Until Next Year

So Halloween is finally done and I've posted my last blog post for this year, Halloween 2016 has been one of the most incredible journeys I've ever been on. I've began my very own spiritual path, experienced things I never knew possible and luck flew my way. I felt so close to ancestors, I prayed, I became a new person and even though it's not something I'm willing to discuss at this time I believe October is the most incredible magical month and if it's possible I think I even love Halloween a little bit more.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank every single person who's read my Halloween blog this month, it was such a random decision and although I didn't get to spend as much time as I would've liked to spend blogging I'm already drafting posts for next year and I can't wait to see you all again next October.

Blessed Be,
Lynda ðŸŽƒ

Halloween 2016

And so it ends.. Halloween has come and gone and I couldn't be more upset if I tried. I'm sure from my previous posts you've understood the reasons why I love Halloween so much and like every other Halloween this one has it's own story to tell.
Last year we celebrated Halloween twice, once in Carlow (which is a night none of us will ever forget) and once in Carrick where we had the best night of our lives.
The year before that was a usual little party in my house which insisted of great friends and Sam Smith and the one before that..well that year was the craziest Halloween I've ever encountered, a story not fit for blogs but this year was a little different than all the above because it was celebrated on the 30th and not the 31st so there actually wasn't any celebration on Halloween night.

What you can say though is we started celebrated hard and it began from October 1st. I started my Halloween blog and we began planning our little days out like Loftus Hall and Youghalloween, I missed out on so many amazing events due to work but I celebrated it from day 1 and I'm so happy we made the most out of the most magical time of the year... literally!!
 For me, this October has been the most intense one yet as I really took a huge leap into the spiritual side of things, what really affected me was when I realised that the veil between our world and the dead was at it's thinnest so I really reached out to my spiritual guiders and ancestors and the response I've gotten has been incredible. I don't want to go too much into it as it's a very personal journey but it's been surreal and I've taken so much out of this Halloween.

After all the fun events came and passed the main event was on the 30th of October when our SoberTober had come to an end and we decided to get back out on the bandwagon drinking again. One of my favourite things about Halloween is dressing up and this year I decided to think outside the box and go as a mime. As a rule I hate mimes, they drive me insane and their make up scares me but it was happening and I bought my costume from thecostumeshop.com which I found brilliant, it was free delivery and it arrived the very next day so I was delighted and would really recommend that website.


As much as I love dressing up I wont lie and say I'm a natural at makeup so myself and the girls got together early and began painting our faces and we only had a few minor breakdowns along the way. I tell ya if lads had to go through what girls had to go through for a night out then ladies nights would be much more popular believe me but when all was finally done it was time to break the six week drinking ban and enjoy ourselves...and that we did!!
I even endured twenty minutes of no talking during pre drinks and that for me, was not easy believe me!!
After we woke up on the Monday morning though we looked very different and definitely scary enough for Halloween without a costume and we quickly came to terms with the fact our Halloween celebrations had finally come to an end. I made my pumpkin cake, ghostly cupcakes, horedible hands and finished decorating and by that time then it was time to head to bed...such a sad Halloween night I know but what can you do when you live in a shoe?!
So that was my Halloween story this year, very different to my other mad years, I did Samhain blessings, honoured my ancestors and became very spiritual focusing less on going out and partying and it was great but next year??? Double party to make up for it!!
I hope you all had an amazing Halloween!!


My House At Halloween - 2016

Decorating the house at Halloween is something that's just always been done in my home, no questions asked we just always went all out for Halloween and this year was of course no different. Even though I am 21 and not 12 I've always said the one thing I refuse to give up is the Halloween spirit in me and it began on Saturday night when I began hacking into my pumpkin.
 I brought my dog Mursher outside and forced her to sit with me and listen to this is halloween on repeat for the 3 hours when I carved my two pumpkins we'll call them disaster 1 and disaster 2, only messing they were class (well until it started getting dark and I realised I was carving my hands and not the orange flesh of the pumpkin) but none the less they turned out fairly decent and I had a great evening bonding with Mursher in my cape getting into the Halloween spirit.

