Irish Halloween Traditions
Written by Ciaran on Oct. 23, 2025 | 11 Comments
Did you know that Ireland is the home of Halloween? Learn more about Halloween, the Celtic origins of this spooky festival, and what ancient traditions continue to this day both in Ireland and worldwide!
The Home of Halloween
Many of today's familiar Halloween customs draw from over 2000 years of Irish history, culture and tradition. All Hallows Eve, celebrated each October 31st draws its origins from the Celtic festival Samhain. To pronounce Samhain say "Sow-when" like the word "sound" without the d!
Samhain
Samhain is an Old Gaelic word that some say means “the end of summer.” Others think it draws its roots from the Proto-Celtic for "assembly." Either way, Samhain was one of the four big festivals in the old calendar along with Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lúnasa. This was one of the biggest events of the year.
For our ancestors, Samhain was a festival marking the end of harvest season, the death of the old year, and the dark beginnings of the new year in winter.
They believed that on Samhain, with the turning of the year, the division between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, making it easy for spirits to roam the world of the living. Spooky stuff!
Fires and Disguises, Keeping Spirits at Bay
To keep these spirits in check and to hide their identity from any menacing sprites that bore them ill will, people would hang up charms and crosses, dress up in masks and cunning disguises, make spooky lanterns, and light large fires. We can see echoes of many of these traditions today.
A creepy pigskin Irish Halloween Mask from the 1930's held in the Museum of Country Life in Co. Mayo.
Photo Credit: Museum of Country Life, Ireland
Both the young and young at heart dress up on Halloween in Ireland and around the globe today. People also decorate their houses, although these days it is to welcome goulish visitors to the door rather than keep them away! And in Ireland, it is still commonplace to have huge Halloween bonfires!
Photo Credit: A. James (Unsplash)
Young people in Ireland work for weeks to collect materials to build the biggest bonfire. The fire service has one of it's busiest nights of the year on Halloween! And although traditional, this sometimes dangerous practice is perhaps understandably discouraged.
Get Carving
A much safer form of Samahin fire is the carving of lanterns. Carving pumpkins is an has been enthusiastically adopted here in Ireland in just the last few years.
But Ireland didn't have pumpkins until relatively recently. Originally it was turnips that were carved into spooky lanterns to scare off spirits or find your way on a dark Samhain eve!
If you have never done it, take it from us, carving a turnip is very tough going! The Irish immigrants who brought their lantern carving skills to America wisely switched to the much more impressive and easy to carve pumpkin to continue their tradition. This was adopted enthusiastically in North America, eventually making it's way back to Ireland! These days It's rare to find a carved turnip in Ireland, but they are certainly terrifying!
A horrifying carved turnip from the National Museum of Ireland.
The Irish roots of this tradition really show with the name for these painstakingly carved pieces, whether turnip or pumpkin, the Jack-o-lantern! This name comes from an old Irish folktale, that of Stingy Jack, or as many know him, Jack-the-lantern.
The story of Jack of the lantern (a.k.a Stingy Jack)
Jack was a blacksmith and it seems an altogether unpleasant individual. One dark and stormy evening the Devil came to claim his miserly soul. Now in every telling of the tale I've seen or heard, old Jack manages to trick and trap the Devil, sometimes twice!
Jack offers release only on agreement that he will never be taken to hell. The Devil grudgingly agrees and years later, when Jack finally does die, the payback for his run in with the Devil comes to light. Being unwelcome in Heaven and barred from Hell, Jack is forced to wander the darkness for eternity, with just a burning coal from the Devil for a lantern to light his way, becoming "Jack the Lantern."
Walking through the countryside at night it's impossible not to be spooked by this story when you see a small bobbing light glimmering in the distance! And some carved turnips you see certainly do look hellish!
Scary Stories
Tales like that of Jack of the Lantern are at the center of things around this time of year, as you might expect for a nation with a strong tradition of storytelling. There are plenty of other scary stories that get shared around Samhain too. Tales of mischievous fairies and spirits like the PĂşca, the dreaded Banshee, wearwolves, vampires, and who can forget the Halloween classic, witches?
The Banshee Appears
Photo Credit: R. Prowse (1862) Public Domain
Many of the colorful cast of characters that we associate with Halloween got their start or were made very famous, through spooky Irish stories (Bram Stoker was a Dubliner after all)!
