Samhain
Samhain is pronounced "sah-win" in English.
​
​
Our most recent Samhain event happened on Saturday,
21 October 2023 at St. Vincent dePaul Church in Millcreek.
See our pictures and video here!
​
Did you know that the Halloween we celebrate today has Irish origins?
That no blarney!
The date was set in stone, literally, by the ancient Irish in the building of a passageway at the Hill of Tara, where Irish kings were buried, about 5,000 years ago. It marks the end of the harvest season and is the first month in the
Celtic calendar (happy new year!).
​
Over the millennia, traditions of feasting, bonfires, and divination of life, death, and marriage were added to the celebrations. It was a time to honor the dearly departed or hallowed dead. Sometime after the year 800, the Church began honoring their Saints on November 1, and October 31 became All Hallos Eve or Halloween.
​
A more "recent" tradition of wearing costumes to scare off the bad spirits became began in the 1500s.
​
Before the Irish emigrated to America they carved turnips. These turnips had candles placed inside and were used as lanterns. You've heard of the Jack O'Lantern, right? The Irish in America found pumpkins easier to carve...and the rest is history!
Want to know more?
See this 7-minute video produced by the National Museum of Ireland.
Section Title
Every website has a story, and your visitors want to hear yours. This space is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what your team does and what your site has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want site visitors to know.
If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery or video for even more engagement.