SpunOut.ie Blog
October, 2009
SpunOut Blog: Happy New Year
Samhain celebrations!
Yes, we really mean it: Happy New Year! You must be thinking that the old barnbracks have gone to our heads? Not true - though we are munching our way through a fair few bracks! But, if we were to embrace the Celtic calendar in place of the Christian calendar, it in fact would be a new year.
All Hallows Eve was known as an intensely spiritual time when different dimensions of reality came closer. Poeple believed that the Celtic underworld became visible and that the veil between this world and the Otherworld was so thin that the dead could return to warm themselves at the hearths of the living. People also believed that some of the living were able to enter the Otherworld through the doorways of the sidhe, such as that at the Hill of Tara in Ireland. Also, in Celtic mythology, an integral part of Samhain was the ritual mating between the Goddesses and the Gods. So for those of you dressing up as Gods and Goddesses this year, watch out!
A new fire was kindled on the eve of Samhain, and from this sacred flame all the fires in Ireland were rekindled. This is where the idea of the bonfire came from and it is a tradition that still remains today. The word "bonfire" comes from Celtic "bone fires". Villagers used to put out all other fires in their homes and light their hearth fire from the village bonfire, thus binding all the families of the village into one unit.
Rituals on this night embrace providing hospitality to the dead ancestors. People welcomed the dead with food and drink. However, not all spirits from the Otherworld were good; there were evil spirits too. Yikes! To keep evil spirits away from their home, people carved images of spirit-guardians onto turnips and placed them at the doors of their homes. This is probably where our funky pumpkins came from.
As part of the Celtic festivities young people wore strange costumes and moved around the village, pretending to be dead spirits visiting from the Otherworld. The Celts believed that on the eve of New Year; the boundary between this world and the Otherworld dissolved, and the structure of society dissolved too. Boys and girls would dress up as members of the opposite sex and play pranks on the elders.
Special dates on the Celtic Calendar:
- Samhain: New Year – October 31st
- Winter Solstice – December 21st
- Imbolg: Brigit’s Day – February 1st and 2nd
- Spring Equinox – March 21st
- Bealtaine – May 1st
- Summer Solstice – June 21st
- Lughnasa: Harvest – July 31st – August 1st
- Autumn Equinox – September 21st
Sometimes there is a particular "feeling" in the air around these dates. Keep an eye on this and see if you notice anything. If you do let us know!
And a happy New Year to you all!
Photos by qthomasbower
SpunOut.ie Blog: Embrace winter!
Are you dreading the winter? Then, this is for you!
Hi guys,
We know it’s getting dark, ahem ... before 6! We know the Arctic air is coming to nip us in the arse. We can hear the rain pelting against the window and feel the freezing cold deep down in our bones. But... (and a big nippy but!) ... the SpunOut.ie crew have decided to rewire our brains and change how we perceive the Irish winter. We are determined to grab this winter by the snowballs, as they say, and embrace it!
So, just for you, the whole crew teamed up in our snugly HQ recently and dedicated time to remembering why winter can be fun and heart-warming. With the radiators on full blast and armed with hats, scarves and hot chocolates, we came up with the ultimate “Why winter rocks”! list.
So please do remember there really are tons of super things about this time of year. Over the coming days we’ll be showing you ways to break up the monotony of the dark nights; how to get off your bum and move away from the couch, how to use that old right brain of yours to get creative and tons more. Watch this space.
It really is the time of year to take good care of ourselves. Make sure to keep nice and toasty, get out of the house and hook up with your mates, eat your porridge in the morning and don’t crouch down when it rains. It’s only water! A wise woman, Maya Angelou, recently said on Oprah, ‘I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights’ so be sure to face and embrace these winterish days! You can doooo it.
Happy winter!
Love the SpunOut.ie team
SpunOut.ie Lisbon Poll
Blog: Come out and vote!
The results of the SpunOut.ie Facebook Lisbon Treaty Poll*:
- Yes: 50.67%
- No: 41.63%
- I’m undecided: 3.33%
- I don’t understand it: 4.37%
*poll capped at 1,350 voters
The results of the SpunOut.ie poll of 1,350 people show young people are far from silent on the big issues facing the nation. The buzz we’re hearing is:
SpunOutters:
- Are fed up with the tired ideas and faces from both sides of the debate
- Have issues around the lack of clear issue-based information
- Dislike the manner in which both sides are campaigning
- Resent the fact that, despite the huge potential of young people to decide the outcome; few politicians or parties connect with them in any meaningful way
There is a strong feeling that the current system has failed young people and the entire community in its failure to welcome young ideas and energy. Ireland continues to be suffocated by politics that favours playing it safe over sustainable solutions. In the absence of significant attempts by political parties to connect, young people are choosing alternative means of expression. SpunOut.ie feels the time has come for a revolution in civic participation where ordinary voices can lead the exceptional changes that are needed in our country.
SpunOut.ie suggests:
- Civic education in schools
- More participatory system
- Moving away from meaningless placards and sloganeering
Although the poll suggests a close race, it is the No supporters who are most vocal on our forums. SpunOut.ie comments range from analysis of Lisbon and privatisation, militarism and independence to a general belief that the Yes side are overwhelmingly more resourced and visible.
There are approximately 500,000 young people in Ireland between the ages of 18 and 25. The Department of Foreign Affair's research carried out after the last referendum on Lisbon showed age was the second strongest indicator of a No vote, with 57% of the 18-34 year olds voting No, compared to 43% of the same age group who voted Yes.
Despite the above interest in the Lisbon poll it remains to be seen if young people will actually vote on Friday. Will you? In recent years young people have had a low turnout. This means the vast power of the youth vote, which has real potential to decide the outcome, remains largely untapped.
SpunOut.ie is strongly urging the youth of Ireland to come out and vote on Friday. It is important that young people continue to express their aspirations by voting and by ensuring they make their voices heard loud and clear.
