CELEBRATE - Halloween in Ireland

I am sitting at my desk looking out at a nice sunny day, wrapped up in several layers of woolen jumpers and dipping periodically into the trick-or-treat stash that the children have left in the dining room. I know they will leave all the chocolate bars and go straight for the boiled sweets, so I am safe with my secret.

“The Irish people are so nice!” said my children, seemingly completely taken aback on Sunday evening.

We went trick-or-treating for the first time in several years. Last year was a Covid shutdown obviously, and the year before we were abroad. Given that they are only 13 and 11 years old, I can easily believe that they have no memories of door knocking in the dark.

We started at our next door neighbours, one Mandolorian and one Blues Brother with small paper bags. A can of Coke, a packet of crisps and a handful of Haribo later, they were buoyed up with delight that all they had to do was dress up and knock on someone’s door to get some free stuff.

Down the street there is a terraced house with a garden completely filled with skeletons, spooky sounds and terrifying ghosts appearing in the windows. It was a safe bet, ironically. We had never met these people but they were so excited by visitors that they came out for a chat. As it turned out, they had spent 2500 euros on decorations. I have been saving up to spend this same amount on some dental work, so our measly cotton wool cobwebs pale in comparison to this show.

Next into the cul-de-sac where there were plenty of lights on. Pre-packed bags of sweets and crisps appeared and one house even gave the children decent sized tote bags, as the current paper bags were overflowing. Six houses later and we were done, weighty bags of junk, and the children announced that the Irish people are the nicest in the world!

I am amused that after four years in Ireland, it is still a Them and Us scenario. The children consider themselves to be blow-ins, foreigners on Irish soil. I’m Irish as I grew up here, but in a few years when they fly the nest, I wonder if they will consider here to be home?