By Philip Beattie
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,
but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11
Ireland is set to be centre stage for the first official celebration of the origins of Samhain, and subsequent positioning of Ireland internationally as the “Home of Halloween”. This “celebration”, known as the Puca Festival will take place in Ireland’s counties of Meath and Louth between October 31st and November 2nd 2019. It is expected that this Festival will be held annually, while a Failte Ireland spokesman estimated that the event could draw as much as 100,000 visitors and generate around €12 million for the local economy.
Samhain, which means “Summer’s end” in Irish, marked the end of the Celtic Year and the start of a new one. Ancient Celtic pagan lore considered this to be a time of transition, when the spirits of all those who had passed away since the previous Oiche Shamhna (31st October) moved onto the “next life”. . “…. to capture the original and authentic spirit of Samhain across three breath-taking nights of music, food, light and spectacle”.[1]
A Catholic with a decent education will be able to look beyond this festival’s supposed focus on regionality and discern the real spiritual harm of celebrating a pagan past built on the foundations of witchcraft. This festival wants to obscure the Catholic Church’s triumph over paganism with the coming of Saint Patrick to Ireland and obliterate the legacy of our great patron saint whose apostolate began precisely in the East of Ireland. By appealing to the country’s ancient pagan Celtic traditions, the Puca Festival represents an attack on the Catholic Faith but sadly, many Catholics in Ireland, anesthetised by modern culture, fail to realise this
Read Halloween: A Catholic Feast Becomes Grotesque
In keeping with the revolutionary agenda that has the country in a stranglehold – one awash with neo-pagan and materialist overtones – it comes as no surprise that: “…. Puca will celebrate a time when light turns to dark, the veil between realities turns thin, rules can be broken, and the spirits move between worlds”.[2] In Trim, as dusk falls on 31st October, revelers are invited to join the Spirits’ procession as it weaves its way through the streets. Athboy, for its part will hold a “spiritual celebration” on the same night, while Drogheda hosts a silent horror musical score revolving around the legendary Witches of Ireland.
Will this lavishly funded so-called festival chip away at what’s left of Christian civilisation and Ireland’s Catholic spiritual patrimony exemplified by the Feast of All Saints? Furthermore, will this festival engender a resurgence of neo-paganism among the Irish people? The simple answer is “Yes” on both counts. Catholics cannot remain indifferent to these attacks on our Faith.
[1] John Donohoe,“Puca Festival to bring 100,000 visitors and €12 million boost to area”; Meath Chronicle, 30 July 201; https://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/07/30/4177555-pca-festival-to-bring-100000-visitors-and-12-million-boost-to-area/.
[2] Matt Artz, “Ireland’s Puca Festival to Celebrate the Birthplace of Halloween”; June 12, 2019; https://halloweendailynews.com/2019/06/ireland-puca-festival/.
