Reprinted from (I believe) Folk Tales.
In the often strife-ridden and British-dominated Republic of Northern Ireland, All Hallows Eve is considered a major celebration of such stature that it’s oft-times called the Irish Christmas. It’s a day-long event of meals, family gatherings, and more fun than one scarcely imagine. And most importantly, it is the major festival that unifies two sides who are, more often than not, at odds over the most minor of differences: members of the Catholic and Protestant religions.
The Hallowed Eve: Dimensions of Culture in a Calendar Festival in Northern Ireland uses the framework of extensive interviews to present the customs that anchor the celebrations of this holiday. It will surprise most of our American readers that many of their traditions arrived here in the late 1800s with the Irish immigrants from the Northern Ireland counties. Pumpkins, pranks, and yes, even the infamous Devil’s Night in Detroit have their origin in the Northern Irish celebration of All Hallows Eve!
The author has a long and deep interest in this holiday and has even been a featured expert on a television special produced by The History Channel, about Hallowe’en.
If you have any interest in how the Irish as a community unify on the Hallowed Eve, or how the American traditions of “trick or treat” arose, get this book. (There’s even an interesting side discussion of the possible relationship of the British celebration of Guy Fawkes Day to All Hallows Eve.) Jack Santino, perhaps the foremost folklore specialist on all things Halloween, has written the definitive look at the uniquely Irish origins of Halloween.
(University Press of Kentucky, 1998)
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