So another Halloween has come and gone. I still think it is the best holiday ever. I managed to get 3 pumpkins carved (see evidence below) and Dad figures about 61 kids visited our house on the hill to get some candy (don't worry there was still more than enough left over for Mom, Dad and I to have some).
Just a little look at all the pumpkin options available at Davison's. Great deal, 3 large pumpkins for $15. 3 pumpkins meant I was able to be creative enough to satisfy my pumpkin carving needs. Last year Halloween came and went without as much as a whimper (not such a big holiday to those in the Northern Territory.....plus they think butternut squashes are pumpkins and they aren't as good to carve) so I planned to makeup for last year.
It always seems that with Halloween comes some sort of controversy.....usually short lived. A couple of public schools in Calgary banned "scary" Halloween costumes asking kids to wear "caring" costumes instead of "scaring" costumes. Of course lots of kids and parents were upset and there were a few interviews about how it's one more thing they are trying to take away. I don't really see the big issue but I guess I don't have a 9 year old who was all excited to dress up as a goblin or a vampire (and not one of those sissy vampires from Twilight).
My first creation. One of my new favourites from over the years.
I even saw an interview with a school official who stated that the origins of Halloween are Christian (not pagan like we all like to believe) so didn't really see how this was problem. I'm not going to comment on Christians claiming the holiday for themselves but it did get me to thinking, What are the actual origins of Halloween? I have some time on my hands so thought I would research that just a little bit.
Pumpkin #2. Always have to have one "traditional" Jack-O-Lantern.
Googling the origins of Halloween comes up with all kinds of different things. Seems everyone wants to claim it as their own (because it is so AWESOME!!!) but here's what I've managed to summarize. The main consensus seems to be that the first Halloween can be traced back to the Celtic Druids and their festival Samhain (pronounce sow-in....however some historians feel there is not enough historical evidence to even confirm this festival existed). This was held on what would be October 31st. Many believe that this was the end of the Celtic Calendar year (so New Year's Eve) but it most certainly was the end of the summer and the start of winter (or the dark half of the year). It was believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the living and the dead which made it easier for the ghosts of the dead to return to the earth. Celts felt that the presence of these spirits made it easier for Celtic Priests to make predictions about the future and these predictions were an important source of comfort during the long dark winter. Celts wore costumes (many consisting of animal heads and skins) and attempted to tell each other's fortunes while hanging out with bonfires.
My final pumpkin. Took me much longer than I had anticipated and I would have to consider it one of the most difficult I have done over the years but I think it turned out even better than I was expecting.
Eventually (around 43 AD) Celtic land was conquered by the Roman Empire (like everywhere else) and over the 400 years (roughly) they ruled Celtic lands, a couple Roman festivals were combined with Samhain. One of them was Feralia (a day in late October when the Romans commemorated the passing of the dead) and one of of them was a day to honour Pomona (the goddess of fruit and trees....the symbol of Pomona is the apple, which is probably where the idea of "bobbing" for apples came from).
Many believe that in an attempt to "Christianize" the celebration, the church created (and moved from other dates) the tandem observances of All Saints Day (November 1st.....a day of prayer for saints and martyrs ) and All Soul's Day (November 2nd......a day of prayer for the souls of all the dead.). These celebrations also saw bonfires lit and people dressing up in costumes (although this custom was added somewhat later) and saw people go from door to door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for cakes.
Halloween (the name evolved from All Hallows Even) was brought to North America in the 1800's and some historians claim that there is no real continuity between the ancient celtic traditions and the Christian traditions and the Halloween we have today. Not sure I agree with that but I really don't think we should be focusing our energy of fighting about who started Halloween. How about we focus a little bit more on making it a safe and enjoyable holiday for all.
Julie
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