Halloween traditions are being passed down from family to family and there is no doubt they are standing the test of time.
Halloween hasn't really changed much over the years. Halloween traditions are being passed down from family to family and there is no doubt they are standing the test of time.
Other than avoiding the bonfires, fireworks and bangers Halloween really hasn't changed. Here are some of our favourite childhood memories but one's our kids also celebrate and love.
1. Jack O'Lanterns
Gone are the days where we used to head to the local supermarket to pick a pumpkin, now we are scavenging through fields at family fun days out BUT one tradition we absolutely love is carving silly and scary faces into giant vegetables to display around the home and at the front door. The competition is fierce these days!
2. Trick or Treating
Trick or Treat smell my feet or give me something nice to eat! Without a doubt the favourite bit about Halloween for the kids. Us parents teach our kids not to take kids from strangers every day of the year except on Halloween night, it is mad, isn't it? The kids are bang wide to the house who give fruit and nuts too, you can be guaranteed they will avoid those houses. Sugar rush all round!
3. Sparklers and Fun Snaps
A tradition for many, a fear for most. Sparklers are becoming increasingly popular with families across Ireland but can you remember chasing your friends around the streets with a box of Fun Snaps? Those really were the days.
4. Colcannon
Halloween was that one night you could earn money just by eating your dinner. Colcannon is a dish served traditionally with curly kale and mash but some families stick with plain ole cabbage. Once prepared it was served with a lump of ham or sausages with coins hidden in the mash.
5. Traditional Party Games
Nothing will ever beat our traditional Halloween party games! Most popular games include apple bobbing to snap apple where you attach a string to an apple and suspend it from the ceiling and you can be guaranteed deep belly laughs as you watch each family member take turns to get a bite. We love it as kids and now mine do too!
6. Bairín Breac
Sometimes know as Halloween dessert. Barn Brack is usually served sliced with a large dollop of Irish butter and a big pot of tea. It's delicious. These days the loaf can be bought ready made but years ago it was a tradition to bake your own and various items were baked into the loaf representing different things. For example, a ring was for marriage, a coin was for wealth and a rag was for poverty.
Kellie Kearney is a Dublin mammy of kids aged 2, 3, 4 and 8. A self-confessed procrastinator and picker-upper of things, Kellie's love include coffee, doughnuts, travel and sharing every day true to life moments on Instagram of her growing family. Follow her on www.instagram.com/mylittlebabog.
