Halloween – a time for thrills, chills and wonderful traditions. But did you know that everyone's favorite spooky holiday began in Ireland?

Trace Halloween right back to its origins and you'll find yourself in the mists of pagan Ireland over 3,000 years ago – a time when the ancient festival of Samhain was celebrated in the heart of Ireland's Ancient East to mark the beginning of winter.

Why not go back there this year where festivalgoers and fans of folklore are in for a treat as Púca Festival returns to Co. Meath. Celebrating Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween, Púca is an authentic, immersive, and otherworldly festival. Vibrant, fun, and contemporary in feel but strongly rooted in tradition, Púca will take place in festival hubs Trim and Athboy in County Meath.

Just up the road in Derry in Northern Ireland you will get a different but equally spectacular Halloween experience. Brought to life by the people of the city over 35 years ago, Derry Halloween has become one of the world's foremost Halloween and Samhain celebrations. From its meagre beginnings as a simple fancy dress party in the city's Castle Bar, the event has grown as each Harvest ends, attracting revelers from all around the globe and showcasing a programme of arts, food, and music as well as cultural, contemporary and family events.

Halloween in Ireland is all about traditions. Whether that is in the food we eat or the games we play. Typical harvest fare such as barmbrack and colcannon are staples at this time of year as we celebrate with our families and gather together to bob for apples.

To celebrate all these wonderful events, we have put together a fantastic suite of copyright free Halloween content including imagery, story ideas and video that can be used to bring all your Halloween stories to life. Tourism Ireland-Halloween2024

We also have a great selection of interviewees – Halloween experts, folklorists, chefs, a witch, and even Bram Stoker's Great Grand Nephew and they are all available to tell you about the origins of Halloween.