Carolina Celtic Society celebrates the Irish tradition behind Halloween

Halloween hasn't always been about trick-or-treating. This year, the Carolina Celtic Society is learning about the history of the holiday that traces back to Ireland. 

The society, a cultural organization that celebrates Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultures, will attend a Celtic Halloween lecture on Friday hosted by Gaelic USA that explores the subject "Cracking the Halloween Nut." The lecture will be delivered by Dr. Tiber Falzett and will explore the unique and universal aspects of Halloween folkways among Scottish Highlanders in Scotland and North America. 

Anne Fertig, treasurer of the Carolina Celtic Society, founded the society a year ago.

“I started the club because I myself lived in Scotland for two years," Fertig said. "I studied the Scottish Gaelic language for many years, and I thought there was an opportunity here at UNC for students to get involved in a lot of the cultural activities associated with Scottish, Irish and Welsh culture.”

Eleanor Griggs, vice president of the society and a Ph.D. student in the English department, joined the society as both her and Fertig’s research in the English department has involved studying Celtic literature.

“Our general purpose is just people who are interested in any kind of Celtic culture, giving them an opportunity to come together, to attend things on their own, but just to enjoy learning about this culture,” Griggs said. 

Eli Parker, a junior anthropology major, joined the Carolina Celtic Society at FallFest. Parker is interested in cultures around the world, especially Irish culture.

“I'm an anthropology major, so I like exposure to different cultures and learning about traditions from around the world, but my primary interest in the club is cultural — like being exposed to Irish traditions, Celtic music, things like that,” Parker said. 

Parker said the society not only gives a place to people like him to learn more about Celtic culture but also has a large variety of activities. 

“We are people together with varied interests who can kind of collaborate, talk to each other and learn things,” Parker said. 

Fertig said the society brings about a two-fold experience. Beyond the inter-club interaction, the Carolina Celtic Society works to be involved with the UNC community.

“It's not just to celebrate the culture through these kinds of events but also to help engage with other groups on campus and participate in intercultural dialogues as well,” Fertig said.  

Fertig said North Carolina used to have one of the highest proportions of Scottish highlanders outside of Scotland. So celebrating Irish, Scottish and Welsh culture at UNC links the cultures with the heritage of North Carolina. 

“In some ways this is not just about celebrating above, but also kind of getting in touch with a culture that has had a large presence here at North Carolina at well,” Fertig said. 

Parker said celebrating different cultures broadens his horizons and connects him to his Irish heritage.  

“It's important to celebrate a variety of cultures just because it broadens your horizons," Parker said. "It broadens your understanding of the world. And I think especially at UNC, where so many students have Celtic heritage — like, I'm Irish. A lot of people are Irish, or Welsh, or Scottish, so it gives them a way to connect with their culture, a way they might not otherwise be."

Fertig said the lecture on Friday will achieve one of the group's goals of connecting history with the present. 

“Our event on Friday is going to talk about traditional Celtic Halloween practices, and how they made their way over to North America, so it's not just about what happened over there, but also about how it affects us here in North America today," Fertig said. 

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