Written By Kayleigh Butler
Hop-Tu-Naa, or in Manx: Oie Houney, is a Celtic
festival celebrated in the Isle of Man on 31 October. It is the traditional
festival of Samhain, the start of winter. The term Hop Tu Naa comes from a Manx
Gaelic song traditionally sung during the festival. It is believed to be the
oldest tradition on the island. The Manx Oie Houney turned into Halloween in northern
England and in Ireland and was carried to America by Irish immigrants.
On the Isle of Man today, many groups of people continue the tradition of
singing Hop-tu-Naa songs "around the houses" (which traditionally
referred to going around visiting houses, especially those of the wealthy, and
getting gifts) with turnip lanterns. In addition to this, many public
Hop-tu-Naa events take place across the Isle of Man each year, most of which
today include competitions for turnip carving and the singing of traditional
songs and dances. As well as the many events run within local communities,
Cregneash hosts an event every year to teach the traditional Hop-tu-Naa song
and to help people to carve turnips.
At the modern Hop-tu-Naa, children dress up and go from house to house hoping
to be given sweets or money, just like modern Halloween. The children carry
carved turnip lanterns (which are known as "moots" by the Manx) and
sing Hop-tu-Naa songs. There are regional varieties of how turnips should be carved
for Hop-tu-Naa, and regional varieties of Hop Tu Naa songs. In the past
children would bring the stumps of turnips with them and batter the doors of
those who refused to give them gifts, in an ancient form of trick or treat.
This practice has died out, now children do not go to houses with front lights
turned off. It was also customary for children to receive pieces of bonnag,
herring or potatoes instead of sweets, which is what children receive now.
A Hop Tu Naa dance was believed to have been danced through the streets on
Hop-tu-Naa night by couples carrying their turnip-lanterns. It is a simple
dance for pairs which involves the Manx reel step and a combination of arches
only. This dance is taught in many schools on the Isle of Man during October
each year, and it is danced at many of the Hop-tu-Naa events across the island.
Traditional food for Hop-tu-Naa includes mrastyr: potatoes, parsnips and fish
mashed up with butter. Any leftovers from this evening meal would be left out
with pots of fresh water for the fairies.
Some of the older customs are similar to those now related to New Year. It was
a time for weather predictions and fortune-telling. Last thing at night, the
ashes of a fire were smoothed out to receive the imprint of a foot. If the next
morning the track pointed towards the door, someone in the house would die, but
if the footprint pointed inward, it indicated a birth.
A cake was also made called the Soddag Valloo, (Dumb Cake), because it was made
and eaten in silence. Young women and girls all had a hand in baking it on the
red embers of the hearth, first helping to mix the ingredients (flour, eggs,
eggshells, soot and salt) and kneading the dough. The cake was divided up and
eaten in silence and, still without speaking, all who had eaten it went to bed,
walking backwards, expecting and hoping to see their future husband in a dream.
The future husband was expected to appear in the dream and offer a drink of
water.
Other means of divination was to steal a salt herring from a neighbour, roast
it over the fire, eat it in silence and go to bed; or to hold water in your
mouth and a pinch of salt in each hand as you listen to a neighbour's
conversation, whereupon the first name mentioned would be that of your future
spouse.
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