Here’s How To Throw The Perfect Pagan Halloween Dinner Party
Words: Maggie Fagan
Hero Image: Unsplash
Ireland has a rich history of divination, long before we downloaded Co-Star or received a tarot reading from a mate who bought their deck in TK Maxx. Halloween is the time of year when the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest. Historically, this was the time to connect with the underworld, commune with the dead and attempt to predict the future. And, more often than not, it was all done through food.
This year, Halloween falls on a Saturday. The last time that happened was 2020 (enough said), and the next time won’t be until 2037. Which means you have absolutely no excuse not to lean into our pagan traditions and make the most of this bewitching Saturday.
This Saturday is the perfect day for a dinner party / games night. You have enough time to prepare on the literal day of – the recipes are easy peasy and you can whip up the games in minutes.
The Food
Before Christianity and colonialism sank their teeth into our psyche, Samhain in Ireland was steeped in weird and wonderful traditions and superstitions. Probably the only widely recognised food tradition to survive is barmbrack. But recently, it seems the Halloween dinner is on the serious decline, and we say bring it the fuck back.
Colcannon
The Halloween Dinner (or at least in our house) consisted of colcannon – creamy mash with curly kale and diced onion woven through it, – a couple of saussies, all topped with a fried egg. But the best part was – hidden in the mash were fortune telling bits and bobs.
For your guests, cook up a generous portion of colcannon (we like the sound of adding nori sheets in this recipe), served alongside the best sausages you can find, and top with a fried egg. Simple, easy, and delicious and a classic Halloween Dinner. And the most important part? Hide the following in the mash (wrapped in tinfoil or baking paper obvs):
A Coin: Symbolises future wealth. Buy a lotto ticket.
A Pea: Whoever finds this is fucked financially for the next 12 months.
A Ring: You’ll either get married or up the duff in the next year.
A Button: Whoever finds this will remain single for the next year. A blessing or a curse, depending on whose fateful spoonful it lands in.
It goes without saying to make sure that all the bits and bobs you hide in the mash are big enough to not be a choking hazard.
Barmbrack
Barmbrack is the most well known of the Samhain staples that is still enjoyed all over the country, and sold commercially in almost every supermarket. A rustic fruit loaf with fortune telling capabilities, in Irish it’s “báirín breac” – báirín menaing “loaf” and breac “speckled”. The dried fruit is usually soaked overnight in tea or whiskey before being baked into the dough making the fruit juicier, and popping with flavour.
We love the idea of a brack charcuterie board à la Graham Heterlich. If you’re going all out you can cook it from scratch (best to start this the night before to soak the dried fruit) – or buy the best quality one you can and top it with fancy accoutrements.
Purdy Pudding
A traditional Northern Irish dish, Purdy Pudding was eaten during Samhain to make use of all the loot that was harvested from the summer. This ambrosia even has its own Facebook appreciation page (funny how Facebook is becoming a new version of the the Dúchas).
Purdy was a local word for potato – and this delicacy is a literal pudding made from mashed potatoes. Flour, sugar, and spices are added to the mash before it’s left to rest overnight. The next day, sliced cooking apples, millk and plenty of butter are added while it slowly cooks for hours. Some accounts serve it along side their dinner, some with dry cured bacon, and others just straight up with more butter and a cup of tea. It’s giving USA sweet potato casserole.
The Divination
A good Halloween dinner party is incomplete without a spooky activity. It’s All Hallows’ Eve after all and if any of the gang are occult curious or spiritually inclined, this is the night of all nights to lean in to the divine mysteries of the underworld.
The Apple Peel
Give each guest an apple and pass the peeler around the table. The aim is to get one continuous peel. Toss it over your left shoulder, and (like magic) whichever letter the peel resembles most is the first letter of their future partner. If the peel breaks prematurely, the fated guest is deemed shit hot out of luck for love. A fun and easy one to get started with.
Snap Apples
Because nobody wants to submerge their face in a basin of lukewarm communal water in their thirties (think of the makeup!), try snap apples instead. Attach strings to the stalks of your apples and hang them from a doorframe using thumbtacks, or tie them to a tree branch. Hands must stay behind guests’ backs, and the first person to successfully bite an apple will be the first to marry – or, like, win the game
The Hazelnut Test
Give each guest two hazelnuts and get them to assign a nut to themselves and a current or future lover. Or if there are couples present – get each person to choose a hazelnut. Light a match between the two nuts (fire safety is paramount here), and watch how both nuts react, not only to each other, but to the flame (of love) burning between them. If the nuts burn quickly, the spark in the relationship is said to be dying. If the nuts move away from each other – that could signify growing apart. If they hop closer together – the future is bright for the two lovebirds.
