Watch this Halloween episode from 2024 of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they chat about the Irish history of Halloween and its ancient pagan origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain. Joined by historian Dan Snow, they go beyond pumpkins and ghosts to uncover the real origins of Halloween: turnips, fairies, and a fortune-telling cake. They explore how the festival is rooted on the island of Ireland, marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. The trio tries Barmbrack, a traditional fruit loaf that foretells the future, and speaks with food historian Dr. Regina Sexton about the Samhain customs that became today's Halloween traditions. Anthony and Maddy also discover the historic Irish folklore of the "three worlds"—and the ghouls and fairies that occupy them—with folklore expert Dr. Kelly Fitzgerald. 0:00 The Ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain 2:09 Welcome Dan Snow: Carving the Original Jack-o'-Lantern (Turnips) 5:33 Barmbrack: The Cake That Tells Your Future 7:22 Dr. Kelly Fitzgerald: The Pagan Origins of Halloween 8:44 Ireland's Three Worlds: Fairies, Ghosts & the Dead 17:19 The True Meaning of "Trick or Treat" 19:33 How Irish Immigrants Invented American Halloween 23:31 Regina Sexton: The Ancient Foods of Samhain 40:13 What is a Banshee? (Irish Folklore) 47:38 The Future of Ireland's Halloween (The Pukah Festival) Produced by Charlotte Long, Mariana Des Forges, Freddy Chick, edited by Tom Delargy, Dougal Patmore and the production coordinators were Beth Donaldson and Peta Stamper. Video Editor was Matthew Wilson. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #HistoryHitPodcast #AfterDark #Halloween