Halloween: An Irish Invention

On my way to a Halloween party with the Irish American Society.

Happy Halloween to you and yours! 

The 31^st day of October has always been a special day for me.  A time of fun, parties, and eating lots of candy!  What about for you?  No matter what your age, can you envision happy memories of Halloweens past?  I sincerely hope so. 

Halloween:  An Irish Invention

Wondering from whence the festival of Halloween originated?  The Irish, of course!  Superstitions and customs abound in the hearts and minds of the people even to this day.  Halloween, also known as “All Hallow’s Eve” and in the Irish, “ Samhain”, (pronounced as “sow-rain”), has its beginnings dating back to pre-Christian times.

To the ancient people of Ireland known as the Celts, October 31 represented the end of the growing season and the period when the family was once again reunited after the long separation at “booleying.”  “Booleying: included taking the sheep and cattle to higher ground during the summer, after the crops had been sown, by the younger members.  Sometimes the entire family would migrate to the pastoral area and live there for several months.  On All Hallows, everyone returned home, bringing their livestock with them.  The day became associated with  family reunions and a time to celebrate the old year ending  while heralding in the new year beginning.[i] 

The ancient Druid festival known as Samhain or "November's Eve," commemorated the coming of winter and an occasion to remember and honor one one's dead ancestors.  After the coming of Christianity during the 8^th century, it became an important church observation  as the “eve” before All Saints Day on November 1.    By day, families gathered together to make merry, while by night, the spirits of their ancestors were believed to return to their earthly homes and warm themselves before the start of a long, cold dreary winter.  In welcome, houses’ doors were left open, extra chairs placed close to the blazing fire, and dishes of porridge left out just in case the spirits got hungry. 

Bonfires were lit on the hillsides to light their way home while the living gathered around it performing such traditional favorites like the Bonfire Dance.  The Bonfire Dance is a round or circle dance performed with any number of couples and still widely performed today.   At this same time, fairies roamed the countryside freely heading back to their winter home, always on the look out to make mischief for unsuspecting humans.  People donned costumes to “confuse” these spirits and protect themselves from being carried away.

Festive Foods

Traditions run strongly centering on the various types of food to be served, eaten and enjoyed during the celebration of this holiday.   October 31 was designated as a “day of abstinence” (no meat allowed) by the Catholic Church.  Therefore families, both rich and poor alike, would gather together and feast on a special meatless dinner which might include such wonderful dishes as: Boxty (potato pancakes;) Stampy (a cake;) Colcannon, a dish including potatoes, onions, and kale or cabbage (see recipe below;) and Barm Brack (a fruited bread.)    

When preparing the barm brack, coins and charms would get rolled up in waxed paper and then hidden in its’ mushy depths.  The charms have special meanings and when found in your brack, it foretold future:  a ring meant marriage, a thimble designated spinsterhood, a matchstick predestined your husband would beat you, a pea fated poverty, a bean signified wealth, a religious metal determined you might enter religious orders, and the button fated bachelorhood.[ii]   Today this tradition continues with the trinkets also being added into the Colcannon as well.

Halloween:  A Night of Games and Making Jack-o-lanterns

During Victorian times, a multitude of games to be played abounded on this special eve.  Dunking or bobbing for apples and coins out of a tub always proved a crowd pleaser for the younger children, while fortune-telling games entertained the older groups.  One such game used burning nutshells in the hearth to forecast the future romantic prospects for both boys and girls.  Another favorite pastime employed beans for the same reason. The beans jumped when heated and their direction and speed would “divine” their future.  

The tradition of the jack-o-lantern originates from Ireland too, only turnips were used instead of pumpkins.  (The carving of “pumpkins” started in America because they happened to be a lot more plentiful than turnips here.)  Per Irish lore, the original “Jack O’Lantern” had lived back in the day and was an extremely evil blacksmith.  So evil in fact that the devil banned him from hell, dooming his spirit to walk the earth for eternity.   But he did allow Jack to carry around a hollowed out turnip with a burning coal ember placed in its interior.[iii]   Just like today, a face or other shape is carved into its flesh and a lit candle placed inside.  The jack-o-lantern would be placed on a window sill of the house, on the gate outside, or hung from a rope and carried from place to place as people walked.         

