9. Isle of Man – Hop-tu-Naa
Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the Manx people for their favorite jack-o’-lanterns, as the practice originated with the turnip lanterns of the Hop-tu-Naa festival. In Manx, New Year’s Eve is known as Oie Houiney, which is identical in pronunciation to the Irish Oíche Shamhna from which Samhain takes its name. The festival is thought to be the oldest uninterrupted cultural practice on the Isle of Man. The name Hop-tu-Naa comes from a Manx Gaelic song that was popular during the festival, as music and dancing are core components of the celebrations.
The turnip lanterns, with carvings varying regionally, are called moots by the Manx. Children would engage in a variety of trick-or-treating by carrying the lanterns around door-to-door. Before the carvings became popular, children reportedly bashed turnip stumps on doors of anyone who refused to give them a treat or a coin.
Music and dancing are indeed the highlights of the Manx festival. Famous traditional dance has been recorded by cultural archivists. Couples dance down the street holding their turnip lanterns and singing folk songs, including that from which the festival takes its name. Schools on the Isle of Man teach both the dance and the songs to preserve the cultural icons.