The inside of the house started bright and early on Sunday morning, Sunday was the day Halloween really kicked off for me and I started the day by putting on my black witches cape and playing my Halloween playlist... on repeat!! First things first I had to go through my four black sacks full of decorations which is actually my favourite part, I have a ridiculous amount, half of what I couldn't even stick up but I love opening the sacks and seeing what I've forgotten I still have, I'm like a child on Christmas morning.
The first thing to happen is every bottle gets a label, I love doing this. I think they look amazing especially if you're having a party. I bought my labels for €1 in PartyWorld but you can easily make your own and I'm sure you can find them in loads of Halloween shops but in my house they're on every bottle.
One area of my house that I'll always decorate is my hallway and this is one of my favourite decorations, this tree is up 24/7 with the lights attached and I think it looks perfect for Autumn especially with a little pumpkin and a lantern beside it.
The first place I always decorate is my sitting room and I start with the mantle piece. Black flowers always set the spooky theme. These are plastic ones that I bought in Euro Giant years ago for €1.50 and I still have them years on. As a matter of fact most items on this mantle piece are from the pound shop and I think it looks deadly. 
Especially with the lights off..
When it comes to the outside of my house I make that little bit more of an effort doing as much as I can to transform my house into the perfect Halloween scene, the pictures I took were from the day before Halloween so it wasn't completely transformed yet but you'll get the idea.
I always have a couple of tombstones scattered around the garden and I feel they look especially good in the day time (please excuse my pathetic excuse of a 'boo' pumpkin) 
Then there's my inflatable ghosts, these are such a goldmine at Halloween as everyone loves them. I used to have a eight foot pop up ghost and a witch splashed into a wall decorations but over the years this disappeared but the garden always looks well... or at least I think so!!

And there you have it, a quick look at my house on Halloween. Of course there's so much more I could show you but I hope you've gotten some inspo from my house and next year don't worry I'll photograph everything!!!! 

Horedible Hands

If you come into my house on Halloween night something you're bound to see scattered around the kitchen are horedible hands and that's a given.
I've been making these for as long as I remember and they go down so well with trick or treaters (and my friends) each and every year, plus they're so simple and fun to make.
What you need:
-Plastic gloves (clear ones not ones with the powder in them)
- Smarties or something similar
- Popcorn
-Elastics 

I don't think anything looks more impressive on the kitchen table than these hands and like I said they're so easy to make.

1. Place the same colour smarties in each finger of the glove as the finger nail, I skipped this step this year as I completely forgot to buy them but you can use anything as long as it's edible and the same colour as the nails.
2. Stuff the hands with the popcorn, I made about fifteen gloves this year with four bags of microwave popcorn, but fill them up making sure you push the popcorn down into the fingers.
3. Tie the glove at the top/ neck of it. What I used this year were the little loom bands and they worked perfectly but any elastic will do. If you can't find elastic then you can just tie a knot in the top of the glove and there you have it.

Three of the easiest steps and kids love to make and eat these, something to keep them entertained for a while anyway!! 
Serve these along with my ghostly cupcakes and you'll be the most popular house in the avenue. 

Youghalloween 2016

Yes I've been in Halloween mode since October 1st but Friday evening is when it all kicked off to me as I headed to Youghal for my first ever Youghalloween. Previously on my post about things to do this Halloween I discovered this three day festival in Co.Cork and couldn't wait to see what Youghalloween spooktacular had to offer and believe me when I say it was an experience.
I finished work at 6pm on Friday and headed straight to Youghall with the three amigos Karen, Annmarie and Roisín. None of us were too sure what to expect but as I recently got really involved in the spiritual side and witchcraft I knew I had no choice but to attend and see some witches in real life and witness their practises, it was unbelievable to see how they practised their craft and showed it to everyone.
 I was still in my work clothes so couldn't get too dressed up but I did wear my cape (which I got in Tesco for €7 and am obsessed with) whilst the girls made a similar effort, I love the fact you were encouraged to dress up, it really made you embrace the Halloween spirit and I loved it.

