’ Cnagadh Cnù na Samhna/Cracking the Halloween Nut: Sensing and Making Sense of a Scottish Highland Calendar Custom

A free, open, public event to celebrate the Scottish Heritage USA Visiting Lectureship in Scottish Gaelic Studies at UNC and the Scottish heritage of historic Carolina communities. This lecture will be delivered by the inaugural UNC Visiting Lecturer, Dr. Tiber Falzett. Hallowe’en is largely derived from a pre- Christian Celtic harvest festival commemorating the ancestors and the death of the old year. Dr. Falzett’s talk will explore the unique and universal aspects of Halloween folkways among Scottish Highlanders in Scotland and North America. Discussion will be illustrated by field recordings of custom and belief within Gaelic speaking communities, newspaper editorials, and song compositions. Together these Gaelic voices bring to life the cultural significance of Halloween for Highland immigrant communities, giving valuable insights into the roots of this holiday’s near-universal appeal, and enabling us to compare its divergent reinterpretations as it has become popularized around the world. Talk followed by celebratory reception. Kilts and costumes are encouraged!