Tag: Spooky

Samhain – Witches New Year

The 31st October and the surrounding days are a special time for many cultures, from the Día de Muertos (The Day of the Dead) in Mexico to the Christian All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows' Day) and of course the secular Halloween celebrations.  The pagan wheel of the year celebrates Samhain from sunset … Continue reading Samhain – Witches New Year

 The Origins of Killieween

The town I grew up in, Kilmarnock, located in the West of Scotland has many strange and interesting traditions, from the paper roses that the bride to be wears before marriage to the ‘Paper Roses’ that are sung at Rugby Park (the home of Kilmarnock F.C), to the obsessive cleaning of EVERYTHING before the bells … Continue reading  The Origins of Killieween

A History of Jack-o’-lanterns

I wrote yesterday about how Trick or Treating originated in Scotland and Ireland and has been repackaged and returned to us in modern times with an American slant. Today’s Halloween tradition has also made the same journey.  The carved pumpkin is a tradition which is now strongly associated with Halloween, but the tradition of the … Continue reading A History of Jack-o’-lanterns