Samhain is an ancient tradition among the people of Ireland. Dating back to the 8th century AD, it is a festival linked to both Celtic cultures as well as the Catholic All Saints’ Day. Originally, it was a festival celebrating the end of the harvest, the end of the “lighter half” and the beginning of the “darker half. It was celebrated over the course of several days, and had many of the same elements of a Festival of the Dead.
Over the years, Samhain has evolved into what we know of today as Halloween. Halloween in Dublin is very much an important aspect of the local culture. It is steeped in the ancient traditions of the land, but has evolved to meet the modern day. Indeed, as important as it is to the kine of Dublin, it’s even more important to the kindred population. The Prince of Dublin has celebrated Samhain to one degree or another for as far back as anyone in the city can remember.
Over the last twenty years, the festival has started a few days before the 31st, and generally ends on the first or second of November. Typically, there is a neighborhood wide party that starts at the Tír na nÓg and leads many blocks to the Arbour Hill Cemetery. There, kine and kindred alike go to pay their respects to the dead, as well as visit, “The Lord of the Dead.”
At the Tír na nÓg, none are allowed entry to the pub without some sort of costume. Those that wear vampire costumes are rewarded with free drinks. Anyone with a traditional Celtic costume is rewarded with free drinks, and food, as well as the opportunity to confess their sins to the “Lord of the Dead”. It’s become a local past-time to get the opportunity to visit Arbour Hill on Halloween, as it is said the the Lord of the Dead grants you a single wish if you pay your true respect to the spirits of the dead. It’s cautioned that if you do not show respect, and treat the visit like a joke, you will be overwhelmed with the terror of the walking dead.
For the kindred in the city, this event is unprecedented. It’s an opportunity to ignore the masquerade and feed upon the disrespectful mortals of the city without fear of the Prince’s wrath. At the Graveyard, all the Kindred in the city ignore the masquerade and must dress in the clothing a dead person would be buried within the cemetery. Many will use make-up or even Obfuscate powers to appear more convincing. The vampires must remain out of sight until the mortal begins snickering or disrespecting the dead. If the mortal does not take the ritual seriously then they may be fed from under the watchful gaze of the hierarchy. The mortals are always given a wild story regarding the dead being arisen and walking in the graveyard and are dominated and driven back to the block party terrified. Those mortals who show respect to the spirits of the deceased, and bring a gift to honor the dead, only ever see "The Lord of the Dead" sitting on an unmarked tomb. They are granted a wish...
This festival is the only time, as per the treaty with the Lupines, which Kindred are permitted to feed on native mortals in Dublin. The festival is meant to honor the spirits of Ireland’s deceased, and to assure that those who dwell within Dublin do not forget what their ancestors have sacrificed. Many kindred and kine alike tell tales of feeling and seeing the presence of spirits on these nights, and some especially skilled kindred know that the veil between the land of the living and the land of the hereafter are especially weak on these nights.
Samhain is an ancient tradition among the people of Ireland. Dating back to the 8th century AD, it is a festival linked to both Celtic cultures as well as the Catholic All Saints’ Day. Originally, it was a festival celebrating the end of the harvest, the end of the “lighter half” and the beginning of the “darker half. It was celebrated over the course of several days, and had many of the same elements of a Festival of the Dead. 
Over the years, Samhain has evolved into what we know of today as Halloween. Halloween in Dublin is very much an important aspect of the local culture. It is steeped in the ancient traditions of the land, but has evolved to meet the modern day. Indeed, as important as it is to the kine of Dublin, it’s even more important to the kindred population. The Prince of Dublin has celebrated Samhain to one degree or another for as far back as anyone in the city can remember. 
Over the last twenty years, the festival has started a few days before the 31st, and generally ends on the first or second of November. Typically, there is a neighborhood wide party that starts at the Tír na nÓg and leads many blocks to the Arbour Hill Cemetery. There, kine and kindred alike go to pay their respects to the dead, as well as visit, “The Lord of the Dead.” 
At the Tír na nÓg, none are allowed entry to the pub without some sort of costume. Those that wear vampire costumes are rewarded with free drinks. Anyone with a traditional Celtic costume is rewarded with free drinks, and food, as well as the opportunity to confess their sins to the “Lord of the Dead”. It’s become a local past-time to get the opportunity to visit Arbour Hill on Halloween, as it is said the the Lord of the Dead grants you a single wish if you pay your true respect to the spirits of the dead. It’s cautioned that if you do not show respect, and treat the visit like a joke, you will be overwhelmed with the terror of the walking dead.
For the kindred in the city, this event is unprecedented. It’s an opportunity to ignore the masquerade and feed upon the disrespectful mortals of the city without fear of the Prince’s wrath. At the Graveyard, all the Kindred in the city ignore the masquerade and must dress in the clothing a dead person would be buried within the cemetery. Many will use make-up or even Obfuscate powers to appear more convincing. The vampires must remain out of sight until the mortal begins snickering or disrespecting the dead. If the mortal does not take the ritual seriously then they may be fed from under the watchful gaze of the hierarchy. The mortals are always given a wild story regarding the dead being arisen and walking in the graveyard and are dominated and driven back to the block party terrified. Those mortals who show respect to the spirits of the deceased, and bring a gift to honor the dead, only ever see "The Lord of the Dead" sitting on an unmarked tomb. They are granted a wish...
This festival is the only time, as per the treaty with the Lupines, which Kindred are permitted to feed on native mortals in Dublin. The festival is meant to honor the spirits of Ireland’s deceased, and to assure that those who dwell within Dublin do not forget what their ancestors have sacrificed. Many kindred and kine alike tell tales of feeling and seeing the presence of spirits on these nights, and some especially skilled kindred know that the veil between the land of the living and the land of the hereafter are especially weak on these nights. 
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