In Ireland, Halloween (also known as Samain in Irish) is a cherished event. As well as dressing up, celebrating and eating traditional dishes such as Colcannon, Barbrack and Meatloaf, some Irish people also indulge in a tradition: bonfires!
Samain dates back to the Celts. In those days, this festival heralded the end of the harvest, the arrival of cold weather and the night when the God of Death would allow the dead to live for a few hours alongside the living.
Highly superstitious and religious, the locals used to organize huge bonfires during the night to celebrate the onset of cold weather and protect themselves from bad luck in the coming year.
In a way, this fire protected them from evil spirits and any future misfortune.
According to the texts, the bonfires of Samain also enabled men to discover the identity of their future wife. An invitation to daydream, all they had to do was burn a lock of their hair to find out the identity of their future wife.
Today, the Irish still organize bonfires, mainly in the countryside. They come together to form a gigantic home. They feed it with pallets and wood of all kinds, then admire the blaze while listening to music and pouring a few drinks. It’s a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit!
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