Wearing a Costume is Steeped in Tradition

Costume wearing dates back to the days of the Druids, who believed that on Samhain, the realms between the living and the dead were at their closest!  The evil spirits would attempt to collect as many souls as they could so precaution was needed by the living to protect themselves.  People dressed up like witches, goblins, fairies, and other creatures hoping to confuse the evil ones from noticing them.  As the years passes, children (and adults too!) continued to don costumes and go from house to house chanting, “Help the Halloween Party!” to all who answered their door to gather gifts of food or money.   (Now “trick or treat” is also used as well.) [iv]

Halloween, when my brothers and sisters and I grew up, was a time of great anticipation and fun.  Of course, each year there was some sort of costume for us to wear.  I had a wide variety of different ones over the years but the one I can still remember most was of “Cinderella.” It sported a shiny blue dress with gold stars and a plastic mask for the face.  (Oh my, how uncomfortable those masks were to wear….I would only put it on after I rang the doorbell at each new house.)  My own chants of “Trick or Treat” continue to resound in my mind and I can still happily envision those piles and piles of candy gathered spread out my dining table the next day.    

Potatoes! Potatoes! Everywhere:  A Recipe for Colcannon

Is maith na fataí nuair bhíos an bláth bán orthu. (Irish Proverb)

(When the blossom grows white, the potatoes are good.)

The Irish and their love of the potato manifest itself throughout this recipe.  I have found that the Czechs love their potatoes about as much as the infamous Irish. So being part Irish, part Moravian; how could I not LOVE potatoes myself!  The humble potato appears in all types of recipes but one of my favorite Irish versions is colcannon, a basic mashed potato recipe made with kale or cabbage.  (Traditionally made with kale but now cabbage is widely used.)  The colcannon once served at the old Tipperary Inn in Dallas, Texas was the best I ever tasted and memories of its superb flavor fueled my hunt for the best recipe.    To find the right one took some research and the one following is the one that suits me best.   All the recipes use the same ingredients; however, the ratio between the cabbages to the potato varies greatly. 

                                                                                                        

Colcannon   (cál ceannann)

1 lb. kale or cabbage

2 lbs. potatoes

Salt & pepper to taste

4 tbsp. butter

½ cup warm milk

3-6 scallion, chopped

Boil peeled potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain well.  Mash thoroughly; add the salt & pepper.  Add the butter and enough of the milk to make it creamy.  In another pan, boil the cabbage or kale in salted water for about 7-8 min. until tender.  Drain in colander to get out excess water.  Cut up or blend the cabbage to very small chunks.  Mix the mashed potatoes and the kale/cabbage together well.  Add the scallions and stir again.

If you wish to add charms or coins at Halloween, make sure to wrap them securely in waxed paper before hiding them in the mixture. (Remember to let everyone who eats it know about the added extras before consuming.) Serve the colcannon by spooning into bowls or onto the plate.  Make an indentation in the middle of the mound and add a small touch of butter.  This makes just the right finishing touch and gives it just a little more flavor. 

Now Go Have Fun

 

I hope you enjoyed this brief snippet about how the Irish “invented” Halloween.  Believe me there is so much more and I had to pick and choose what information to include. 

For now, go eat some Colcannon, play some games, or just eat a piece of two of candy or fruit.   And the next time you hear those words

 “Trick or Treat” or “Help the Halloween Party”

Remember it was all started by the Irish.

Happy Halloween.

Sharon

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[i] Sharkie, Brendan, “How the Irish invented Halloween,” online at http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com, Ireland, October 31, 2013.

[ii] Haggerty, Bridget, “An Irish Halloween – Part 1, online at http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com, October 31, 2013.

[iii] Sharkie, Brendan, “How the Irish invented Halloween,” online at http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com. October 31, 2013.

[iv] Haggerty, Bridget, “An Irish Halloween – Part 1, online at http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com, October 31, 2013.

Journaling for Success as an Irish Dancer: Part 2

Journaling for Success as an Irish Dancer: Part 2

Got Your Journal Yet?

So have you bought a new journal yet and made those first entries?  If you shuck your head “yes,” great, you are well on the road to personal improvement. Congratulations!

If not, why not?  Go this week and buy a notebook. No money or time? I understand  the logic but everyone has scrap paper around…..receipts, paper napkins from restaurants, envelopes from all that junk mail flooding your mailbox, even the back of old school reports can be used.  So no more excuses alright?  

