Tha Oidhche Shamhna a' tighinn dlùth a nis agus bidh tachartasan ann an iomadh baile 'is coimhearsnachd. Mar eisimpleir bidh Oidhche nam Bòcan aig a' Chlachan Ghàidhealach agus bidh Cuairt le Lòchran aig an Daingneach Louisburg.

Bha Oidhche Shamhna aig na Ceiltich air thùs. 'S e àm de 'n bhliadhna a bha glé eagallach dhaibh a bha siud. An oidhche anns am biodh an sgaradh eadar an saoghal seo 's an saoghal eile aig an ìre a bu laige, agus b' urrainn do na mairbh fhaighinn asteach dha 'n t-saoghal seo agus daoine ás an t-saoghal seo fhaighinn asteach do 'n t-saoghal eile.

Tha gnothaichean air atharrachadh gu mór bho 'n àm sin - agus is math gu bheil! - agus an diugh cha bhi dùil againn ach air bòcain bheaga thighinn dha na taighean ag' iarraidh suiteis! Far an robh eagal air daoine roimhe ro rudan neo-shaoghalta, chìthear an diugh clann ann an éideadh bhana-bhuidsich, bhòcain, thaibhsean 'is msaa..

Ach dé mu dheidhinn an t-saoghail eile?

Innsidh mi dhuibh mu rudeigin a chunna mi o chionn bheagan bhliadhnaichean.

Bha mi aig togalach ann an Ceap Breatainn. Chan ainmich mi e o 'n nach eil mi cinnteach gun còrdadh sin ri na daoine aig a bheil e. Tha fios pearsanta agam air rudan neònach a thachair ann, agus naidheachdan annasach a chuala mi aig daoine eile.

An oidhche bha seo, bha cuirm-ciùil ann agus chunna mi fear-turuis ri togail dealbhan. Bha e a' coimhead air an camara aige mar gun do nochd e 'na làimh gun dùil aige 's nach fhac' e riamh roimh' e. Chaidh mi dha ionnsaigh agus sheall e dhomh na dealbhan a thog e. Bha cruinne de sholas air gach aon a' lìonadh a' chairteil air bonn an taoibh chlì. Thuirt e rium gu robh iad ceart gus an do thòisich an ceòl 's cha d' fhuair e dealbh ceart an déidh sin.

Mhol mi dha dhol amach agus dealbh a thogail taobh amuigh an togalaich. Rinn e sin ach thionndaidh e 's thog e dealbh dhe 'n togalach fhéin. Bha an cruinne fhathast ann. Thog e dealbhan eile mu 'n cuairt an àite - togalaichean eile, craobhan, an lianag - agus bha a h-uile dealbh mar bu chòir. Ach cho luath 's a chaidh e asteach a rithist, cha b' urrainn dha dealbh math fhaighinn gus an do sguir an ceòl 's an déidh sin bha gach uile dealbh ceart gu leòir.

Dé is ciall dha 'n naidheachd seo? Chan eil fhios 'am ach tha mi creidsinn gu bheil rudeigin 'san togalach sin nach buin do 'n t-saoghal a 's aithne dhuinn.

Gum bi Oidhche Shamhna mhath agaibh uile!

*******************

Hallowe'en Time

Hallowe'en is drawing close now and there'll be activities in many a town and community. for example, there's The Night of the Spooks at the Highland Village and Tours by Lantern Light at the Fortress Louisburg.

It was the Celts who began Hallowe'en. It was a time of the year that was very frightening to all of them.The night when the separation between this world and the other world was the weakest, and the dead could come to our world and the people from this world could travel to the other world.

Things have changed a lot since that time - and that's good! - and now we only expect small spooks to come to our houses looking for sweets! Where people were afraid of unworldly things, today it's children who are seen in the guise of witches, spooks, ghosts, etc..

But what about the other world?

I'll tell you about something that I saw a few years ago.

I was in a building in Cape Breton. I won't mention the name because I'm not sure that would agree with the people who own it. I know personally of strange things that happened there, and have heard unusual stories from others.

This night there was a concert and I saw a tourist taking pictures. He was looking at his camera as if it had just appeared in his hand and as if he had never seen it before. I went toward him and he showed me the pictures he had taken. There was a sphere of light filling the lower left hand quandrant of each picture. He said they were fine until the music started, and he hadn't taken a good picture since then.

I advised him to go out and take a picture outside the building. He did that but he turned and took a picture of the building. The sphere was still there. He took other pictures aound the place - other buildings, trees, the lawn - and every picture was as it should be. But as soon as he went inside again, he couldn't take a good picture until the music stopped, and after that everything was fine.

What does this story mean? I don't know but I believe there's something in that building that doesn't belong to the world we know.

Have a good Hallowe'en!