The night kicked off at half past 7 and we got there around ten past, when I go next year I'll make sure to get their earlier as the place did fill up quite quickly but we could see perfectly what was going on. It was set on the mall beach and it was the perfect location I couldn't believe how beautiful it looked, my pictures do not do it justice I swear. They had the fire burning in the circle which was then used as the witches casting circle, the reason they light this circle of flame is to keep out the negative energies and only work within the light and with positive energies as all white witches do. It was within this castle circle that the witches soon gathered and did their opening ceremony and welcomed An bhean uisce. Being 100% honest with you before I went to Youghall I had not got a clue what An bhean uisce was and days later I still don't know the whole story about it. They do of course tell you the whole story but it was over a microphone and we were a bit away so I couldn't really make out what was being said but none the less watching the witches preform was amazing and it really affected me in a great way, I loved it!! 
The whole ceremony was absolutely breathtaking, the sparklers and flames were absolutely deadly and then it was time to welcome the bean usice home. She arrived on a boat and was met by the knights and witches of Youghall before being marched around the town.
The whole thing was just absolutely beautiful and really kicked off the Halloween weekend. I fell in love with Youghall that night and it made me appreciate Halloween a million times more. It made me miss the old Halloween, when it was genuinely really appreciated and loved but the work the community of Youghall put in is incredible and really goes above and beyond. The Saturday was an amazing day especially for children, with storytelling, wand making classes and haunted tours of the town. I realised it was an event that you can bring the whole family to, whether you're 7 or 70 you belong at Youghalloween. 
Unfortunately I had to miss Monday night and it was the night I wanted to be at more than anything because it was the closing ceremony and the witches were going to dance, there's a video that went viral of German witches dancing and the witches of Youghall were going to re create this.
From the videos posted on facebook they did an amazing rendition of the dance and it was on that night the ceremony came to a close much like this blog post. Summed up I loved my weekend in Youghall and I can't wait for next year... unbelievable.

The History Of Trick Or Treating

I'm twenty one so my trick or treating days have well and truly come to an end but I'll never forget what it felt to be left out doing the rounds of the neighbourhood singing for sweets. Say we'll go back ten years to when I was eleven, I remember this Halloween perfectly and always will. Myself and my best friend Aisling went around the avenue 'on the boogie' (I'll get to that in a few) and I remember this particular one because it was the year Aisling swung her basket upside down and we spent our night on our knees picking up her sweet and coins. I also don't think I ever laughed as much, two witches searching the streets for Aisling's Penney's and sweets. When that was done and we collected everything we could I was in to watch Twitches before going over to my cousins for the Halloween party, I was in the height of my Halloween obsession and trick or treating was always one of my favourite activities, never did I stop and say 'wait, why are we going around to our neighbours begging for sweets and threatening them with trick or treat?' why do we do such weird things and deem them as normal? Well, it wasn't long after that, that my nosiness got the best of me and I went about my day to find out everything there is to know about trick or treating.

I'll just quickly go back to 'going on the boogie' before I move on with the history and going on the boogie was what we called 'trick or treating' in Ireland back in the day. In my time you didn't get anything if you
went to a door and said 'Trick Or Treat' no you had to sing for your treat a song that went something like
'a penny for the boogie, the boogie, the boogie a penny for the boogie God bless you.
If you don't have a penny, a penny, a penny, if you don't have a penny then God bless you' 
I can't remember if those were the exact words but it was definitely something like that, there was no lazy way of getting your treats, if you wanted it you had to sing for it and that was that. Those were without a doubt the greatest days of my childhood... until of course your mother wanted you to put a coat over your new costume...and hide it...well I never!!!!
Anyway as times changed so did going on the boogie and unfortunately there seems to be less and less children out and about each year, as for the singing well that's really dead and gone but trick or treating in itself is very much here to stay if you ask me.

