Most of us know Halloween as the way it has been portrayed by our society. Haunted houses, scary movies, pumpkin carving and trick or treating are all things that come to mind when Halloween is approaching. But, where did this all originate? I will soon delve into an explanation of the origins of Oidhche Shamhna, the Celtic New Year and some fun traditions you can try this year!
The Gaeils are an ancient people from the Highlands of Scotland and the Hebrides. October 31 was seen as the New Year in their calendar. It was believed that the night of the 31 was when the veil between the world of the living and the dead (or unworldly creatures) was at its thinnest. On this night, hospitality was the main lesson to be learned. People would dress up as scary creatures and visit the homes of their neighbors for food and drinks. The message essentially was to be welcoming to all people, friend, foe, or stranger. If you can welcome a scary creature in your home, then what stops you from showing empathy to all people?
There was also an important meaning behind dressing up as a spirit, fairy or creature as it was believed that on this night, spirits and fairies would attempt to capture unsuspecting people. Funnily enough, my father always said “If you get captured by a fairy someone must call your name three times backwards and they have to bring you back.” Evidently, this was simply used as a threat in order to keep me from wandering into the woods alone.
Interestingly enough, the pumpkin carving we know today was originally completed with turnips. This practice was done to warn lurking spirits.
Now, are you looking to join in on the fun of the Gaeils? My family always did Furag. This is a divination game to predict what your upcoming year will look like. Try this with friends and family for a fun Halloween activity.
For this activity, you will need to follow the recipe below. Place all of the items in a big bowl!
½ cup of toasted oats (toasting optional)
4 cups whipping cream
1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
½ cup of a candy of your choice (my family uses smarties)
1 ring, 1 button, 1 coin, 1 thimble
Mix all these ingredients until you cannot see the symbols. Then, everyone takes turns taking a big scoop from the main bowl into one of their own. Once everyone has a scoop, begin to eat slowly. Some of you may find one or more of the symbols. Here’s what your New Year’s prediction will be based on what symbol you retrieve.
Ring: you are going to find love this year
Button: you are going to lose money
Coin : you are going to come into money
Thimble: you will remain single
Ring + thimble: cancels out the ring
Button + coin: you will not lose or gain any money
Another game that my family used to play was Goid am botul which means to steal the bowl. One person is blind folded and sits on a chair. There is a bowl or bottle placed under the chair (maybe you get creative with this and place a fun drink under it). The other person tries to steal the bowl while the people surrounding them can scream and make funny noises to distract the blindfolded person.
This season, I also challenge you to learn some new Gaelic words for Halloween and try to think of those who may be less fortunate. Perhaps you can donate some food or clothing to a local charity. Or, consider cooking a meal for a friend who needs their spirits lifted. This time of year always holds a special place in my heart as it is a time when I have made wonderful memories with my family and learned more about my culture.
Here are some Halloween Gaelic words to add to your vocabulary this year!
Ghost: bòcan
Bat: ialtag
Pumpkin: puimcean
Haunted house: taigh tathaichte
Witch:Bana-bhuidseach
Oidhche Shamhna toilichte and Happy Halloween!