Many Positive Results to Be Expected

 There are multitudes of ways that journaling can aid you to shed some positive light on your goals.  Begin by writing down your thoughts and feelings about the events that happen in dance class, at a performance or at a competition that concern you or make you feel especially good.  If any “problems” arise with a fellow dancer, teacher, adjudicator, or other person in your dancing world, then write about them and the situation.  This allows you to let off steam in a nice way and to better understand the person(s) in question ultimately improving your relationships overall.  Happy relationships lead to happy dancers! 

Likewise remember to record compliments from teachers, fellow students, and any watching spectators as well.  I know from personal experience how easily we forget the nice words people say to us each day.  Yet these tiny bits of praise can blossom into more confidence and give you assurance that your hard work pays off very quickly. 

What to Journal for Irish Dancers

Let’s revisit Catherine Shaffer’s article “Journal This” in the November 2006 issue of Dance Magazine and apply her journaling method to Irish dancers as we work on our own personal improvement process.  The method includes four basic steps:

1.  “Create Awareness” by allowing yourself to do an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

To do this: Start by getting feedback from your teacher, a good friend, or from the adjudicators comments if you compete.    The key here is to not look upon this feedback in a negative light.  These people comprise the allies in your improvement process and only want you to achieve your best. Ask for their honest opinion and write down everything they say, whether you agree with their words or not.  Then later at home, take a look at yourself in the mirror remembering their comments.  Do a few dance steps.  Make some notes about what you like and what you do not like about how your dancing looks and feels.  Be honest!  Were they right?  Were they wrong? Now eliminate the negatives and highlight your positives! 

 

2. “Take Action” by figuring out your goals and how you believe that you can achieve them.   

To do this:  Write down each area that you want and can improve.  If the teachers and adjudicators want 180 degree turnout and your feet turn in dramatically, be realistic as you may not be physically capable of accomplishing this change.  However, you can still work on getting your feet as turned out as possible.  In reality, if not blessed with natural turnout, it often takes years of working on stretching and strengthening week after week to achieve that degree of turnout.   Your plan of action does not have to be perfect.   Just be prepared to adjust your goals and the time frame as needed to make the necessary modifications along the way. 

Another good illustration specifically for Irish dancers is the ability to click your heels in hard shoe when “slicing.”  The goal is to click your heels loudly and strongly EVERY time you “slice or kick.” To achieve it, start out by working in sets of 10.  Each time you miss a click, start over from one.  Practice slice clicks until you can click 10 out of 10 times in a row consistently.  Keep up your efforts even though it may take weeks to accomplish. Note your progress in your diary. 

3. “Repetition” by sticking to your action plans as identified in step 2 and writing down your progress as you go along.

     

To do this:  In order to improve at anything, you must do the action over and over again, the RIGHT way!  However, repetition can prove harmful when continually doing it the wrong way as you practice.  You will just imbed the wrong technique deeper and deeper.    Remember to stop yourself immediately and then attempt on correcting it the next time.  Eventually you will do it right. Practicing for 10 minutes a day endeavoring to get it right is so much better than practicing 30 minutes the wrong way.  Mark your progress each day or week by keeping a chart.  Quality is always better than quantity.

4. “Acknowledge Change” when you begin to notice improvements.  Pat yourself on the back and write your accomplishments down in the journal.

           

To do this:  Do not give in to laziness or discouragement and stop before you meet your goals.  It takes time to change!  So it is extremely important to mark the little steps you make along the way.  For example write down, “I was able to click 4 or 10 times in my hard shoes today.”  Then write “great job” to yourself and keep on working on mastering 10 out 10 clicks!

My Own Success with Journaling

A few years ago in 2004, I experienced a stage in my dancing where I had hit a pinnacle point.   I felt that no matter what I did I could make no progress at all and believed wholeheartedly that I kept losing ground instead.  UGH!  

As time and my journal entries revealed, I was a “victim” of many external as well as internal factors going on in my life at the time.  Ultimately these negative factors affected me tremendously every day even though “consciously” I was unaware of their existence.  I decided to do a journal and see if it would help me get past this impasse.  Over the next few months my words began to reveal so many of these hidden feelings trapped inside.  Tears flowed quite often but with each drop I experienced a “release” as I let all those unimportant emotions and pains dissipate.  As time passed, I began to see the actual physical changes in my dancing that I so desired.  Elation filled me as I noticed each new difference or improvement.  I let each small success build into greater ones. 

