The traditions of Halloween that we see now in our westernized world of ‘trick or treating’ actually stem from Ireland hundreds of years back when the local farmers would gather together and organise a posse which went around the village knocking on each door and asking for food and items which could supply the village with a huge feast and a bonfire.
People who gave generously were promised good luck whilst those that didn’t were cursed with warnings of bad luck to follow through the coming year.
When many Irish immigrants went across to America in the 1800s they also took their Irish traditions with them which finally became adapted to the Halloween celebrations which we see today.
Here in the UK I recall celebrating Halloween back in the 60s at home with my sister and a few school friends; we had nothing like the kind of Halloween celebrations that are evident today with wonderful costumes and groups of children going out trick or treating.
Our celebrations back then consisted of activities such as ‘Bobbin for apples’ where a big basin sized bowl was filled with water and we had to try to get one out of the bowl with our teeth whilst keeping our hands firmly clasped together behind our backs.
By the time you actually managed to get an apple you’d probably be absolutely drenched from head to foot.
Also on an apple theme we used to hang them from strings along the top of a door frame and try to eat them this way also with hands behind back. Easier said than done I might add.
Apples must have been the one thing we had in abundance because I also recall us peeling them in one continual strip and throwing the peel over our shoulders and seeing what letter the peel looked like as we turned round, this we were told meant to represent our future husband’s first initial. Although in my case after being married 3 times I’d must have gotten a different initial every time, which might have meant me getting through quite a few apples!
We always made a jack O lantern from turnips which we placed in the window; apparently it was more traditional in England to use turnips rather than pumpkins.
Once again this idea stemmed from us carving out the turnips and putting a light inside to scare off the evil spirits. This was another custom which the Irish immigrants took with them to America but found pumpkins there in plentiful supply so adapted the humble turnip into the wonderful Jack O lanterns we all know and love so well.
Older more ancient customs date back to the ancient Celts who celebrated the 1st of November as the beginning of the New Year. Whilst October the 31st was the festival of Samhain or the Feast of the dead, Celts believed that the souls of the dead could return at this time and were able to mingle with the living as the veil between the two worlds were at the thinnest, also fairies and goblins along with all sorts of other-worldly creatures of the may cross unseen realms may cross over to our world at the special time of Samhain.
The dead ancestors were honoured by laying places at the table and food being left out for them.
Farmers also had the task of deciding which of the livestock needed to be slaughtered to see them through the dark winter months ahead.
The big village bonfires were a time of much merriment and feasting, people wore masks, costumes and danced, this also was meant to scare off evil spirits,
Divinations took place, often involving the village bonfire.
Bonfire traditions in ancient Ireland insisted that every fire (including hearth fires) throughout the emerald Isle be put out until the Samhain fire be lit at a sacred site known as Tlachtga, once the fire burnt brightly here it was then acceptable to relight the fires throughout Ireland.
Tlachtga is a hill named after the daughter of the druid Mogh Ruith whom some folk say was at one time a Goddess.
The tribes gathered at the ritual centre of another sacred site 12 miles away at one of the most known sacred sites in Ireland called ‘Tara’ for what was called the Feast of Tara, this unique centre it is steeped in a rich diverse tapestry of tales consisting of The Goddess, Kings, druids, and ancient folklore.
Tara is a beautiful serene mound in Co. Meath, recently it has been sadly vandalized by the Irish government who refuse to stop the building of a motorway destroying a beautiful irreplaceable site of cultural & historical importance, despite massive ongoing global protests.
Last year I celebrated Halloween in my town by researching some of our local folklore and finding the best spooky stories I could.
This culminated in me organising a Halloween ghost walk and taking several children along all in fancy costume. I couldn’t resist going as a witch myself. J
One of the more well known local stories is of a little ghost girl who haunts the Old Town of Hastings her name is little Molly Hawkins.
Her tale is quite sad; she was the daughter of a local fisherman back in the times when a river ran through the town to the sea and a great divide between the wealthy and poor existed (even more so than today!!!)
Molly’s mom had died in childbirth leaving her to take care of 5 younger brothers and sisters. Despite living in abject poverty little Molly had a reputation for skipping along and laughing. Sometimes Molly had to resort to stealing food from the local traders whom usually turned a blind eye to it knowing of her family circumstances.
Unfortunately however times grew hard for the traders and they decided to put a stop to Molly stealing and on this particular occasion she stole four big rosy red apples, concealing them in her raggedy dress pockets as she skipped her way home, suddenly behind her she heard a whistle blow and the cries of “stop thief”.
Three guards chased poor Molly as she ran up the High Street to a place known as ‘Waterloo passage’ which had a wooden bridge over the river Bourne; it was here that little Molly lost her footing along with her life.
The traders decided to just watch and let her drown as a clear message to other children not to steal from them.
Since then her spirit lingers in Waterloo Passage and many people claim to have sighted her skipping along laughing with her raggedy clothes, shawl and hair braids. Quite frequently a single apple is found in the passageway which the locals say is Molly returning what she stole from them.
When we went on our Halloween ghost walk we decided to take little Molly a new ribbon for her hair which my daughter had kept safely tucked in her pocket all evening, the plan was that we’d leave it in Waterloo passage for the spirit of Molly. When we got to the passage the children all stopped and were pointing at the floor and there we saw a big rosy red apple.
I said to my daughter that it was probably off Molly and that we should leave her the ribbon in exchange, but when she went to get the ribbon out it had already mysteriously vanished. My daughter insists that little Molly had already taken it.
We all liked to think of little Molly on our way home, imagining her skipping along,
Laughing and being very pleased with her new hair ribbon. Suffice to say we had a most memorable Halloween last year; perhaps I’ll take Molly a big bag of apples all for herself this year.
By Rosie Weaver
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