Help hop-tu-naa online

Help hop-tu-naa online

Fri, 04 Nov 2016

Project launched to get more Hop-tu-naa images online

Hop-tu-naa is a tradition which the Isle of Man is very proud of, and a central part of this is the carved turnip. But this tradition is only likely to live on into the future if the Manx “moot” becomes more visible online.

Culture Vannin are launching a project to try and get more images available relating to the distinctive elements of the Manx celebrations around the 31st of October, so that people can better express the Manx traditions when on social media or elsewhere.

“A major problem for the continuation of this great Manx tradition is the availability of suitable images,” says James Franklin, Online and Educational Resources Officer at Culture Vannin.

“If there are not images specific to hop-tu-naa available, then people will inevitably use ‘halloween’ images instead. This makes the traditions native to the Isle of Man effectively invisible to anyone online.”

Searches on the major online image search engines reveal that around half of the images used in relation to hop-tu-naa depict traditions which have no connection to the Isle of Man. The use of the American tradition of carved pumpkins is the most dominant here.

This is especially a problem as the younger generation are those most engaged in social media, and it is this generation who are most important to pass on Manx traditions into the future.

“If the richness and diversity of Manx culture is not represented online, then the younger Manx generation will look elsewhere to represent their identity online,” says James Franklin

Culture Vannin are calling for images of carved turnips and other traditions connected to hop-tu-naa to be collected so that they will be available to be used in the future. It is hoped that this will empower people to use images true to Manx traditions in the future.

“If we want the Manx traditions to survive, we must work together to protect them. This is not a case of calling the carving of pumpkins ‘bad.’ People are welcome to celebrate the 31st of October as they wish. But it is important to establish the distinct identity of hop-tu-naa, online and off, so that people can make an informed choice and are empowered to celebrate it in the traditional Manx way if they wish.”

If you have an image of a carved turnip or of other traditions distinctive to hop-tu-naa, and you are willing to donate to the project, please contact James Franklin at resources@culturevannin.im or 694759.

Some of what has been passed to us so far is available to view on Flickr.