Welcome to my Dark Side DownUnder Blog… I thought I
might focus on the history of Halloween, its traditions and origins.
Not being a Halloween celebrator (is that even a
real word??) it has been interesting over the last few years to watch as it has
evolved (or according to my husband, invade) into contemporary Australian
culture – so because there are so many beliefs and myths out there (waves
finger into the dim distance…) – I present the History and traditions of
Halloween.
The word:
Halloween was first used in the 16th century and represents
a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows'-Even
('evening'), that is, the night before All Hallows' Day. Although the phrase All Hallows' is found in Old English
(ealra hālgena mæssedæg,
mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even
is itself not seen until 1556. [1]
 |
| "Image courtesy of Ponsuwan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net" |
The date:
It is
generally believed that Halloween (as we know it) celebrated the end of summer
– in the traditional celtic sense, this was the 31st October and
heralded the day that cattle were traditionally brought closer to home in
preparation for the winter. As they were in tune with the land and the
seasons, it makes sense that annual celebrations revolved around the changing
seasons.
According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding
to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of
winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when cattle and sheep
had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the
winter months. Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending
and a beginning in an eternal cycle. [2]
But the
history of Halloween, does go further back than according to some historians,
who theorise that it could, in fact be linked to the roman festivals of
Parentalia (the festivals of the dead), but whatever your beliefs it has
commonly come to be associated with Samhain (the pagan/wiccan/celtic day of
observance.)
The Catholic Church:
In 601
A.D. Pope Gregory passed an edict requiring that missionaries should find a way
to incorporate, or consecrate the item of worship to Christ, thereby
encouraging Catholicism in the “pagan masses”. This, as we know, was a
very effective measure in growing the membership of the churches and
“mainstreaming” the days of observance.
The Mythology:
There are
a number of beliefs which can be directly attributed to the pagan history of
Halloween. These
include:
*The knowledge that the dead rise from their graves and walk among the
living;
 | |
| Image courtesy of Tina Phillips/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
*The
demons, fairies and other mythological creatures travel abroad on the night;
&
*The night
when the portal between our world and the Otherworld open to admit demons,
fairies and other nasties.
Halloween
is still one of the most widely practiced holidays, though. Throughout
the world, observances includes:
1. The Day
of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos – Mexico) There appears to be
some conflicting reports regarding exactly which festivity was morphed. The
Aztecs recognized two gods of death. Mictecacihuatl was the darker of the two.
His celebration was traditionally held in the Ninth month (August in our
calendar). The other god was kinder and gentler; his celebration coincided more
with today's dates. [3]
2. Samhain –
Wiccan Practices [4]
Fun activities:
Over the
years, part of the evolution of Halloween has included symbols and practices
which are commonly associated with this feast.
I won’t
go into a lot of detail as I am swiftly running out of space. <g>
*Trick or
Treat – this is actually one of the fastest
growing traditions, requiring dressing up in costume and visiting house to
house. While not a “new tradition” in and of itself, it has morphed to
become a fun activity, widely practiced.
*Bonfires – traditionally the practice of lighting bonfires was to keep
away the witches/bad spirits etc.
 |
| "Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono/FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
*Jack-o-Lanterns – According to The Wisdom of Wicca “early Celts hollowed out
appropriate fruits or vegetables as candle holders. These ranged from simple
dish-shaped wind protectors to hollowed turnips that were much like a hollow
pumpkin. This practice continued through the Middle Ages until lanterns became
cheap and readily available.”[5]
*Cauldrons, Black Cats, Scarecrows, Witches – all of these went to the heart of the
pagan ritual/belief system. To the believers, this was a feast day that
centered around scaring away spirits/evil creatures and celebrating (later) the
souls of the saints.
There is a lot of information around, centering on
the traditions/ myths/ observances of Halloween, so I have listed a number of
sites below for you to visit.
In the end, though, the cultural observance of
Halloween is like most other holidays that we observe, in that they are
constantly changing and evolving to fit our modern lifestyle.
Okay, since it’s Halloween, I think I should do a Give Away… what do you think? Yes??
The Prize: Hmm… so the prize is…
Your choice of ONE of the following in PDF format:- Star of the Fleet or Starfire or Star of Ishtar or Starline. You need to tell me, in your answer, which you would prefer.
What you need to do to have a valid entry. Leave a comment about your favourite celebration and why. Remember to add your email addy so I can contact you afterwards with your prize. Remember, only your first entry will be counted, but feel free to share this competition with all your friends.
Imogene
Links to more Halloween Reading:
| 1. Eleni Konstantine 2. Mel Teshco 3. Nicole Murphy 4. Imogene Nix 5. Christina Phillips aka Christina Ashcroft 6. Amanda Ashby 7. Jenny Schwartz 8. Shona Husk 9. Maree Anderson | 10. Kylie Griffin 11. Lilliana Rose 12. Nicole Hurley-Moore 13. Eden Summers 14. Erica Hayes 15. Sandra Harris 16. Keziah Hill 17. S E Gilchrist 18. DSDU |
