IrishCentral Halloween - b5cc3275d518416eacb61d676e8d84d1

Christmas starts way too early here in Ireland nowadays - Halloween is hardly over when Santa Claus shows up (IrishCentral)

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 05:16:26 PST

Christmas comes too early these daysChristmas seems to be here for the best part of 3 months these days The children are no sooner back to school and you can see some supermarkets bringing merchandise into the back of the stores and being piled up high, then bit by bit and all of a sudden it’s like Christmas got sick all over usBefore anyone asks I love Christmas, but by the time Christmas days comes the whole thing has worn off me and this is sad Christmas day is supposed to be the climax of the whole festival, don’t you think!We are getting more like America here in the last decade when it comes to Halloween with all the houses being done up like a scene from Michael Jackson's 'Thriller READ MORE

Trick or Treat - Halloween witch finger cookies recipe (IrishCentral)

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:29:57 PDT

By: CHEF MICHEAL GILLIGAN

It’s time to get ready for Halloween – it is only a couple of weeks away so you have to start getting your costumes together and all the rest of that nonsense. Last year I put a sheet over my head, stuck horns on it and went to work.

Top ten terrifying Irish secrets to know about Halloween (IrishCentral)

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:06:22 PDT

By: JAMES COOPER

1. It is an ancient Irish festival, created for Samhain, the day when the undead walk among us and we must ward off evil spirits.

Ireland’s most haunted house to reveal its horrors in time for Halloween - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 06:45:29 PDT

By: PATRICK COUNIHAN

The owner of Ireland’s most haunted house has opened his doors to the public – just in time for Halloween.

Halloween, a history - an Irish invention and an American export (IrishCentral)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:27:42 PDT

By: JOHN FAY

Halloween was invented by the Irish, but when I first moved here it wasn't that big a deal. Not when compared with the Halloween I remembered as a kid in Queens and upstate New York. Back in 1995 I took my daughter out trick-or-treating for the first time and it was something of an eye-opener for me. We went to five or six houses and two handed her the traditional Irish Halloween treats: an apple and some nuts. The other houses had nothing.

Top ten real life ghost sightings in Ireland - Halloween tales to make your hair stand on end (IrishCentral)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:24:30 PDT

By: KERRY O'SHEA

Ireland has a rich history of sightings of ghosts and spirits all around the country. From specters to strange appearances, here are ten of some of the more recent encounters just in time for Halloween.

Halloween 'Scream' cookies recipe - a terrifying and delicious treat (IrishCentral)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:51:18 PDT

By: CHEF MICHAEL GILLIGAN

It is only a weeks until Halloween so I am going to give you a head start with this recipe as it is a little more challenging than our usual stuff. This might a bit more work but the results are stunning. I make these at the W Hotel here in South Beach for the front desk as a welcoming amenity for our guests.

'Irish dancer' Halloween costumes: culturally inaccurate and intentionally erotic (IrishCentral)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 07:36:20 PDT

By: S.J. Velasquez

Each year, the same complaint about girls' and womens' Halloween costume options resurfaces: those tight-fitting, barely-there outfits are just too sexy.

Dracula, banshees and Jack o' Lantern - top ten Irish Halloween scary spirits - PHOTOS (IrishCentral)

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:53:30 PDT

By: BUZZ BRADY

SEE PHOTOS - Irish Halloween scary spirts - click here

1. Dracula

Was Dracula Irish? - Irish Arts Center celebrates Bram Stoker for Halloween - VIDEOS (IrishCentral)

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 06:21:51 PDT

By: JANE WALSH

Dracula creator, Bram Stoker, was born and grew up in Dublin, and Stoker's Irish influences such as folklore, Irish politics and the Irish landscape have played a big role on the formation of the enduring legacy to popular culture on the vampire myths.

On Sunday, October 28, the Irish Arts Center will celebrate the life, work, and legacy of Irish horror novelist Bram Stoker and his gothic novel “Dracula” with the screening of “Bram Stoker agus Dracula” at our Halloween Film Festival.

The Halloween Film Festival features screenings of “Na Cloigne”, a horror thriller and will also include trivia, costume competitions, and fun Halloween activities with a killer dance party to end the evening.

All films are in the Irish language with English subtitles.

