Scare away ghosts with fire. And banshee bingo.
suppose a horned human - similar flesh stalk towards you through the shadowed forest , and you may take off to image the longstanding Irish Halloween tradition get it on as thePúca Festival . Add in some bonfire , outdoor feast , treasure hunts , and fire dancing , and you ’ve catch yourself one festive October company circulate over four nights .
The Irish make love a affair or two about Halloween — which total as no real surprisal , regard theybasically invented the vacation over 2,000 years ago . Aland of folklore and fairyland , the Celt have never been unity to turn their back on a celebration . And Halloween — orSamhain(AKA summertime ’s last ) , as it was known — was one of four fete the Gaelic multitude honour to strike off the change seasons .
The Celts conceive the line between the afterlife and the earthly worldly concern was at its most fragile during this fourth dimension of year , as autumn wither and wintertime wave , allowing the souls of the take leave to traverse over and take the air among the life . Despite how creepy that sounds , people went all out at this fete , lighting balefire and throwing a monolithic harvest home feast to feed the dead . mask and costume were worn to welcome the good tone or hide from the malign ones — and , if legends are to be believe , there were quite a few of those lurking around .
Photo courtesy of Púca Festival
Among the most infamous mythological creatures was the púca ( Irish for ghost ) , an eerie , shapeshifting ghost from Gaelic folklore that came alive during the ancient fresh year , taking on the menacing form of a horse , goat , donkey , or rabbit . Other times , the púca appeared in human form strewn with revealing fauna features like fur , horn , a hindquarters , or oversize ears . The púca go up after shadow , and depending on the luck of the draw , would bring either dependable or bad fortune to those it encountered .
Ireland ’s verdant rural valleys and stony mountainscapesserved as the púca ’s primary hunting grounds , where it would wander the country lanes and hillside looking to change the lives of unsuspicious locals . Hiding from the púca became something of a national pursuit , with generations of children warned to watch out for the louche prankster .
A terrific human - hybrid wildcat with an appetite for kids ? Sounds like crusade for a company .
Púca Festival
Where to find the Púca Festival
Today , the word “ púca ” has much less sinister intension . Each year , reveller hit upthe Púca Festival in County Meath , just north ofDublin , to fete the harvest home and commemorate the Emerald Isle as the rightful cradle of Halloween . There ’s music , dancing , and feast — all assist with a generous side of shenanigan and mayhem . And this yr it ’s finally back in action after a foresightful two - year hiatus .
County Meath has long been the cradle for many Irish myths . Old - world holograph revealed that prehistoric Tlachtga ( pronounced “ clapper valve - da , ” and also known as the Hill of Ward ) , near the Ithiel Town of Athboy , was the site of the Fire Festival , one of the original Samhain gatherings . harmonise toGeoffrey Keating , a seventeenth C Irish chronicler , " The Fire of Tlachtga was establish , at which it was their custom to assemble on the eve of Samhain to offer sacrifice to all the gods . ”
It seems meet , then , that Athboy throws one blaze of aPúca Festival . An immersive and otherworldly experience , the one-year effect is vibrant , fun , and strongly rooted in tradition . Irish artist , narrator , modern-day Irish instrumentalist , and comic take over four stages name after four figures of Irish mythology — Boann , the goddess of the Boyne ; Morrigan , the goddess of war;Fear Dearg , the sprite of mischief ; and Púca on the primal degree — to entertain the masses throughout the festival ’s three days and four night .
Púca Festival
The nearby town of Trim , home toTrim Castledating to 1173 ( plus , fun fact , a fundamental filming localization for 1995’sBraveheart ) , is also a fete hub . Here , the shindig formally kicks off with the Arrival of the Spirits Samhain Procession , where partygoer can make their own mask , join a spirit group , and , common mullein in hand , take part in a snappy parade through the street of the town that terminates at the illuminated castle paries .
The Creepiest Urban Legend in Every State
Indulge in tricks and treats a plenty
What ’s a party without snacks ? Púca fete are hotbeds for traditional Irish Halloween foods . load up up on barmbrack ( a zestful boodle studded with dried fruit ) , colcannon ( mashed white potato infused with dinero or cabbage ) , and fragrant parched apples , as well as all the local themed offerings atTrim ’s Jack O’Lantern Harvest Market .
In keeping with the púca ’s proclivity for mischievousness , there will also be plenty of cheeky attractions like banshie bingo , drollery witch test , games of werewolf , self - pass treasure hunting , and traditional handfasting ceremonies , a Gaelic ritual where the manus are tied together to typify the binding of two lives . And just like in the days of yore , the Samhain Circuspromises to showcase a nervous cabaret utter with hair’s-breadth - raising , high - wire act and live fire dancing .
Samhain Fires caps off the festivities , start out with an intimate fervor - lighting ceremony at Tlachtga that pays tribute to traditional Samhain ritual , follow by a procession to the grand finale : a spectacular fire- and music - fire knock in the market town of Athboy .
Púca Festival
The whole matter kicks off on October 28 and lasts through October 31 , after which the púcas and all their mystic buddies gather up their belonging and retreat back into the Otherworld , lying in wait until they can reemerge and live up to their impulse . If you decide to make the trek out to County Meath to see for yourself this year , make certain to contribute a disguise to keep yourself good from the spook ’s prying eyes — it sure as shooting gives a whole new meaning to “ cloak up . ”
Púca Festival
Púca Festival
Púca Festival
Púca Festival
