,

It’s that time of year when the nights draw in and the veil between worlds thins. Aos Sí or fairies from the otherworld get to visit for one night only, and this year we’re inviting them to our Halloween event at Cumbernauld Glen on Thursday 31st October. Tickets sold out incredibly fast, so congratulations if you are one of the 250 people who managed to secure a place.

This is a departure from our normal weekend events, but as well as the activities and spooky stories it’s a great opportunity to see one of Cumbernauld’s best greenspaces in a new light (or very little light!). We’re usually encouraged to avoid walking through the woods at night, but the experience can be magical in the right context.

Halloween is believed to be taken from Samhain, the ancient Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvesting season and the beginning of winter. A place was set at the table for the return of the souls of loved ones seeking hospitality offerings. Food and drink were put out for the Aos Sí who needed appeasing to grant a good harvest and healthy livestock for the year ahead. It was a time of feasting with guising and going door to door, presenting a song or verse in exchange of food.

Today Halloween is a mixture of the old and new, but it still holds on to the traditions of dressing up and going around the doors for a treat. So why not warm up those vocal cords, get the banter going and display your best guising outfit, we can’t wait to see you!


Tracy Lambert