Hop tu Naa

Hop tu Naa – At Cooil Road in Douglas.

Do you know the difference between Halloween and Hop Tu Naa? As the rest of the British Isles prepare to celebrate Halloween on 31 October, many Isle of Man residents will instead celebrate Hop tu Naa. Historically Hop tu Naa has been considered to be the Celtic New Year, marking the end of the summer and the beginning of winter.

Hop tu Naa is celebrated with the carving of turnips for lanterns as opposed to the pumpkins that are commonly used for Halloween. Children will then go singing around the houses for hop tu Naa treats, this was once apples, bonnag and herring but as the years have gone by it’s now sweets and pennies.

Children visit the houses in fancy dress costumes and with their spooky turnip lantern. A favourite song of choice and one you still regularly hear amongst the children is the famous ‘Ginnie the Witch’ which is a traditional Manx Gaelic song.

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