Halloween 2017
Halloween is Ireland's most ancient festival which originated from the ancient Celtic harvest festival Samhain. Hallowe'en is a contraction of All Hallows' Eve. In the ancient Celtic Ireland, Samhain was the end of summer and the beginning of winter. The ancient peoples wished to ward off evil spirits so festivals of fire were lit around the country. With the arrival of Christianity, the Irish Celts were reluctant to give up their festival and continued to celebrate Samhain, or Oíche Shamhna, as we traditionally call it. People carved scary faces using turnips with a lit candle inside long ago, however, nowadays the turnip has been replaced by the pumpkin. The mass emigration to America from the 1840's on brought the tradition of Halloween there. Today's children no longer make their own masks but dress up in fancy dress for the occasion. We continue to celebrate Halloween in Ireland and today our Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st and 2nd Classes recited poems and sang songs in both English and Irish. Check out the images from our fun day.
