The Hallowe’en and Hop tu Naa Guide

Samhain and Allhallowtide, the argument over Halloween’s origins with every source shown, the Manx Hop tu Naa, how to make a moot, songs and Jinny the Witch, turnip lanterns, guising and souling, old customs, a timeline, myths and a glossary.

What’s inside:

- Hallowe’en at a glance

- All Hallows’ Eve and Allhallowtide

- Samhain: the end of summer

- Spirits, fairies and the new year

- Did the Church set out to replace Samhain?

- Hop tu Naa: the Manx night

- How a Manx moot is made

- Designs, marbles and cabbages

- Songs, treats and Jinny the Witch

- Turnip lanterns, before pumpkins

- Guising, souling and trick or treat

- Games, food and fortunes

- Fires, black cats and bats

- Hallowe’en through time

- Myths, and a short glossary

- Credits, licence and sources

Pages: 17 (A4) / 17 (US Letter). Formats: A4 (210 × 297 mm) and US Letter (8.5 × 11 in), both PDFs included in one zip.

Printing: Print at 100% / actual size on A4 or US Letter. Most inside pages use light backgrounds and print well in black and white; the cover and a few drawings are dark, so print those in colour or skip them to save ink.

Every fact is written in our own words and checked against named sources from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Culture Vannin, the National Museum of Ireland, Historic Environment Scotland, English Heritage and the Library of Congress (checked 11 Nov 2026); the sources are listed on the credits page. Where sources give different figures, each is shown with its source. Our own opinions are clearly labelled.

All drawings and charts are our own; no photographs are used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Culture Vannin, the National Museum of Ireland, Historic Environment Scotland, English Heritage, the Library of Congress or any other organisation named here.

Licence: personal use. Print as many copies as you need for yourself and your household. Please don’t resell, re-upload or share it publicly. For club, school or commercial use, please email info@reallybyte.com.

Made by REALLYBYTE, the team behind halloween.traditions.im. Questions: info@reallybyte.com

This is a digital download: no physical item will be shipped.