Several years ago after a rigorous day of exploring County Laois, I pulled into a pub for a well-deserved pick-me-up pint. It was a wee bit early for the local drinking crowd and the long bar held only one customer, a young man who looked more like a fellow whose regular haunt would be a Dublin watering hole rather than a remote country pub. His tweed jacket hugged the … [Read more...] about Sláinte! When an Apple is Ripe, it Will Fall
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Sláinte! The Irish Roots of Halloween
Ask anyone to name five favorite holidays, and it's a sure bet Halloween will be on the list. Then ask how the celebration came to be. More than likely you'll be told Halloween means All Hallows Eve the night of prayer preceding the Feast of All Saints. Yes, but there's more to it than that. The night we celebrate by dressing in outlandish costumes and traipsing about the … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Irish Roots of Halloween
Sláinte! Goddess Meets Groundhog
Time passes and things change. As people migrate from nation to nation around the earth, they may leave the land of their birth behind, but their travel gear is packed chock full of tradition. No matter where the emigrants settle, customs and festivities that have weathered the test of time find a new home as well. Sometimes the celebration is adopted whole and intact. One … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Goddess Meets Groundhog