Join the Irish Embassy and special guest speaker Dr. Julie LeBlanc for a fireside chat on the History of Halloween. Throughout this conversation, we will learn more about the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain, and the calendar as used by the Celts. We’ll delve into why we light bonfires, carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating on Halloween, and maybe even talk a little about the Otherworld! We’ll explore how Ireland’s Halloween traditions were initially exported to North America, and then re-imported to Ireland to become the celebration we know so well today.
Thursday 29th October, 7pm EST to join the conversation, all you need to do is go to YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJqeUqcNnnOPg7HB1gv_98w?view_as=subscriber
We encourage you to ask questions, and share your Halloween experiences and memories.
About Dr. LeBlanc:
Julie M-A LeBlanc holds a PhD in folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MPhil in medieval history from Trinity College Dublin, has taken cultural management courses at the École des hautes études commerciales (HEC) in Montréal, and is an accredited strategic performance management specialist from Rutgers University, New Jersey. In addition to holding policy, research, and parliamentary affairs roles, she is currently a senior analyst within the Government of Canada, working on Indigenous and international human rights issues, and is a part-time professor of Celtic Studies at the University of Ottawa. She lives and works on traditional unceded Algonquin territory with her spouse, son, and daughter, and actively participates in multi-cultural community events and activities celebrating her mixed heritage.