To understand exactly where 'trick or treating' comes from it would do you no harm in having a little read into the full story behind Halloween, I did a short blog post recently all about it which you can read here but the history of trick or treating is short and sweet (get it sweet...because you get sweets ;) )
Anyway it goes way back to the middle ages and trick or treaters aka the children were known as 'Soulers' and trick or treating was known as 'souling'. As we know the ordinary people used to dress up in costume to confuse and rebel against spirits during Samhain as this was the time they believed that spirits could come back and walk amongst the living.
The children and poor adults who would have been in costume would go from door to door 'souling' which meant they were begging for food or money whatever they could get and in exchange they would sing a song and promise to pray for the dead relatives of the families who gave them some money or food.
 Like I said in the beginning back in my day we would sing a song for our treat but wayyyy back then they song would have went something like -
''A soul! A soul! A soul -cake!
Please good missus, a soul cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Any good thing  to make us all merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for him who made us all.''

As you may have guess from the song a popular food to give out were small little fruit cakes called 'soul cakes' which is in fact where the popular Barn brack comes from. Soul cakes were small current cakes usually with a cross in the top of them and these were given out to the door, as long as they kept their promise to pray for their dead relatives.
If you want to make your own traditional soul cakes then I did a blog post on the recipe which you can find here, keep it traditional this Halloween!! 

It was during the 1920's and 1930's in America that this tradition changed to Trick Or Treating and it's a tradition I hope is here for generations to come.

Soul Cakes Recipe

Soul cakes are a huge part of Halloween's history and in particular the sweet part of Halloween...the trick or treating aka souling. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about and want to find out a little bit more about why we trick or treat I did a little post about it which you can find here  but basically soul cakes were given out like sweets are given out today to beggars who went from door to door on Samhain.
If you're a fan of barn brack on Halloween then this also stems from soul cakes as they were smaller versions of the brack but with a cross on top and no ring so the recipes are similar but if you want to be very traditional this Halloween then this is the recipe you need:

I use the recipe from Babble and it works perfect for me everytime:

Ingredients:
340 grams all-purpose flour, sifted
170 grams granulated sugar
170 grams butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
Raisins


Instructions:
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the egg and white wine vinegar Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl sifted flour, spices, and sugar. Rub in the diced butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in the beaten egg and vinegar and mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a ball. The dough will be firm. Use your hands to press the dough together into a ball, if necessary. Cover the bowl and chill for 20 minutes.

3.Lightly flour a clean, flat surface and roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into large rounds using a cookie cutter. Use the end of a wooden spoon to press a cross shape into the cakes. Place the cakes onto the baking sheets and press raisins into the top of the cakes, if desired. Gather the scraps together and roll again until all the dough has been cut into cakes.

Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12-15 minutes, or until the cake tops are lightly golden. Can be eaten warm or at room temperature.Store in an airtight container for about a week.

My Favorite Halloween Websites

When it comes to my Halloween inspo there's no better place than the Internet and as I've been obsessed with Halloween for many years I've pretty much seen every Halloween website that's come and gone and there's always something I've taken from them.
 When I was younger probably around thirteen there used to be amazing websites for kids out there such as the Hershey's Haunted house which was my favourite and just gave an incredible view of the history of Halloween there was also the Ben & Jerry's flavour graveyard and the Family Fun website and the three of those in particular were websites I'd visit everyday and have given me so many DIY Halloween ideas. I've searched high and low for these three websites and they've seemed to just vanish which makes me so sad you've no idea. They were websites I'd have loved to show my kids one day but it just meant I went further afield and started looking up new websites for Halloween whether they be DIY, the history or Youtube videos I searched them all and found 5 that I love and get me in the Halloween spirit each and every time I visit.

Top 5's - 
https://www.top5s.co.uk/creepy
I've started this list with the Top 5's Youtube channel and their website and I've wanted to do a separate post on this channel for a long time but I feel like it really fits in today's post. I discovered this channel a few months ago and immediately became obsessed it's practically a top 5 countdown but on everything I'm interested in like the paranormal, the unknown, myths and legends and it's one account that I literally cannot get enough of. I will do my make up and have these videos playing on Youtube on my phone in the background and the channel get exceptionally good around this time of the year with their Halloween playlist which you just have to check out, believe me if you want to be spooked this is for you.
 The speaker also amazes me, we've never seen his face but he's so passionate and interesting I could listen to him speak forever, if there's one thing you do today it's check out some top 5's videos.

