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Halloween is celebrated all across the world - a celebration of all things creepy as we ease ourselves in the dark, cold nights of winter. But many of the traditions such as fancy dress, the ghosts and ghouls, and the tricks and treats come from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated at the of October; a time marking summer’s end (from which the name comes), the end of the harvest, and the beginning of the dark half of the year. The cattle were returned from summer grazing, and with crops harvested and fresh meat, Samhain was a time of great feasting before the cold, harsh winter set in. It was thought that as we approach the dark half of the year, the boundary between our world and the Otherworld was at its weakest, allowing fairies and other creatures to enter this world and cause havoc. To prevent the evils of the Otherworld affecting you, people engaged in many different protective rituals, devised to appease the fairy folk…

Black cats feature heavily in stories all around the world, and it is safe to say they are badly in need of the PR boost from their very own day of celebration. Internationally, black cats are seen as sidekicks to witches, signs of bad luck and even omens of death. And Irish folklore is no different…