Celebrating Halloween in Ireland

Halloween originated in Ireland as an ancient CelticBarmbrack - This is the traditional cake for
festival known as Samhain, which was celebrationHalloween. It is a fruit bread The Halloween Brack
of the end of the harvest season, it is stilltraditionally contains various objects baked into
sometimes referred to as Celtic New Year. Thethe bread. Each member of the family is given a
Celts believed that on October 31 the boundaryslice, in the barmbrack are placed a pea, a stick, a
between the living and the dead was dissolved,piece of cloth, a small coin and a ring. Each item,
the dead walked the earth causing sickness andwhen received in the slice, is supposed to carry a
damaging crops. They Celts would light bonfires tomeaning to the person concerned: the pea, the
ward off evil spirits, they would also don masksperson would not marry that year; the stick, "to
and costumes to mimic the spirits in an attemptbeat one's wife with", would have an unhappy
to placate them. To this day, people in Irelandmarriage or continually be in disputes; the cloth or
dress up as creatures from the underworld.rag, would have bad luck or be poor; the coin,
There are also other traditions which havewould enjoy good fortune or be rich; and the ring,
developed and evolved over the years, including:would be married within the year
Colcannon - This is the dish that is traditionallyThe Ivy Leaf- Each member of the family places
cooked for dinner on Halloween night. It containsa perfect ivy leaf into a cup of water and it is
potatoes, cabbage and onion.then left undisturbed overnight.