News
Samhain’s about right!
Halloween is widely known to have originated in Celtic Ireland in particular from the festivities during Samhain. The festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter and was believed to be a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, allowing spirits to roam the earth. During Samhain, the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes made of animal heads and skins to ward off evil spirits. They believed that the presence of spirits made it easier for Druids to make predictions about the future and performed rituals and offerings to appease the spirits or as we now call it, trick-or-treating.
As Christianity spread throughout Ireland, the church incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain into its own celebrations. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints’ Day, a day to honour all saints and martyrs. The evening before, October 31st, became known as All Hallows’ Eve, eventually evolving into Halloween. Over time, Halloween became the community-centred holiday we all know and love, unless you are a Samhainophobic of course. Yes, believe it or not, the fear of Halloween or any association with it is called Samhainophobia.
Samhain was a time when the community would come together to celebrate and honour their ancestors. Older adults played a central role as they would often lead the community in rituals, ceremonies and storytelling. They would share myths, legends, and tales of the past, passing down cultural knowledge and preserving the community’s history. Older persons would also provided guidance and advice to younger generations during Samhain. They would offer wisdom and insights on various aspects of life, including agriculture, survival, the cycle of life and death and even spiritual matters.
Older adults held a respected and central role in the celebrations of Samhain with their presence and involvement helping to foster a sense of community, togetherness and multigenerational solidarity. Once again, it begs the question of where respect for the older generation got lost along the way. Older adults have somehow transitioned from being seen as an integral part of the community to being an inconvenience. Let’s try to revisit these Samhain traditions this Halloween and connect with our community as best we can. Let’s do as the Celts did and show appreciation to our elders while celebrating this annual tradition.
We wish you all a very happy Halloween!
The fight continues for ISCP members
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members and delegates for attending our 2023 Annual Parliament Meeting last week. We had a wonderful day of discussion and debate while exchanging views on the announcements of Budget 2024. The overall response to the Budget was one of disappointment and confusion. Our members expressed how they felt let down by Government and once again, older persons were an oversight in this year’s budget.
We managed to put our budgetary frustrations to one side to speak about the continued work of the ISCP and to celebrate all of our achievements to date. We also took a moment to pause and pay tribute to past ISCP members who have sadly passed away in the last year. Once our delegates were up to date on current and future work, we continued to discuss the future direction of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament.
It was made very clear to us that our members still have the drive and determination to continue fighting for their rights and for security in retirement. We must always remember that we are advocating for everyone’s future. It won’t be long until our older population outnumber the rest and our Government need to prepare for this in advance. We need to future-proof and implement policies which support our entire population at every stage of life. The ISCP will continue to do our best to elevate and promote the voice of our growing population of older persons.
Budget 2024 proves disrespect is rising quicker than our ageing population
Irish Senior Citizens Parliament members believe that this current Government no longer have respect for older people. Speaking at their Annual Parliament Meeting, members expressed disbelief at how detached and dispassionate current Ministers are.
“Believing that the €12 offered would allow people to meet their bills especially as we head into winter, is evidence of how out of touch this Government is.” says Imelda Browne President ISCP.
CEO Sue Shaw expressed the deep disappointment and anxiety felt by members. This will ensure that older people are pushed into poverty and left struggling to survive. Fear of not being able to meet their bills and heat their home is not good for the health and well-being of older people.
This was an opportunity for Government to keep the promise that was made to benchmark the pension to 34% of the average wage which would offer a strong sense of income security to older people. This could have been introduced this year with a commitment to implement the change over this and the next budget. That would have meant an increase of €26 this year, instead of the €12 which is a drop in the ocean compared to the amount needed to keep older people out of poverty and hardship.
Culture Night 2023 – the perfect opportunity to reengage with your community
Culture Night first began back in 2006, largely contained within Temple Bar in Dublin City Centre. This year, Culture Night celebrates its 18th birthday as an all-island celebration of Irish culture. Thousands of free events are taking place tomorrow night, Friday 22nd September, all over the country.
Culture night brings people of ages together, bridging the gap between generations while creating a sense of belonging and community. It is a wonderful night to experience something new or to reengage with your local community, especially if you have been feeling reluctant to participate since the pandemic. Many older individuals feel detached from our rapidly changing society and we have noticed that the ‘Covid hangover’ still looms and is discouraging our members from attending social gatherings. Culture Night can help foster a sense of pride and belonging as the nation celebrates Irish customs and traditions.
Culture night offers a diverse range of activities that cater to different interests and prides itself on being a free, accessible and age-friendly night of festivities. The night often includes workshops, demonstrations, and talks where people can learn new skills or deepen their knowledge about various cultural aspects. Such performances and explorations are taking place in art centres, community centres, libraries, cafes and multiple public spaces showcasing art, music, spoken word, comedy, film, theatre and the list goes on…
Access to cultural activities in local communities and villages is a key part of this year’s programme and you can find out what’s on in your local area by clicking HERE.
Some events may require booking so make sure there are tickets available before you make the trip to the local community centre. And most importantly, everyone at the ISCP wishes you a truly magical night!