"I guess it never ceases to amaze me how much our modern day world is impacted by the Irish culture. No wonder people are so proud of their Irish heritage! For yet again, we have Ireland to thank for one of the most fun holidays around! Halloween is a holiday that I always look forward to with its costume parties & haunted houses & trick or treating.
Halloween... The very sound of it sends a shiver of anticipation up my spine. Since the Irish Fest is the time of year when we wind down from summer fun and frolicking and put our noses back to the grindstone in school. So of course we look forward to the Irish Fest and this year we are going to celebrate Halloween and have some freaky fun!
"Samhain" (pronounced SEW- en) was the Celts ancient fire festival at the end of October to celebrate the last day of summer and the beginning of the winter season. Did you know the Jack O'Lantern was an Irish blacksmith, a lost soul, to whom the Devil gave a hollowed out turnip in which was placed a burning coal ember. He was doomed to roam the Earth forever. So, today, we have the tradition of the turnip lantern. In the USA where the turnip was not so widespread, a pumpkin was used.
In ancient times Celts dressed up to disguise themselves from the ghosts roaming the land on Halloween night so as to avoid being carried away; hence the tradition of dressing up at Halloween. However great the fright, nobody would really be surprised to meet with the Puca, the Black Pig, or meet up with that headless ghost, the Dullahan.
Halloween was brought to America by none other than Irish immigrants fleeing the havoc caused the Potato Famine of the 1840s. So remembering our Irish roots this year our 2008 KCIF Children’s area will celebrate the Halloween holiday season.
Important Events:
Our Essay Contest this year is ‘AN IRISH TALE’. We are looking for our own shanachie (seanchaí pronounced "shan-a-hee") which is a traditional Irish Story Teller. The Irish Story Tellers were the keepers of all the stories of Ireland. Your Essay should be a ‘tale’ of Ireland. It can be old Ireland or Current Ireland or even Future Ireland.
Send your essays to:
Shawn Sullivan
7605 Bradshaw St
Shawnee, Ks 66216
Or email to KCIFCHILDRENS@everestkc.net.
Costume Contest – Yes, this year we will have a costume contest at the Irish Festival. There will be Best Costume and Best Irish Costume.
Name the Cow and Friend –Have you seen the new cow and her partner? Start thinking of a name for her and her bird friend get those ideas emailed. And tell all your friends & neighbors that they don’t have to be Irish, to celebrate this year with us at the 2008 Kansas City Irish Festival Children’s area.
Watch for more information about the 2008 Children’s Area at the Kansas City Irish Festival."
Sounds like fun to me. Time to start working on my costume. I think I'll go as Uncle Bloggy. That is one scary dude.
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