Halloween
Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, as well as watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.How Did “Halloween” get it’s name ~ ?
The word Halloween or Hallowe'en dates to about 1745 and is of Christian origin. The word "Hallowe'en" means "Saints evening". It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day). In Scots, the word "eve" is even, and this is contracted to e'en or een. Over time, (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en evolved into Hallowe'en. Although the phrase "All Hallows'" is found in Old English "All Hallows' Eve", is itself not seen until 1556.
The History ~ Origins
Gaelic and Welsh influence ~
Paganism is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism. This was either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population, or because they were not milites Christi. Alternate terms in Christian texts for the same group were hellene, gentile, and heathen. Ritual sacrifice was an integral part of ancient Graeco-Roman religion and was regarded as an indication of whether a person was pagan or Christian.
Exploring the origins of Halloween, some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia.
~ Samhain (/ˈsɑːwɪn, ˈsaʊɪn/)
I could spend quite some time writing about Shamhain. An entire new post. I will try and summarize the very large influence “Samhain” had on the origins of Halloween.Mostly it had to do with the calendar.
It was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. This meant the Aos Sí (Connacht pronunciation /iːsˈʃiː/ eess-SHEE, Munster /e:s ʃi:/), the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into this world and were particularly active.[
Offerings of food and drink, or portions of the crops, were left outside for the Aos Sí. (~~Think... Halloween trick or treating)
Snap-Apple Night, painted by Irish artist Daniel Maclise in 1833. It was inspired by a Halloween party he attended in Blarney, Ireland, in 1832. |
Festivities included rituals and games. They included apple bobbing, nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation, and others. Special bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them.
If the household donated food it could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'; not doing so would bring misfortune.
Christian Influence~
In 609, Pope Boniface IV re-dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to "St Mary and all martyrs" on 13 May. This was the same date as Lemuria, an ancient Roman festival of the dead, and the same date as the commemoration of all saints in Edessa in the time of Ephrem. Look at the links for more information on “All Souls” day.
Symbols ~
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Anthony22 |
Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o'-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows Eve in order to frighten evil spirits.
Costumes ~
Dressing up in costumes and going "Guising" was prevalent in Scotland and Ireland at Halloween by the late 19th century. A Scottish term, the tradition is called "guising" because of the disguises or costumes worn by the children. In Ireland the masks are known as 'false faces'. Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in the US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children, and when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in Canada and the US in the 1920s and 1930s.Food ~
Author= Evan-Amos|Permission={{cc-by-sa-3.0}} |other_versions= }} {{User:Evan-Amos/EABanne |
List of foods associated with Halloween:
- Barmbrack (Ireland)
- Bonfire toffee (Great Britain)
- Candy apples/toffee apples (Great Britain and Ireland)
- Candy apples, candy corn, candy pumpkins (North America)
- Chocolate
- Monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) (Ireland and Scotland)
- Caramel apples
- Caramel corn
- Colcannon (Ireland; see below)
- Halloween cake
- Sweets/candy
- Novelty candy shaped like skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, etc.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Roasted sweet corn
- Soul cakes
Neopaganism ~
There is no consistent rule or view on Halloween amongst those who describe themselves as Neopagans or Wiccans. Some Neopagans do not observe Halloween, but instead observe SamhainReferences:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism
~ Samhain Click Here ⇨(/ˈsɑːwɪn,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls%27_Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating?wprov=sfti1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Paganism
Click Here ⇨. Neopagans