3,000 years ago, in Ireland, the ancient Celts celebrated ‘Samhain’ (sow-win), a harvest festival to mark the start of winter. It is said that this is the time when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. Many traditions have lasted until this day and the Halloween Festival in Derry is rated as one of the top Halloween festivals in the world.
Have you ever felt the pull of Ireland in October to celebrate the millenia old feast of Halloween? If you have, there are plenty of celebrations to partake in, the largest and most highly rated being The Halloween Festival in Derry. For four nights the worlds of past and present collide to bring you a dazzling street celebration of all things spooky in the official home of Halloween.
Derry Halloween Festival courtesy of Tourism Ireland
Further south, in Ireland's Ancient East, the Púca Festival in County Meath promises a thrilling journey through myth, music, food, and folklore and presents a fantastic lineup of musicians and comedians. There is even a bus service from Dublin and a number of other towns so that you can relax and enjoy the festivities.