What does Halloween mean?
The word Halloween come from two words smushed together: Hallow or holy person— refers to the saints celebrated on All Saints’Day in November 1st. The “een” part of the word is a contraction of “eve”— or evening before. “All Hallows Eve” or the evening before “All Saints”, and”All Souls” day on 2nd November.
In the 5th century B.C. in Celtic Ireland coincided with the end of the summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. It is the time of the year that was often associated with human death. Many pagans celebrate it as the Old Celtic New Year and the feast was very important in the pagan calendar. According to Celtic mythology, it was the time of the year when the connection between the Otherworld and the Real world to be happening. Spirits returned to possess bodies and live again.
”Sawhain” the root of Halloween was a Celtic festival:
This feast of death was called by the Irish pagans “Sawhain”. Loved ones who have recently died are remembered and their spirits often invited to join the living in the celebratory feast.
People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food was a large part in the festivities. Turnips and other root vegetables were carved with terrifying faces in order to scare unwelcome guests, both dead and living, and tricks were played on the unsuspecting.
Catholic Church ⛪️ incorporated the honouring of dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints on November 1st. The wearing of costumes and masks survived as Halloween customs. Around 1840’s the Irish immigrants carried their Halloween traditions to America, where today it is one of the major holidays of the year. Other traditions have blended into halloween, like American harvest of carving pumpkins.
Who is Jack-O’-Lantern in Halloween ?
The legend of “Stingy Jack”——People have been making Jack -o’-lantern for centuries. The practice originated from a Irish myth about a man nicknamed Stingy Jack, who tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree 🌲 to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark. Consequently the Devil could not come down until he promised Jack not to bother him and take your soul for ten years.
After that, Jack died and according to the legend God not allow him to enter into the heaven. The Devil keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. Then this ghostly figure is named Jack on Lantern by the Irish people.
People in the United States found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make very well Jack-O’-lanterns.
Why do you say “Trick or Treat” ?
In the Middle Ages, poor people in Ireland and Britain would go “Souling”on All Saints Day (November 1), that consisted of going door to door asking for food in return for saying prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). Ghosts, witches, goblins and oddly dressed creatures visiting your door asking for sweets or candy.
“Trick or treating” has been a popular practice in the United States and Canada since 1950. Children of all ages dress up in costumes go from house to house asking for treats in response to their call “trick or treat”?
If a candy is given, the child will not perform a “trick”(mischief) on the owner’s house. This halloween custom has its origins in ancient practices of “guising and souling”.
Guising is a custom of wearing costumes and masks in Scotland by children hoped to prevent evil spirits from doing harm by dressing like them. They carried lanterns made from turnips and going to homes asking for money, cakes and treats.
Sawhain or Halloween has a special atmosphere, where humans are facing into the darkness of the approaching winter!
Its time to share news, tell stories and plan a feast, honouring ancestors. We have seasonal fruits, soups, nuts and chestnut . Nuts are traditionally eaten at Halloween. Apples are an important symbol.
Halloween is time when people can confront fears and thinks that are taboo in family. Children have a opportunity to dress as monsters, ghosts or witches and other figures that sometimes have fears, and stimulate their imagination.
by Helena
Naturalize Yourself !
