Hop Tu Naa

Culture Vannin, the local organisation for all things Manx, has this interesting information on the old tradition of Hop Tu Naa  -  the celebration of the traditional Celtic festival of Samhain, the start of winter (Oie Houney).

"Hop-tu-naa is the oldest continuously-existing tradition in the Isle of Man. Celebrated on the 31st of October, Hop-tu-naa is the Manx equivalent of Halloween, with some very important differences. Unmistakably, one of the key features of hop-tu-naa is the "moot" (turnip), which is hollowed out and decorated; there is also a range of popular folk songs with regional differences, in both English and Manx; there is a traditional folk dance still practiced across the Island today; and there are some unusual customs and supertitions which link back to the ancient Celtic beliefs about this time of year."

 Many public Hop-tu-Naa events take place across the Isle of Man each year, most of which today include competitions for artistically carving turnips and the singing of traditional songs. 

 For anyone who is interested to learn more, here is their web page...

 https://www.culturevannin.im/manx_year_event_468995.html


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11 comments:

  1. northsider 10 October 2019 at 17:06

    It looks there is a big Celtic influence in the Isle of Man customs. Didn't Fin McCool throw a lump of mud and stone into the Irish sea and it became the Isle of Man? I love reading all about the ancient customs and traditions.

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    1. JayCee10 October 2019 at 17:41

      That's right. The island is supposedly named after Mannanan mac Lir, a Celtic sea god. Great stories.

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  2. Yorkshire Pudding10 October 2019 at 18:23

    Very interesting. I had not heard about this tradition before.
    By the way, Hop Tu Naa sounds like a Vietnamese fishing village.

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    1. JayCee10 October 2019 at 18:49

      Perhaps I should go there for my next holiday?

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  3. The Weaver of Grass10 October 2019 at 19:10

    Love that carved turnip. My birthday is Hallowe'en - how I would love a Pumpkin carved like that.

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    1. JayCee10 October 2019 at 19:46

      Last year we invited some friends over for dinner at Hop Tu Naa and they gave us a beautifully carved turnip as a gift. It was lovely by the fireside with a tea light inside. In case I don't get to post over Halloween, have a lovely birthday.

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  4. Chris10 October 2019 at 23:02

    Carving a turnip is eminently more difficult than carving a pumpkin. It spoiled Hallowe'en for me as a child. My little hands were sore for days!

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    1. JayCee11 October 2019 at 09:41

      I expect they use power tools these days!

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  5. local alien11 October 2019 at 12:18

    Interesting to read about a different culture!
    We have little turnips which would be slightly easier to hollow out. I like the idea

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    1. JayCee11 October 2019 at 13:47

      I struggle to cut up turnips for cooking so cannot imagine how hard it would be to carve artistically.

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  6. Vronni's Style Meanderings16 October 2019 at 20:38

    I didn't know about this so thank you! Everyday's a school day!

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