Tinyprints- 
This is a website I've just recently came across and it's been my favourite site to go to this Halloween. It's kind of like the websites I mentioned above where you literally have everything and in particular if you're having a Halloween party this year this is the only website you'll need for inspiration. It even has a section for kids and adults so it's literally a perfect website and hopefully ones I'll be using for years to come.

Halloween Instructables- 
Halloween instructables is a site that I cannot get enough off and I think it's brilliant. It reminds me of pinterest in a way but even better as it gives you step by step instructions, it's exactly what you need if you fancy some DIY this Halloween.
Believe me once the weekend hits I'm in full Halloween DIY Mood and this website will become my best friend. 

Halloween is all about treating yourself and for spooky Halloween recipes then Hershey's is your stopping point, it has thousands of online, easy to follow recipes. I love this website but believe me when I say it's nothing on their previous Hershey's haunted Halloween house, now that I loved. 

When I say a website has everything I mean this website has everything from costumes to decorations to recipes it has it all. My plan for today??? Go through the entire website and bookmark what I'm going to make this weekend. 

Of course there are hundreds more websites out there when you're looking for Halloween ideas and inspiration. Pinterest is my best friend when it comes to Halloween ideas come follow me - lyndahennebry 
I hope this post gave you a few ideas that you can use this weekend.

Halloween At Loftus Hall


Loftus Hall also known as one of Ireland's most haunted landmarks is a place I have always wanted to visit but never had the nerve until this Halloween. With the whole history of the house being based around the devil and with it being the 666th anniversary I decided there was no question about it and I was going to Loftus this Halloween.
 As I'm a quite spiritual person myself I was a little bit frightened about what I would experience but I have to say it was one of the greatest nights of my life.

For those of you that don't know the history of Loftus Hall I will give you a brief history lesson here and then leave some links that you can follow to get more in depth articles.

  It all started back in 1350 when the Redmond family built the house, after a while the house was taken over by the Loftus family in 1650s and it's then the weird happenings began.
Legend has it that one stormy night a ship arrived at the Hook Peninsula which was not far from the mansion. On the ship was a tall, dark handsome man and seeing as though it was such a miserable night the man began searching for a place to stay. After arriving at Loftus Hall he was invited into the house. The daughter of the family Anne and the stranger became very close and she fell pregnant his child. One night as the family and the stranger were playing cards Anne bent down to pick up a card she dropped under the table and noticed that he had hooves for feet.
 As Anne started screaming the man shot up through the roof leaving a large hole in the roof that to this day cannot be fixed.
Anne soon became mentally ill after he child was taken from her and murdered, she was then locked away in the mansion and her spirit is said to still lurk in the house.
To find out more of their history head to their website, or check out the wiki page. 

The fun began on Thursday night when myself and four of my best friends Karen, Crellin, Annmarie and Aisling decided to brave the adult Halloween tour at 11:30 pm, are we brave or stupid? you decide?
I'll never forget the feeling when I saw the house in the distance, I got chills and goose pimples it was an amazing feeling. So much excitement and fear, it's what I live for and I just knew the night was going to be great. 
We parked at the back of the house which is where you enter and they have a great little cafe where you can get lunches during the day or cakes, we got a cup of tea and began our wait for the 11:30 tour. There was quite a delay as we didn't begin our tour until gone 12 but the cafe is great and they do have some entertainment while you're waiting.