The Irish Fortune Cookie - Halloween Barmbrack
With the veil between this world and the next at it's thinnest, it was also a time where many thought they could see the future and tell fortunes. With Samhain marking the Celtic new year, many wanted to see what the year ahead would hold for them with divination games common on Samhain eve. This tradition has continued down through the centuries with games like snap-apple played to tell your fortune.
Snap-Apple Night, painted by Irish artist Daniel Maclise in 1833 and inspired by a Halloween party he attended in Blarney, Ireland, in 1832.
Snap apple remains a common party game, athough my kids prefer the much easier and more rewarding "snap donut!" And if, like my kids, snap apple proves a little too challenging, thereere are plenty of ways that this fortunetelling tradition is still practiced in Ireland today. You might fish a ring out of your Colcannon or your Champ, but the tastiest in my opinion, is our Samhain fave, Barmbrack (bairĂn breac in Irish).
You can find all the details of this tasty tradition complete with a recipe in our Traditional Barmbrack blog.
But be warned - You may find some strange objects in your slice of Barmbrack. And if you do, your future for the coming year is foretold:
- Find A Pea: Bad Luck! You will definitely not marry for another year
- Find A Coin: Congratulations! You will enjoy great fortune in the coming year
- Find A Matchstick: Oh Dear! In the next 12 months your love life will be filled with strife
- Find A Rag: Also Not Good! You will have ill fortune this year
- Find A Silver Ring: Good News! You will be wed before the year is out
Nowadays, it is unusual to have a Barmbrack that contains all of the above objects. But the ring still remains, with small toy rings in shop bought Barmbrack. And it is perfect treat with a cup of tea for dark, damp and blustery evenings so typical of October in Ireland.
Continuing Celtic Traditions
This Halloween, why not carry on a tasty Irish tradition by carving a lantern, sharing a spooky take, or making your own Barmbrack and sharing it with friends and family? We have plenty of Sterling Silver Irish Rings to bake in your cake. But we do advise wrapping the ring in grease proof paper first and biting with care to protect your teeth!
Irish Rings for Your Brambrack
Considering this tradition? We're sure you'll find the perfect ring for your Brambrack in our range of sterling silver, Irish made pieces.
Protection for Samhain
Or perhaps you would like a lucky talisman to feel protected this Samhain eve? Our Celtic crosses are sure to do the trick.
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
Comments
I enjoy these writings. What is the story behind the red hand of Ulster? I have been told that it is a part of our family history. Thank you.
Hi Kirk, thanks for reading and great to hear you enjoyed. The story behind the red hand of Ulster is a little gruesome and fits right in with Halloween! The story goes that their were two chieftains racing to lay their hand on a distant shore to claim new territory. Seeing he was going to loose the race, one of the chiefs chopped off his hand and threw it to the shore, leaving a bloody handprint and claiming the land as his own! In some tellings this chief is an O'Neill, fitting with the O'Neills being the first Irish family to use the red hand in their heraldry. Today there are families all over Ireland that have this symbol in their heraldry so it may well be part of your family history too! Happy Halloween!
Can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the history lesson. You know I’ll have to try carving a turnip now. I will definitely share the history of Samhain with my grandchildren. We’re making plans to visit Ireland again. Thanks Liz!!
Our pleasure, Jack! Thank you for reading and leaving a comment. We are always delighted to hear from friends like yourself. Next you're in Ireland let us know we'd be only too happy to put the kettle on for you. All the best!
I love anything Irish
Thanks Michelle, we're so glad to hear that and appreciate your reading! All the best, Liz
really enjoyed the samhain story, did not know bout the carved turnips, but i have some and will give it a go,as i celebrate this festival also the old way and iam dressing up as a witch,
That's brilliant, Eileen! Hopefully, you enjoyed a fun and festive Samhain -- it certainly sounds like you were well sorted for the celebrations! Cheers, Liz
I love your informative stories about the history of Ireland !!! Please continue to do so !
Hi Sue, Thanks so much for your kind words! We're so glad that you're enjoying the blogs. It's fantastic to hear from readers like yourself -- your energy and enthusiasm make it worthwhile! Cheers, Liz
Ask Gemma
Came here to.learn about all hallows eve traditions and I got a family history lesson...about the bloody hand of ulster. My grams was Mary oneil and the bloody hand is on our family crest. Love learning about our history