Tag archive: Halloween
Naughty Boys, Lucky Bags, and Karl’s Lovely Wig
And so the brother (he who used to love jam sandwiches more than life itself) is married. Saturday’s celebratory fancy dress part-tay was a raucous, riotous and rewarding affair. Particularly for me, as I scored a magnificent triumph in the… continue reading »
The Brutal Sound of Two Euro Horror
This Halloween sees me (somewhat reluctantly) abandoning my usual routine. There’ll be no carving of turnips,1 no careful choosing of monster movies, and no poisoning of local children with cheap & nasty sweeties. Instead, I’ll be performing best-man duties (and… continue reading »
Have yourself a merry little Samhain
#3 – Samhain: Well Oíche Shamhna (the eve of Samhain) is now behind us, and, apart from the strange ‘Jack O’ Lantern incident’ (see yesterday’s comments), the night passed off without too much intrusion from ghosts, divils, and demons. Thoughts… continue reading »
Oíche Shamhna
#2 – Jack O’Lanterns: My childhood impression of a North American Halloween was largely formed by seeing E.T. in the cinema, in 1982. The costumes were lavish, the ‘Trick or Treating’ was extensive, and (most importantly) there were pumpkin Jack… continue reading »
‘Pooky’ Night
As Halloween / Oíche Shamhna is almost upon us, a post or three on the subject of associated customs seems appropriate. So, without further ado… #1 – Halloween Games: Though “bobbing for apples” is a pursuit commonly associated with the… continue reading »
Brigid, Bríd, and the Holy Well
The curious intersections between the Christian and the Pagan in Ireland have always interested me, and (perhaps) they have particular resonance as we approach the strange hybrid / bastardised ‘festival’ called Halloween (or Oíche Samhna if you prefer). A delightful… continue reading »
