HOP TU NAA OR HALLOWEEN - SKYWATCH

I'm posting pre posting so the date will be Halloween when this goes live. Yes we celebrate Halloween on the island, although it goes by a different name - "Hop Tu Naa. " So is Halloween or Hop Tu Naa we celebrate and what is the difference?

Hop Tu Naa is a corruption of "Shogh Ta'n Oie" meaning this is the night. What night though? That would be the Celtic New Year - "Oie Houney." The Celtic new year of course has since been moved to Jan. the Celtic year was separated in to 4 and Sauin- "New Year" was celebrated in "Mee Houney" the Manx for November. As Halloween is Oct 31th the new celebrations have become intergrated as one, although younger Manxies now assume "Hop Tu Naa" and Halloween is one in the same and is celebrated thus so.

Pumpkins are halloween, where as true Hop Ta Naa goer should be seen swinging a hollowed out turnip lantern and singing old manx folk songs, not trick or treating. Trick or treating is an American custom which has been adopted in the UK Halloween celebrations, and yes into Manx ones too.

So Hop Tu Naa like a lot of traditions has been swallowed up with a more commercial celebration and has less to to with celebrating the old New Year, and more to do with rotting kids teeth on sweets. Ramsey though and many parts of the island do try and uphold many of the Hop Tu Naa traditions and there is no finer sight than a group of Manxies, swinging those turnip lanterns and singing a manx song. It's also a little creepy to in a Wicker Man sense, but we won't go into that.

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THE CALF OF MAN

The land to the top left is known as the Calf of Man. A tiny island seperated from the Isle Of Man by the stretch of water known as "The Sound Of Man." Calf derives from the Scandinavian word "Kalif", literally meaning, smaller island lying near a larger one.

Prior to 1939 it had several owners, icluding, norman, danes, and celts.It 1939 it came under the ownership of The National Trust. Subsequently it is now owned By Manx National Trust and now a bird sanctury which, weather permiting can be visited by boat excursion, at certain times of the year.The Manx Museum in Peel is now home to of one of the islands great historical finds a stone panel, possibly from an alter. It dates back to the 1st half of the 9th century, celtic but with a byzantium style, of which similar are to be found in Ireland.

Worthy of more than one visit, this tranquil and rugged area is home to passing seals, basking sharks, the odd minke whale, dolphins a and a variety of shorebirds. In recent years a great place for experienced sucba divers to explore, tourists and obviously photographers.