When it was time for us to go on the tour I was bricking it, I had the worst dose of nervous giggles and I just did not know what I was about to encounter. It wasn't at all as I expected, I was expecting a tour of the house that was much more serious however they actually act out the scenes in the different rooms which was a million times more entertaining, although part of me still wishes it was a little bit more serious which I'm sure the paranormal lock down will be (the paranormal lock down is sold out however...or else I'd be there believe me!!) 
 The first hall we came too had the stairs where two nuns had fell to their death, I got such a weird feeling around these stairs and having watched the episode of Ghost Adventurers where they actually go to Loftus I knew all about the stairs so this made it all that little bit spookier for me. 
On the tour we were brought to all the rooms that you'd want to visit, the chapel (which almost finished me off I'm not gonna lie) the tapestry room and the room where it all happened, the card room where you can clearly see the hole in the roof where the devil went through.
 The characters you'd meet were brilliant, the actors were fantastic and made you believe that they were
actually there in that time and were back telling you the story. I felt at such ease but at the same time I was terrified. I could go on and on for days about how amazing it was but I'm trying to keep this post short and sweet. 

 Overall I had one of the greatest experiences of my life and would recommend everyone goes and visits Loftus Hall. It is scary, so be prepared but also go in with an open mind. Realise that you are in a house that has spirits and is packed with history and culture so don't go trying to be cool embrace the feeling and enjoy it.
I will never forget that feeling of driving up that drive way I felt something unbelievable and it's the greatest Halloween event I've ever been to so definitely make the most of this Halloween and visit Ireland's most haunted house ðŸ‘» ðŸ‘» ðŸ‘» ðŸ‘» ðŸ‘» 

High Street At Halloween

Two of my biggest passions are Halloween and fashion so when I get to combine them both I'm a very happy camper and that's what tonight's post is all about.
  Dressing up is one of my favourite things to do on Halloween. Each year we make the annual trip to PartyWorld and spend the day trying on everything that catches our eyes last year I went as Dorothy from Wizard Of Oz in PartyWorld and what myself and my friends learned is that the more effort we all made with our costumes the more fun we have looking back on old pictures, and of course old antics cough cough from Halloween nights before.
Tonight's post like I said is all about Halloween fashion and by Halloween fashion I don't mean costumes such as Dorothy and a convict I mean what's available on the high street for those who don't want to or don't have the chance to go full on costume this year.

I've taken inspiration from H&M, New Look, River Island and Boohoo.com and chosen my favourite pieces for you to get your fangs into this year... I hope you find something you like ðŸŽƒðŸ‘»

First up is the 'House Of Halloween' collection from H&M and it's actually this collection that inspired me to write this piece. They have pieces from leather skirts to skeleton tops, it's really the perfect Halloween style clothing for the day. I've chosen a few of my favourite pieces but you should definitely check out the collection to see for yourself.

Next up it's a collection from my favourite store New Look and the Halloween Collection available there. This is one of my favourite collections with items that will bring you from day to night whilst really tying in with that Halloween theme. 
Isn't everything so pretty?? I went them all.

Next up is the boohoo.com collection and I just love Boohoo I don't know anyone who doesn't but it's always my go to online store when I'm shopping so when I decided to do a post on Halloween fashion I knew I had to pop my head over to Boohoo and believe me I was not disappointed. Probably one of my favourite Halloween collections so far they have something for everybody. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself. 
It was honestly so hard to narrow it down to three items but honestly the Halloween collection is amazing and so affordable, please go check it out if you're looking for some Halloween inspo. 

And finally River Island Halloween collection this is without a doubt the most beautiful collection with the most elegant, yet Halloween inspired dresses and tops. I feel like this collection is for those people who really want to dress up on Halloween night yet keep with the spooky theme and if that's you then this collection is for you.

And there you have it Halloween on the high street I hope that this post has inspired you to make that little bit extra effort on Halloween whether you're into dressing up or not there's so much out there for you to think about. 
 Happy Shopping!! 

How To Make Ghostly Cupcakes

One of my favourite things to make around Halloween are my ghostly cupcakes, they are ridiculously easy to make, take no time and look seriously impressive. If you're like me and not the best baker in the world then these will seriously impress your friends and family and most importantly they look like they have taken you ages to do when in reality it's a couple of seconds.

