Coincidental Holidays

St. Patrick's Day is coming this month,a day this is associated with Ireland. But what about Halloween? Do you associate it with Ireland? I don't know if it is my ignorance or if it isn't a well known fact that Halloween is also of Irish descent. It started with the farmers worrying about the sun returning the next summer,so they held a festival on October 31st with a huge bonfire. The next morning a piece of wood,still burning from the bonfire was used to light new fires. Feasts were cooked over the new fires and people dressed in costumes made from animal skins to protect them from bad luck. Children would cut scary faces in hollowed out turnips or potatoes then place candles inside. At that time Halloween was called Samhain Eve,a time when the veil between the living and the dead grew thinner and ghosts would venture into homes for warmth. Food and drink were left on the table overnight for the ghosts.
Though totally unrelated to today's blog,I wanted to mention that another question on Millionaire today was about a previous blog. Remember the one about the couple that escaped on bicycles with the manuscript for what became Curious George? I can only hope if the writers are trolling my blog for material that they will at least invite me to be on the show in exchange for the material!