals that mark the changes of the seasons. I delved into the origins of Samhain (pronounced “Sowen”) for a previous post on Halloween: the meme that reinfected Ireland. This year, I have no more noble goal than to share a picture […]

Categories
Folklore

Happy Halloween: the meme that reinfected Ireland

Happy Halloween, or Oíche Shamhna shona duit. This ancient Celtic pagan festival is a big deal in Ireland, where the Monday before is a bank holiday, houses are decorated and children dress up to trick or treat. Some say Ireland is the home of Halloween, although it’s celebrated as far south as Brittany and there […]