Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
GUEST,Jim Carroll Origins of Samhain (33) RE: Origins of Samhain 23 Oct 07


I get the impression that 'trick or treat' is a relatively recent thing here in Ireland and is an American import.
All Souls Night was still an active custom up to 15-20 years ago, among some older rural people and particularly among Travellers. This was where food and drink (and in some cases cigarettes and newspapers) would be left out for the departed souls.
We were told of this by a Traveller woman , who also told us how she caught one of her children, by then an adult, smoking the cigarettes that had been left out.
When we asked her when the custom had been last practiced, (this was in the 80s) she said, "I'll be putting something out tomorrow night".
Jim Carroll


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.