Irish Cultural Centre - An Irish All Hallow's Eve celebration, summer is officially over (IrishCentral)

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:01:17 PDT

Signs of Summer’s End appear all about the grounds of the Irish Cultural Centre of New England Hay bales, pumpkins, scarecrows, deep burgundy mums and crones on broomsticks remind us that the time for celebrating the Old Celtic New Year’s Eve known as Samhain, Oíche Shamhna, or All Hallow’s Eve is just around the corner In Ireland, November 1st marks the end of the harvest The history and lore of Ireland’s ancient days are full of special gatherings, activities and bonfires that families, farmers and villagers would hold on October 31st to acknowledge the turning of the season from Summer’s lighter half of the year to Winter’s darker half READ MORE

Exclusive - Irish horror “Citadel” set to send chills down US spines - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:49:26 PDT

By: CAHIR O'DOHERTY

In Citadel, the atmospheric new horror flick by newcomer Irish director Ciaran Foy, what we don't know can really, really hurt us.

Ireland's most famous murder for Halloween - The Colleen Bawn (IrishCentral)

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:45:57 PDT

By: BERNIE MALONE

Halloween ghost stories and recipes - brittle meringue bones and carrot fingers (IrishCentral)

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:36:58 PDT

By: CHEF MICHAEL GILLIGAN

Irish American Heritage Museum to hold family event “Your Heritage…Pass it on” (IrishCentral)

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:33:28 PDT

By: JANE WALSH

The Irish Halloween History and my family Barmbrack recipe (IrishCentral)

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 05:00:30 PDT

The Ancient Celtic Calendar cut in StoneHalloween, celebrated on October 31st, is one of those true Celtic traditions that has become a world-wide celebrated occasion Historically, it is based on the Celtic festival of "Samhain" which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "Summer's End"With the plantation of Ulster in the early 1600's, the Scottish colonists brought with them the festival of All Hallow's Evening (All Hallows Even') celebrated on the same night and the two traditions merged This was the night that the souls of the dead were thought to walk the earth and many people believed it a setting for supernatural encounters! I remember how Holy Water was sprinkled on the outhouses, sheds and farm animals to keep them safe during the night and mirrors in our house were covered with sheets so that the poor souls could not enter the living world READ MORE

Put the kettle on - never underestimate the importance of tea to an Irishman (IrishCentral)

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 05:30:30 PDT

Put the kettle on A phrase used every day in every house in Ireland Everyone knows it means make a cup of teaAre you a Barry's family or a Lyons one? Or the new kid on the block - Campbell's?Tea covers all ails - sympathy, encouragement, a little chat, family crises, bereavement or celebration READ MORE

Galway welcomes new president Michael D Higgins home and a proper scare at Halloween (IrishCentral)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:45:25 PDT

Michael D opens 2011 Cruinniu na Mbad festival in KinvaraFive thousand people greeted our new president Michael D Higgins in Galway city on Sunday And there are a lot of smiling faces in Kinvara Halloween went well, if you judge it by the mountainous pile of sweets the girls managed to accumulate trick or treating They dressed as a witch and her cat READ MORE

Tweet a skeleton this Halloween at the Museum of Natural History in Dublin (IrishCentral)

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:30:17 PDT

The Natural History Museum in Dublin is the oldest museum in Ireland having been opened by Doctor David Livingstone (no less) in 1857 Known locally as the Dead Zoo, it has been a favorite of generations of Dubliners ever sinceDubliners are on first name terms with many of the exhibits, including Spotticus the Giraffe Spotticus is is now happily tweeting away to his loyal band of global fans, following his recent makeover in the Netherlands READ MORE

'Irish dancer' Halloween costumes: culturally inaccurate, intentionally erotic (IrishCentral)

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:00:13 PDT

Each year, the same complaint about girls' and womens' Halloween costume options resurfaces: those tight-fitting, barely-there outfits are just too sexyUnfortunately, it's not just the "naughty cop" and "flirty fairy" costumes that are turning heads Even the image of the Irish lass -- a traditional Irish dancer, in many cases -- is subject to hyper-sexualization This year, it seems like more online Halloween outfitters are offering inaccurate interpretations of Irish dance gear READ MORE