Abstract
Oíche Shamhna or Halloween marks the end of the harvest, the beginning of winter and the last of the four Quarter Days of the Irish calendar year. While food is plentiful at this time of year, food specific studies of this feast day are few. Through archival research this paper explores food traditions at Oíche Shamhna found in the Schools’ Collection 1937–’39 (folklore collected from more than 50,000 schoolchildren in Ireland). Analysis of a sample taken from the Collection reveals four main themes: ‘Games,’ ‘Games with Divinations,’ ‘Supernatural,’ and ‘Cakes and dishes in general.’ Within these themes the significance of food in the celebration of Oíche Shamhna becomes apparent in its use for telling one’s future, as offerings to the fairies, or simply comprising the dishes and cakes such as boxty, bairín breac (a speckled loaf made with dried fruit), colcannon, and apple cake usually enjoyed for the feast. This paper forms part of ongoing research aiming to address the underexplored field of foodways in Irish folklore.
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Recommended Citation
Nic Philibín, Caitríona
(2025)
"Food Traditions in the Folklore of Oíche Shamhna (Halloween): An Exploratory Study of Food in the Schools’ Collection 1937–39,"
European Journal of Food Drink and Society:
Vol. 5:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ejfds/vol5/iss1/4