Around the world Halloween is known as a time for children to dress up in costumes, usually with a scary theme, and to go door to door “trick-or-treating”, collecting sweets or candies from their neighbours. But where did this tradition come from?
The name Halloween comes from All Hallows’ Eve, meaning the evening before the feast of All Hallows, or All Saints’ Day. But the name does not seem connected to the style of celebrations we associate with it. In pre-Christian times, Celtic countries celebrated a festival called Samhain, when they would welcome the harvest and ward off ghosts by lighting bonfires and dressing in costumes. Christianity was brought to Ireland by St Patrick in the fifth century, and pagan beliefs and practices were replaced with Christian theology and liturgy. However, some forms of those practices would have remained out of love for tradition. Later on, in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated the 1st of November as a time to honour saints. All Saints' Day, honours all saints and martyrs, and all human souls in Heaven, known or unknown. It is a time to remember and reflect on those who lived virtuous lives. Over time the traditions of Samhain, such as bonfires and costumes, became part of the All Saints’ Day celebrations. This blend of cultural practices perhaps allowed communities to celebrate both playful and the solemn aspects of life and death. In the tenth century a further feast day was added, All Souls’ Day, on the 2nd of November, when prayers are said for departed loved ones.
In recent years there has been increasing interest in reviving awareness of All Saints’ Day, and children sometimes dress up as their favourite saint.
At Derdriu Store we are offering lovely gift items in English and the Irish language that will help in the celebration of All Saints. So far, we have included gifts and clothing for five popular and beloved Saints: St Patrick, St Columba, St Bridget of Ireland, St Francis of Assisi, and St Therese of Lisieux.
We ship to Ireland, United States, UK, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
St Patrick
St Patrick is one of the three patron saints of Ireland along with St Columba and St Bridget.
Derdriu Store is offering these delightful and colourful stickers to celebrate themes of St Patrick and Ireland:
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-patrick-stickers
N Pádraig is the Irish for St. Patrick. The capital N is for naomh (saint), which is pronounced "nay-v" and Pádraig is pronounced "paw-ruhk". St Patrick is said to have banished snakes from Ireland and used the three-leaf clover (or shamrock) to teach the Irish about the Holy Trinity. The harp is the symbol of Ireland, and the flag of Ireland is also included, along with a four-leaf clover and a Celtic knot.
We are also offering these high-quality and comfortable t-shirts for toddlers and older children both in the English and Irish languages, and with shamrock and Celtic three-point knot symbols.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-patrick-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-patrick-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-padraig-st-patrick-irish-language-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-padraig-st-patrick-irish-language-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
St Columba
Derdriu store offers these cute and colourful stickers to celebrate St Columba:
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-columba-stickers
N Colm is the Irish for St. Columba. Colm is pronounced "kollum", and means "dove". St Columba was an Irish abbot and missionary who travelled to Scotland and founded the abbey on Iona. St Columba's monks are believed to have created the Book of Kells, which is an illuminated manuscript. The symbols on these stickers include doves, a writing quill and book, a Celtic three-point knot and the Irish flag.
These t-shirts for toddlers or older children display St Columba’s name in English or Irish, with the symbol of the dove.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-columba-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-columba-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-colm-st-columba-irish-language-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-colm-st-columba-irish-language-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
St Bridget
Celebrate All Saints' Day or St Bridget's Day with these St Bridget stickers, or give as a thoughtful gift:
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-bridget-stickers
These stickers include English and Irish spellings of her name. "N Brigid" is "St Bridget" in Irish.
St Brigid is said to have tamed a wild fox to appease the King of Leinster whose pet fox was accidentally killed. The king arrested the man who had killed his fox, and Brigid secured the man’s release by offering her newly tamed fox as a replacement pet. However, when St Brigid left the castle the fox missed her, and eventually it ran away. In another story with the King of Leinster, St Brigid asked the King for land to build a monastery and said she only wanted the land that her cloak could cover. The King laughed at this request and agreed, however when her cloak was laid on the ground it miraculously enlarged to the size of plot she needed. St Bridget founded monasteries for men and women and founded a school of art for metalwork and illumination (decoration of sacred manuscripts).
The designs on the stickers include a dancing fox, a cloak, a writing quill, an Irish flag and a St Brigid's traditional woven cross.
These cute and stylish t-shirts for toddlers and older children have St Bridget’s name in English and Irish, with designs of a dancing fox and a traditional St Bridget’s woven cross.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-bridget-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-bridget-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-brigid-st-bridget-irish-language-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-brigid-st-bridget-irish-language-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
St Francis
Celebrate All Saints' Day with these colourful St Francis stickers, or give as a thoughtful gift.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-francis-stickers
St Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar who founded the order of Franciscans. He was a stigmatist, mystic and a poet and lived a life of poverty as a beggar and preacher.
In a famous story Francis talked to a wolf to persuade him to stop killing people in a certain town, and the wolf became a pet of the townspeople. St Francis had a great appreciation and affinity for nature, and in a famous prayer addressed the sun and moon as his brother and sister. St Francis also composed the famous prayer "Make me a channel of your peace". These stickers include his name in Irish: Naomh (N) Proinséas pronounced "nay-v pron-shay-is", a wolf, a sun and moon, a dove, a sparrow and the Italian flag.
Celebrate All Saints' Day with these St Francis t-shirts for toddlers and older children, or give as a thoughtful gift. Both English and Irish language available, with symbols of a wolf, or sun and moon.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-francis-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-francis-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-proinseas-st-francis-irish-language-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-proinseas-st-francis-irish-language-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
St Therese
Celebrate All Saints' Day with these St Therese stickers, or give as a thoughtful gift.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-therese-stickers
St Therese of the Lisieux, also called Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, or the Little Flower, was a French Discalced Carmelite nun. She wrote a memoir, "The Story of a Soul" explaining her theology the "Little Way". Therese promised to make a “Shower of Roses” fall from Heaven after her death and she became the youngest "Doctor of the Church". These stickers include her name in Irish: Naomh (N) Treasa ("nay-v trass-a"), the French flag, a book and roses.
Celebrate All Saints' Day with these St Therese t-shirts, or give as a thoughtful gift. Available for toddlers and older children, in English and Irish and with cute and colourful rose designs.
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-therese-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/st-therese-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-treasa-st-therese-irish-language-toddler-short-sleeve-t-shirt
https://derdriustore.com/products/n-treasa-st-therese-irish-language-organic-cotton-kids-t-shirt