Now you see why I think journaling is so important and why you should do it right away but especially if you really want to improve yourself and shine.

 Stay tuned for my next blog.   I have not decided yet what it will be so I can keep you in suspense.

Enjoy the dance..

Sharon

Journaling for Success as an Irish Dancer: Part 1

Frog Journal hiding out in my potato plants.

The Mind- Body Connection

No matter who you are or what your ultimate career path happens to be, a connection exists between your mind and body which, in essence, affects every moment of your being.  Whether awake or in the deepest of sleeps, this mind-body connection constantly works creating either “good results” or “bad results” in your life depending on the various events occurring at any given time.  Much of this process goes on unconsciously without you even being aware of it but it ultimately controls your very destiny at present and possibly for years to come.  The good news is that this “energy” can be harnessed and shaped into a force for excellence with just a few simple adjustments.  A dance or life journal will usually reveal some of those areas in your life that need “adjusting!” Read on….

The Four Disciplines that Benefit from Journaling

           

Keeping a dance or life journal proves to be very beneficial when you desire to concentrate on improving yourself, especially your dancing.  Journals are not just for aspiring authors as everyone is capable of keeping a written chronicle of their daily activities.  Keep in mind that it belongs to you and you alone.  No sharing of your journal with the population at large is required so feel free to write your true feelings and beliefs on those book’s blank pages.  Moreover amazing insights may be gained immediately from your efforts.  Wow!

Per Catherine Schaeffer in her article “Journal This!” in the November 2006 issue of Dance Magazine, journaling helps a dancer in four major disciplines:

-          Physical:  i.e. strength, flexibility, endurance.

-          Technique:  i.e. quality of jumps, turn-out, turns.

-          Artistic: i.e. performance quality, personal style, creativity.

-          Mental: i.e. motivation, confidence, intensity.

All dancers can apply her suggestions (discussed on the next blog) no matter what type of discipline they engage in and reap the enormous benefits gained by working on these specified areas.  

4 Simple Steps on How To Start Journaling

Wondering how to start journaling? Just begin with these four simple steps and create that first journal entry this very day.

1.  Find a book or notebook with blank pages.  The cover choices, sizes, and shapes are as numerous as the stars, literally.  Find one with a cover that inspires or makes you feel good.  The best options include any spiral-bound or hard bound books or even a college ruled school notebook.  In addition buy a new pen or pencil.  One that writes smoothly. (I like to use pencil so that I can erase without making a mess of the pages.)

2.  On the first blank front page write: your name, the start date, name of your dancing school, and your address (in case it gets misplaced.)  Flip to the next page and write the current date on it.  Always date your entries immediately to enable you to chart your progress effortlessly.  Years from now as you reread these valuable gems, you will want to remember when you originally penned your words.

3. These first entries should embrace all the goals you wish to accomplish and the time period you give yourself to achieve them.  Think about this carefully.  Record both short term and long term goals.  Do not jot down any unattainable goals.  For example, a beginner dancer would not be able to attain prizewinner level in all their dances within six months, however, placing at their first feis might be.  Remember nothing is written in stone.  This is just your starting point!  Your goals will change over time so be flexible.     

4. Now make the book your own.  Anytime I work on a journal, I love personalizing the pages with images from my large sticker collection which include pictures of Irish dancers, shamrocks, hearts, flowers, etc.  If you have specific goals that you desire to work towards, such as achieving greater turnout, stickers with words of encouragement and reward, such as “great work” or “You’re a winner,” can be particularly helpful.   Stickers add color and life to your book however; their use is totally up to you.

Go Get Your Journal

Time now to begin your road to improvement with journaling. Go buy a really pretty or fun looking notebook at the store, one that brings out the writing muse in you.  Don’t forget to pick out a pretty writing utensil as well.  Go back home and start to write.

Watch for part 2 of the “Journaling for Success as an Irish Dancer” in the next blog as I give you more specifics on how to get the most from your journaling adventure.

Have fun….and enjoy the dance!