Samhain's Scary

Event

Samhain [Hallowe’en] is a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season (the lighter half of the year) and beginning of winter (the darker half of the year). It was believed during Celtic times, some 2,000 years ago, that during Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through, and rendering it a very spooky time!  

Given its ancient Celtic roots, Samhain is now an important and much loved festival in the Irish and Scottish calendars. Sadly, this year, due to Covid-19 restrictions we could not host the storytelling session we had envisioned. To mark Samhain virtually, we joined forces our Consulate General of Ireland, Cardiff to create a social media campaign - Samhain’s Scary. We commissioned Niamh O’Loughlin, a Scotland–based Irish artist, and Marion Kenny, an established Scottish storyteller, to each make a Samhain-themed video for our social media accounts. The Consulate General of Ireland, Cardiff commissioned Cath Little, a well-known Wales-based storyteller, to bring us stories of Hallowe’en from a Wales.

For the celebration of Samhain, Niamh O’Loughlin created a fun video where she explored creative ways to trick-or-treat without leaving home. From next to a roaring fire, Marion Kenny delivered a haunting, folktale set in rural Donegal. These videos were available for all to enjoy on social media over the Samhain weekend.

Check out Niamh’s ideas for Trick-or-Treat at home here.

Marion’s story about the Northern Lights from Donegal can be watched here.

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