The flickering fires of Bonfire Night may have a deeper and older origin in the Isle of Man, tied not to Guy Fawkes but to ancient traditions marking the end of October.

Long before the annual November 5 bonfires, it was October 31 - Hop Tu Naa night - that was set ablaze with Manx customs steeped in protection and folklore.

This annual event, now marked with turnip lanterns and ghostly tales, was once a night of bonfires intended to guard against supernatural threats.

According to Glover’s Illustrated Guide and Visitors’ Companion through the Isle of Man (1868), fires lit on October 31, known in Manx as Sauin, were used to protect against fairies and witches.

In the folk tradition, this date signified the transition from the summer to the winter half of the year, a period when the veil between the physical world and the spiritual realm was believed to be at its thinnest.

Fires were thought to ward off ‘malevolent spirits’ and ‘otherworldly influences seeking to slip into our world’.

This ancient ritual has parallels with Oie Voaldyn, celebrated six months earlier on April 30.

Just as fires were lit to protect against malevolent forces on October 31, a similar practice took place on Oie Voaldyn, emphasising the importance of fire in marking these liminal times of year.

Fires would blaze on hilltops, farms, and even around family homes to ‘burn out’ any evil spirits that might wander close, echoing the symbolic use of fire to protect the community.

The persistence of fire in Manx tradition can still be seen today.

In recent years the Oie Voaldyn festival had revived ‘Burn the Buitch’, an old custom to symbolically ward off evil, while Hop tu Naa celebrations maintain a flickering flame in carved turnip lanterns.

Yet, over time, it seems that the large fires associated with Sauin on October 31 shifted to align with November 5 - Bonfire Night - imported from England in commemoration of Guy Fawkes’s failed plot.

Sadly, organisers of Oie Voaldyn in Peel issued a statement back in February announcing that the 2024 event had been scrapped due to a lack of funding.

Though it’s unclear exactly when or how this transition occurred, it’s tempting to imagine that Bonfire Night in the Isle of Man is more than a remembrance of political history.

Instead, it could be a continuation of a centuries-old tradition, where fire not only illuminates the dark night but serves as a gathering point for protection, camaraderie, and the hope for a prosperous year ahead.

It also unites Manx families and friends in a timeless ritual of warmth and safety against the encroaching winter.