An exerpt from Irish Folk Customs and Belief: Seán Ó'Súilleabháin: Published for the Cultural Relations Commitee, Dublin: 1967 As Hallowe'en corresponds with an ancient Feast of the Dead, it was to be expected that much of its lore would be concerned with the dead, the fairies and spirits in general. All " fairy forts " were said to be open on the eve of the festival, and their occupants were believed to change their residence from one centre to another on that night; it was a dangerous night for people to be out of doors, it was said, for fear of "fairy stroke" or abduction. Houses were got ready for any deceased relatives who might visit the old home during the night and food was laid out for them. Candles were lighted in windows too. Colcannon was a popular dish as the evening meal as were nuts, and many games were played and divinatory acts performed afterwards. The food supply for the winter being very important, hunger and famine were symbolically banished by throwing a cake of bread against the door. As the weather was expected to deteriorate from that date on ("when the cold stone was put into the water"), sheep were brought to the lowlands from the higher grazing grounds, and other farm livestock were housed for the winter. This was the time too, for the payment of "gales" or "half-gales" of rent to the landlord, and the servants who had been hired for the summer and harvest were allowed to go.