The Celtic year begins, as life begins - in darkness, at midnight on Samhain, 31 October, the beginning of the autumn
I love Ireland, I love all things Irish. Learning about the old myths and traditions, culture, the people and heritage, is a source of wonderment and inspiration to me. I wrote this lens for a Squidoo Rocketmoms Lens Challenge, and included some familiar traditional Irish fall harvest recipes.. enjoy!
Samhain is a three-day festival held in Ireland, which incorporates All Souls' Day, Halloween, and All Saints' Day. It marks the end of the bright days of summer and the beginning of the darker - and colder - part of the year.
Beautiful and mysterious Ireland is steeped in myth and tradition. Stories of little folk can be heard everywhere. In times gone by, discussions surrounding the Fall Harvest were had at every meeting place. The Sidhe, also known as The Fairies, The Good Folk, Little People or Tuatha de Dunann move from their summer residence to their autumn homes at this time.
All crops had to be gathered in before Samhain, and no berries could be picked after this time, as Pooka would spit on them. The last sheaf of harvest left standing in the field was called Cailleach, or Hag. This component of the Celtic triple Goddess, Brigid the maiden, Macha the mother and Morrigan the crone has since become the witch, dressed in black, riding her broomstick or cooking over her cauldron.
Weather forecasts for the winter were made according to the direction and strength of the wind at midnight on 31 October, or by the movement of clouds over the moon at that time.
Source: http://www.squidoo.com/irish-autumn-harvest-recipes
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