Section

Festivals and Seasons

3 articles

Samhain: The Irish Origins of Halloween

Carved turnip lanterns overlooking a Samhain bonfire gathering in a misty Irish landscape at dusk.

Turnip lanterns in the window, fairies on the move, and a ring hidden in the cake. The true story of Samhain, and how Ireland gave the world Halloween.

Imbolc: The Irish Festival of Early Spring

A St. Brigid’s cross, snowdrops, candles, and a small fire arranged beside a traditional Irish cottage at dusk.

Lambs in the fields, milk in the pail, and a saint at the door. How Ireland’s quiet spring festival became St. Brigid’s Day.

St. Brigid’s Cross: Meaning, History, and How to Make One

A St. Brigid’s cross made from rushes hanging on the wooden doorway of a traditional Irish cottage.

A handful of rushes, woven on the last night of January to guard the house for a year. The legend, the real history, and how to make one yourself.