What You'll Need : 
- Baked Buns/Cupcakes (bought or made from scratch)
- Ready To Roll White Icing
- Chocolate chips

What To Do : 
1. To start off decide whether you're going to make your own buns or buy them in the shop, for time saving I'd go for the ready made ones but if you want to go all out make them yourself. If you are I'd recommend using the Odlums recipe as they come out perfect every time. The secret to these ghosts are when you lay all your buns out on a tray, turn them upside down so that the flat side is facing up and place to one side
2. Next it's time to create the ghosts, sprinkle some icing sugar on your kitchen counter and roll out your white icing, until it's nice and thin. Using a pint glass cut out the piece of icing sugar, enough so that the icing comes down at the side creating that ghost like appearance.
3. To finish off use two chocolate chips on each ghost as eyes and there you have it, ghostly cupcakes completed.

And there you have it, I've been making these for years and years and my friends are always so impressed with them. Didn't I tell you they were a piece of cake.... literally ;)

The Legend Of Stingy Jack

Pumpkins are a huge part of the Halloween tradition but did you ever stop and think why? Why do we carve a face into a vegetable and leave it outside our front doors? It's crazy stuff when you genuinely think about it. After last weeks post on the history of Halloween I decided another history post was due and since the history of the Jack O'Lanterns are beyond interesting I'm going to explain everything I know regarding the Legend of Stingy Jack.

The history of the Jack O'Lantern comes from Ireland where there was a mean and stingy man named Jack, he was a smart but very lazy man he drank all the time but his favourite hobby was playing tricks on people. One night Jack convinced the devil to come and have a drink with him and when it came to Jack's round he tricked the devil into turning himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. 
Instead of paying for the drinks Jack decided to keep the coin and the devil could not change back, the devil made a promise to Jack that he would not bother him for one year and when Jack died he would not claim his soul, Jack agreed to this and allowed the devil to turn back into himself.

A year later the devil came to Jack looking for his revenge on Jack but the trickster that Jack was convinced the devil to climb a tree to get a piece of fruit. When the devil was high up in the tree Jack put a cross on the tree so the devil couldn't come down. 
 Jack made the devil promise to leave Jack alone and never bother him again, the devil promised to leave him alone and to not claim his soul and he was allowed down out of the tree.

It wasn't long after this that Jack died and he was turned away at the gates of heaven, having lived such a mean and stingy life God turned him away. He then decided he would visit the devil in hell and the devil stuck to his word and refused to claim his soul. 
With Jack being denied access to heaven and hell the devil felt bad for Jack and threw him a piece of burning coal to light his way.
 Jack carved out a turnip and placed his coal into the hollowed turnip and he was sent back to earth to wander around with only the turnip for light this is how he got the name Jack Of The Lantern. 
It was when the Irish fled the potato famine they discovered that pumpkins were much easier to carve than turnips and made much nicer Jack O'Lanterns it wasn't long until the name got changed from Jack Of The Lantern to Jack O'Lanterns and Jacks ghost is said to still haunt the earth to this day.
                                 And there you have the history of the Jack O'Lantern ðŸŽƒðŸ‘»

Events To Get Your Fangs Stuck Into This Halloween

As much as I love the traditional Halloween activities such as going on the boogie, going shopping for decorations this year I've decided to try something different and really put some research in and find out what goes on around the country this time of the year.
 I wanted to find things that were family friendly, child friendly and others that were absolutely terrifying and believe me when I say there's so much going on around the month of October that really celebrates Halloween. From some of the most known Halloween events to dancing witches on a beach take a look and see if there's anything that catches your eye.

1. Loftus Hall - Wexford
I have never been to Loftus Hall but it's something I've always wanted to do, so what better time to go than on the 666 anniversary? Loftus Hall which is known as the most haunted house in Ireland has terrified people for decades and the history of the house dates way back to the 1350s during the black death.
 Legend has it that one stormy night a ship arrived at the Hook Peninsula which was not far from the mansion. As it was such a miserable night the young man was invited into the house and the daughter of the family Anne and the stranger became very close. One night as the family and the stranger were playing cards Anne bent down to pick up a card she dropped under the table and noticed the stranger had hooves for feet.
 As Anne jumped up screaming the man shot up through the roof leaving a large hole in the roof that cannot be fixed.
Anne soon became mentally ill and was locked away in the mansion so with the devil shooting through the roof and Anne's ghost said to walk the building it really is the perfect place to visit this Halloween.
There's so many events going on around Loftus Hall this Halloween so head over to their website to find out a little bit more.

