Sleepy Holloween!!!

Last year I spent Samhuinn in Edinburgh...and this year I spent it in Sleepy Hollow!  Pretty cool, right?

Even though I live in New York and am a sucker for all things historic, I had never been to Tarrytown...aka Sleepy Hollow before yesterday's journey.  We stopped in on the way to The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson, NY (which I highly recommend to anyone looking to do something different and definitely awe inspiring for Halloween).

First, a photo stop in Dobbs Ferry:

Next we stopped in at the cemetery where Washington Irving is buried...but we didn't have time to walk it (it's huge!) so we missed out on the headless horseman covered bridge.  Next time, for sure! The cemetery alone could take a whole day.

We popped into The Old Dutch church on the way out.  I was completely charmed by the simplicity and drama of its interior.  The little spiral staircase up to the pulpit....I wonder what words were preached up there back in the day?

Then we took a tour of Philipsburg Manor...and I bought some freshly ground cornmeal and wheat flour!  They were even demonstrating herbal medicine making in the activities center (kismet!) I'd love to go back when I have a little more time.

After dinner at The Headless Horseman Restaurant :) We were off to The Blaze! I had dressed totally inappropriately...so a cup of (over priced) hot apple cider was much appreciated! The Blaze was well worth the very reasonable $16 entrance fee.

Thousands of decoratively carved pumpkins surround you as you walk around the Van Cortlandt Manor grounds...flickering spookily and dazzling the eyes. A truly beautiful spectacle. It was definitely enough to bring out the trick or treating kid in all of us.

Samhuinn in Edinburgh

I returned to Edinburgh, yesterday, just in time for dinner and the Samhuinn Fire Festival, put on by the Beltane Society, down the Royal Mile.

It was really fun, despite my exhaustion from travelling from Iona early in the morning (I'm still processing my time there so stay tuned for more. It really deserves the proper attention).

After checking into my hotel, I made my way back into town and had a pint of Tennants with a steak & ale pie at The World's End...where there was a "Jack Sparrow" waiting on tables! (*Note to all Americans: we get cheated in the pint department back at home. If you want a true pint, come to Britain. ;) Then I made my way up The Royal Mile to the Castle Esplanade, where the procession was to begin.

The Witchery

I wasn't sure what to expect but was up for anything! Then I saw a group of caped figures walking with torches, their faces painted black...some with gold or white designs...and others carrying hand painted banners hung on tree branches.

At 9:00 o'clock one of the black-clad torch bearers started to swing an incense burner around...the sweet smell filling my senses before I saw the fire, and then I spotted "The Green Man" making his way up to the top of the hill. He was followed by music makers, devils, forest dwellers...a whole gang of pagan mischief makers.







XO