The cats come out
The bats come out
The pumpkins come out, too
The treats come out
The ghosts come out
It's Halloween.........BOO!
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| Apologies. but I can't remember where this illustration comes from. - One of my books for sure. |
All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day or Halloween as it's more usually called is now associated with pumpkins, and dressing up but it is a day that was for centuries full of mysteries and superstition.
The Night of the Dead - the most unpredictable night of the year - when festivals from many cultures collide.
On Hallowe'en the old ghosts come
About us- and they speak to some
(Anon)
The traditional beliefs of Halloween are connected with rituals for Samhain, the Celtic festival that was celebrated in Ireland and Scotland and by modern pagans. Samhain was one of the four Celtic festivals known as quarter days. The meaning of the word in old Irish is 'summers end'. Celts considered sundown as the start of a day, which is why although Samhain is November 1st, it would have been celebrated at sundown on the 31st. It was their new year and fires would have been lit on the hilltops to drive out the evil of the last year and welcome in the new.
Later festivities would have been influenced by the Christian feasts of All Saints on the 1st and All Souls on November 2nd, when the dead are remembered in prayers.
For on Hallowmas Eve the Nighthag shall ride,
And all her nine-fold sweeping by her side
(Waverley by Sir Walter Scott published in 1814)
In the past it was a night for staying by the fire, out of harms way, and telling fortunes.
Fortune telling was done by throwing a hazelnut into the fire and seeing how it burned, or by peeling an apple and looking for the shape of the peel. These were ways of foretelling a birth or death in the family, the success of a marriage or the initials of a future husband.
In some parts of the country the 31st of October was known as Mischief Night when mummers would blacken their faces and knock on doors asking for cash. So although we think the trick or treat idea for Halloween came here from the USA, along with pumpkins, during the last 25 years, it's not completely new............... before pumpkins, faces would have been carved from swedes, turnips or mangle wurzels.
Apologies for not replying to comments some days - so many good books to read is my poor excuse!
Back Tomorrow . A-Z posts start - not sure how long I can keep it up as I've only got plans for about half a dozen out of 26 so far - oh dear.
Thank goodness for pumpkins. I don't miss the days of trying to carve out a turnip. 🎃
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween, Sue. X
Ha! I was just going to say the same as Jules! I love this post for the correct information and much prefer it to the Americanisation of Halloween. We did go pumpkin picking with Oliver but never will I buy into the trick or treat brigade! I mostly dislike children dressing up as characters from films they should not even know about!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, we did have Halloween parties at youth clubs and brownies etc but we dressed up as witches ( girls ) wizards as boys! Or skeletons type things. We did apple bobbing and tradition games. Simpler times! Also rose tinted glasses on always when looking back! Lots of love from an incredibly wild stormy Scotland!
As a family we've never been big on Halloween. I think the Celtic beliefs and festivals are more interesting because they're closely aligned with the seasons and nature and not plastic tat.
ReplyDeletePenny
We frequently organised "light parties" at church for the children to come and enjoy the evening WITHOUT witches, ghouls, eyeballs, blood, scariness . And even laid on a tea party and singalong for OAPs in the village , who were did not like the constant ringing of the doorbell by trick-or-treaters.
ReplyDeleteI notice one of the local churches is doing this tonight.
DeleteI like your visible darn. My Gran taught my sister and I to darn. She was a critical teacher if our darns did not meet her very high standards she would cut out the offending darn thereby making a larger hole which we would have to re-darn! It was always on our own socks, very harsh but we did end up being able to darn neatly. Oh be joyful I haven't darned a sock in years. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young (and yes, my brother would spend hours carving me a turnip) we would make a figure out of old clothes stuffed with newspaper and trundle it around asking for 'a penny for the guy'. My mum would take me to the local hardware store with my earnings where all the fireworks for Guy Fawkes night were laid out loose on the counter. I would take forever choosing my favourites and happily walk home with them in a paper bag. Happy days and a health and safety nightmare.
ReplyDeleteLights out and doorbell off tonight-that’s Halloween in our house. Catriona
ReplyDeleteIt's the night when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest.
ReplyDelete