Ulster Folk Museum revives 1950s Halloween traditions like cabbage divination and turnip lanterns from October 29–31.

The Ulster Folk Museum in Northern Ireland is reviving ancient Halloween traditions like cabbage divination and turnip lanterns, drawing from 1950s community archives. These customs, rooted in the Celtic festival of Samhain, once marked the start of winter with rituals to predict the future and ward off spirits. Visitors can experience practices such as pulling cabbage stalks believed to reveal a future spouse’s physique, and carving turnips—historically used before pumpkins—into lanterns to scare off fairies. The museum highlights guising, storytelling, and hidden items in barmbrack as part of a living cultural heritage. The event runs from October 29 to 31, offering a glimpse into Ulster’s seasonal past.