Spooky season has officially arrived, and if you’re anything like us, you’ve been busy planning out your Halloween menu featuring everything from cocktails to sweet treats. But may we suggest taking inspiration from the place where it all started? These days, we associate Halloween with trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lanterns and all things spooky, but our modern Halloween celebrations actually have fascinating roots in Ireland. Read on for everything to know about the uniquely Irish origins of Halloween plus the traditional foods that should be part of your celebrations this year.
Related: 7 Traditional Irish Foods That Transform How We Eat
How did Halloween start and why?
Over 2000 years ago in Ireland’s Ancient East, the Celtic festival of Samhain was celebrated to mark the end of the fall harvest and beginning of winter from October 31 to November 1. The common belief was that on October 31, the veil between the real world and the “other world” was at its thinnest, allowing spirits and demons to slip between the two and cause mischief. Samhain continued to be celebrated throughout the Middle Ages and into the 9th century, when it started being celebrated as All Hallows’ Eve, later becoming known as Halloween and arriving in North America via Irish immigrants in the 1800s.
Why do people wear costumes on Halloween?
As part of Samhain festivities, Celts would disguise themselves in costumes and masks to hide from the evil spirits. This tradition has carried on, and is why we still wear Halloween costumes today.
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Why do we carve pumpkins at Halloween?
The practice of carving jack-o’-lanterns also originates from Samhain festivities, although back then they carved out turnips because they were plentiful at autumn harvest time. Just like we do today, they would carve out the root vegetables and place them outside their homes or carry them around as lanterns: The flames were thought to ward off evil spirits and also provided a useful light source on dark October nights.
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Related: How to Make Your Halloween Treats as Spooky as Possible
How did people celebrate Halloween in ancient Ireland?
Not all spirits that would slip through the veil on Halloween were thought to be evil. In fact, many were thought to be the good spirits of deceased friends and family, so communities would host feasts and leave fires burning to welcome and pay tribute to the spirits.
Related: This Spooky S’mores Bars Recipe is the Perfect Halloween Treat
What superstitious foods did they eat at Halloween feasts in Ireland?
Barmbrack was a staple at historic Halloween feasts and is actually still enjoyed at Irish Halloween celebrations today. Barmbrack (or ‘báirín breac’ in the Irish language) means “speckled loaf” because of the raisin-dotted dough. It’s said to determine your fate depending on what you find inside. The cake is loaded with different objects, each holding different meanings for the person who finds them in their slice. If you find a ring, you’ll be married within the year. On the flip side, finding a stick means an unhappy marriage, and a thimble means you’ll be single for life. Finding a coin means a lifetime of wealth, and finding cloth means financial troubles ahead. This might be the most frightening Halloween tradition of all!
Colcannon mash is another historic Irish Halloween dish that has the power to decide your fate, according to Irish legend. The humble dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage is often associated with St. Patrick’s day, but on Halloween it’s made with special care: rings, thimbles and coins are all added to the mixture, each signifying the same meanings as in barmbrack. One legend even stated that unmarried women would put their first and last spoonful of colcannon in a sock and hang it on their door — the first man to pass through would become their husband. This takes the concept of food as the way to man’s heart to a whole new level.
Get the recipe: Barmbrack and Colcannon
What other Irish foods were eaten at Halloween?
Boxty was a common dish traditionally enjoyed for Halloween, and these days in Ireland it’s enjoyed year-round. Boxty is a fluffy potato pancake fried in oil, but it’s not to be confused with a latke: it has a distinctly dough-like inside because it’s made with a combination of mashed and shredded raw potatoes. Unlike barmbrack and colcannon, there’s no Halloween superstition around this dish — instead, it was enjoyed for entirely practical reasons: potato crops were bountiful around late October, making it an affordable way to feed families and large groups. Today, you can find boxty served in Ireland for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with many chefs putting modern spins on the rustic staple.
A similarly practical food often served for historic Halloween celebrations was Irish stew. The hearty, soothing dish was the perfect way to warm up on a late October evening, and could easily feed a crowd with humble, accessible ingredients. Like boxty, Irish stew is still enjoyed year-round today, with the traditional ingredients of mutton (or lamb), potatoes and onions being integral to the recipe.
How can I incorporate traditional Irish Halloween foods into my celebrations?
There’s a special place in our heart for candy corn, but we love the idea of incorporating traditional Irish foods into your Halloween menu, too. Just like in old Irish times, Irish stew served with colcannon actually still makes for an ideal Halloween dinner: you can prep it in advance before festivities start, it’s the perfect way to warm up before an evening of trick-or-treating or handing out candy, and it’ll provide you with the fuel you need to get through the night of fun.
If you want to get the celebrations started early, we love the idea of hosting a Halloween-themed brunch, complete with buttered slices of barmbrack and stacks of fluffy boxty, both of which pair beautifully with a strong cup of Irish breakfast tea.
Bobbing for apples is another fun way to incorporate an Irish Halloween tradition into your festivities, and a sneaky way to get your kiddos to eat some fruit before they dive into their candy! The game of “snap apple” originated during Samhain and is still played in Ireland today during Halloween: instead of apples being in a bucket of water, they’re hung from trees on string. The Celts believed apples had magic properties and saw them as symbols of love and fertility. During Samhain celebrations, young folks would try to bite into a hanging apple because legend had it that the first to sink their teeth into an apple would be the first to walk down the aisle. Whether you choose to bob or snap your apples this Halloween, it’s a fun nod to historied tradition.
Tourism Ireland
Read more: How to Make a Spooky Delicious Halloween Charcuterie Board
If you’re looking for the ultimate Irish Halloween experience, why not head to the source? Across the island of Ireland you’ll find Halloween festivities to suit every fancy. In Derry, discover Derry Halloween: a fantastically fun carnival that takes place in the 400-year-old walled city that’s steeped in history. At Púca Festival in County Meath, you can celebrate the ancient traditions of Samhain at some of the country’s most historic destinations. In Galway, delight in the spectacle of the Macnas Halloween Parade featuring works of interactive art that you need to see to believe. If Dublin is more your speed, you can explore the Bram Stoker Festival: a gothic horror-themed festival inspired by one of Ireland’s most iconic authors. Book your Irish Halloween adventure today by visiting Ireland.com.