Halloween is a festival which is fast spreading.

It was originally a pagan festival, Samhain in Ireland, but in the middle ages was celebrated as Halloween, or the eve of All Hallows Day in Ireland and also in England.
In England the same festival was taken over by Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th but interestingly enough, because the Americans embraced the earlier festival it seems that Halloween is making a comeback there.
As a child we celebrated Halloween in Cork with a strong sense of tradition with apple bobbing, and game where we had to knock down suspended bags of sweets, blindfolded, and with a rolled up newspaper.
Then there was the Barm Brack, the most important element of which was the little favours, wrapped in a twist of greaseproof paper which it contained.

These were;
A pea (for poverty)
A bean (for wealth)
A ring (for marriage)
A coin (for wealth also)
A rag (for the cloth i.e. the religious life)

The Original Brack was yeast leavened but now I think most of us make the easier and more moist tea brack for the occasion.

Halloween Barm Brack
( for three x 1kg. Loaf Tins)

450g (1 lb.) Sultanas
450g (1 lb.) Raisins
450g (1 lb.) Dark Brown Sugar
3 Cups of Black Tea
2 tbs. Whiskey ( optional)
450g (1 lb.) Flour
3 large eggs
3 tsps. Baking powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground Ginger


Mix the fruit , sugar and tea together ( and the whiskey if using)
and soak for 12 hours until the fruit is plump.
Sieve together the flour ,baking powder and spices, beat the eggs together and add these alternately to the fruit.
Mix together well.
Grease well three 1kg. loaf tins and divide the mixture between the three.
Bake these at 180 C 350 F Gas 5.for 1 hour 15 mts.

When it is cool brush the tops with a tbs. of melted honey and put back in the oven for 5 mts. to glaze.