2. Pumpkin Festival - Clonmel, Tipperary
This is one for the whole family and one I'll definitely be stealing one my little cousins to come with me so I don't look like a complete craze ball going alone as a 21 year old but from visiting the garden centre so much growing up it's definitely a place to go this Halloween.
 There's so much fun activites from picking your pumpkin to carving them to having so much fun and a really cute story about Spookley the square pumpkin which is such a lovely story for the children.

3. The nightmare Realm - Cork & Dublin
It's probably one of the most anticipated Halloween events every year and would you believe it's something I've never been too (and I don't know if I ever will haha) This year it's also being brought to Dublin having originally stated in Cork but you have to admire the hard work and dedication that goes into this event. To find out more about times, bookings etc head over to The Nightmare Realm online.  

4. The Spooky Express - Waterford and Suir Valley Railway (Kilmeaden) 
It's the Halloween event that's most closest to my home and you've only one night to capture this magical adventure. Where this train is based is actually a seriously haunted area so you genuinely do not know what's going to happen. It's one for the whole family and you're definitely going to catch me on the 9pm train that's for sure. Tickets must be booked and paid for before the night. 

5. The Scare Factory- Limerick
The scare factory in Limerick has one of the best locations in the country this year and it's the very haunted King Johns Castle running from the 20th to the 31st of October and it's definitely not for children. As you take a walk through the castle you'll be faced with your biggest fears from evil clowns to zombies it's definitely one of the most terrifying events out there this Halloween. Keep up to date with the event on their facebook page. 

6. Spirits Of Meath 
As a lover of all things Samhain it's a mystery to me how this is my first year finding out about the Spirits of Meath festival thats ran every year, I suppose in reality I did only find out where Meath was located in Ireland this year but none the less this is an event for all Halloween lovers out there and you don't want to miss it. Because I'm located so South of the country I am unsure whether I am able to make the event this year but without a doubt it's on the bucket list for next year. 
From haunted hills to graveyard tours this festival has it all so head over to their website where they can tell you a lot more than I can..all I have to say is..WOW!! 

7. Scarefest Shankill Castle - Kilkenny
The Scare Fest in Kilkenny has something for everyone whether it's a ghost tour for the teens, a wand making class for the kids or an ultimate scare tour for yourself believe me when I say it has something for everyone. I'll focus on the ghost tour but if you want to find out more head over to their web page. The ghost tour will cost you €32 but if you get the early bird it's €28 you get a nighttime candle lit tour of the haunted castle and the graveyard and it's strictly over 15's ..if you want a spook then it's the place to go!! 

8.Huntington Castle - Carlow
I couldn't forget Huntington Castle and if you're a student in Carlow I'd definitely recommend checking out their ghost tours over the Halloween period. They run the ghost tours in this very haunted castle from the 27th to the 31st of October only and it's not one to be missed. At only €11.95 for adults it's the perfect activity to do this Halloween, head over to their page to keep up to date with everything. 

9. House Of Horrors - Waterford

House of Horrors is now in it's 7th year in Waterford it was started as a fundraiser event and is quickly becoming one of the biggest Halloween attractions in the country, before this year I'd actually never heard of the house of horrors (I know, talk about a Waterford born woman) but this year I'm super excited to head down and have a look. It runs for 8 days and to find out more head over to their facebook page. It runs from October 25th to November 1st and I'll be sure to let you know how I get on through the scary maze.

10. Youghalloween Spooktacular - Youghal
 Saving the best for last, like the Spirits of Meath this is something I have just found out about this year and I cannot wait, I'm going there this year with my friends and don't worry I will most definitely post a full review of the event. I came across this event on facebook and saw witches dancing on a beach..yep you heard me!! There's honestly not much I can say other than you need to go and check out this event!! Check out their facebook page to learn more.