Spirit of our Celtic past

Halloween is a mish-mash of many cultures, but its roots can be found in Ireland’s pagan tradition, writes Carl Dixon.

AMONGST the notable exports from Celtic countries to the world at large — which includes St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness, Welsh singing, bagpipes and Bono among others — is the great Celtic festival of Samhain.

Now known as Halloween, it probably has the most enduring global impact and although co-opted by Christianity, filtered through the experience of the immigrant community in America and in recent times re-imagined by the media, many of its enduring traditions are derived from our pre-Christian past.