In Rustic Speech and Folk-lore (1913, p. 300), Elizabeth Mary Wright wrote:
In parts of Ireland a dish called colcannon, made of potatoes and cabbage mashed together with butter, used to form part of the Halloween dinner. In it was concealed a ring, the finder whereof would be the first of the company to be married. In St. John’s, Newfoundland, the popular name for Halloween is Colcannon-night, so named because colcannon is generally eaten then.
Colcannon
1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes (approximately 2 large baking potatoes), pieces and quartered
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened
Cover the potatoes with salted water, bring them to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer them in saucepan, covered, for 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Meanwhile, in a steamer set over boiling water steam the cabbage for 5 minutes, or until it is tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander, mashed them in a large bowl, and stir in the milk, the butter, the cabbage, and salt and pepper to taste.
That’s it.
A lot of fertility innuendos, that’s for sure, associated with Halloween …
Note: “Haints” comes from a slang term used for “ghost” in the American South.