A special guest post from the talented Irish writer, Olivia Kiernan
Halloween is upon us and the veil that keeps the
non-living from the living has been lifted. Halloween is a Celtic and pagan
tradition. Known in Ireland as Oíche Shamhna,
it is a chance for the flesh and blood among us to ask those who have passed,
to foretell our fortunes. So how does one ask the otherworld whom they might
marry or what life might hold for us. These are a few games to while away the
dark and spooky hours on All Hallow’s Eve.
Bobbing apples was one of my favourite games as a
child, possibly not the most hygienic but great fun. The aim was to try and
grab an apple from a tub of water, hands behind the back and using only the
mouth. Once the wayward apple was caught, it was then used as an object to
predict your future wife or husband. The skin was peeled and thrown over the
left shoulder; the shape it formed on the ground was seen to represent the
first initial of your true love.
As with most children at Halloween, I was particularly
drawn to the macabre. The following method of fortune telling both thrilled and
terrified me, but I was never too scared not to want to take part. Five saucers
were laid on the kitchen table. Each one containing a single ingredient: water
(meaning a journey overseas), clay (meaning death, hence my terror!), ring
(meaning marriage), rag (meaning poverty) and finally coins (meaning riches).
The participant would be blindfolded, spun three times and then was directed to
reach out to one of the saucers and so discovering what fate awaited them in
their future.
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| Image from Erin Darcy photography |
And of course, no
Irish Halloween would be complete with the Barm Brack. This was a light, yeast bread
studded with sultanas and raisins. It’s something of a ritual in most Irish
households at Halloween. At the end of the evening the brack, is sliced, to be
shared out among the guests where one lucky person will find a ring buried in
the dough. Of course, this indicated that person would
soon be married.
A big thank you to KM Lockwood for giving me the
opportunity to post on The Wedding Ghost. Wishing you all a great Halloween!
Olivia Kiernan is
author of Dawn Solstice.
Blog:
www.oliviakiernan.wordpress.com
Twitter: @LivKiernan
On facebook: Olivia
Kiernan (Author)
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