It’s exciting to write this post today, because it means we are getting that much closer to Halloween!
Is anyone else excited?
Still have no idea what my costume will be, nothing too extravagant…
Let’s dig into the topic!
Origin of Halloween
The origin of Halloween comes from a Celtic Harvest Festival known as Samhain pronounced “sah-win”.
November 1st marked the end of summer and harvest season, while beginning a long dark winter.
They believed that on October 31 the boundary between the living and dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
The presence of spirits were thought to assist Celtic priests – druids – with their predictions about the future.
These predictions served as comforts before a long, dreary winter.
Bonfires were used to sacrifice to the Celtic Deities and costumes of animal skins and heads were worn to assist in telling the fortunes of others.
In the 18th century, Pope Gregory III named November 1st All Saints Day.
The evening before became known as All Hallows Eve and later Halloween.
In America, colonial halloween traditions include the telling of ghost stories around the campfire and mischief making.
Halloween was popularized in American by Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine in the second half of the 19th century.
Traditions became secularized when newspapers called to parents for less “frightening” and “gory” Halloween celebrations.
Eventually Halloween lost superstitious and religious meaning by the start of the 20th century.
What does this mean?
In our current era, I believe that there is still superstitious meaning behind Halloween.
It is clear that the practice of costume wearing and lighting fires has continued from Celtic traditions.
As I was writing this I kept thinking about the Night king from Game of Thrones, and Winter is coming.
I also see the taking of Native traditions of storytelling in the colonial method of Halloween.
History is always interesting to me, as I’m very critical of whose stories we are telling, and why those stories are the mainstream ones.
Halloween Around the World
The celebration of Halloween came from European culture, and so other parts of the world that were not forcibly colonized do not celebrate this day in the same way.
In Africa there are celebrations that align with the traditions of Halloween such as masquerades.
It is believed that masqueraders are chosen by the Gods to communicate with the dead and please their ancestors.
read more here
Across the world in Japan the buddhist festival of Obon is celebrated in August.
Down under in Australia their adamant stance against celebrating Halloween as un-Australian is one power they have by being so far from the originating place of Halloween.
In a small Eastern European country, Estonia, the celebration of Mardipäev takes place on November 10th which is Martin Luther’s birthday.
The children sing songs of St. Martin, write poems, and would traditionally receive cabbage, salads, and fruits.
Today they mainly receive sweets as an obvious influence of Halloween.
Summary
To close, Halloween is a Celtic Harvest Festival which perpetuates the traditions of one particular culture and their traditions.
When Roman’s took over, the Catholic Church found a way to incorporate these traditions into their own with All Saints Day and the evening before became known as All Hallows Eve.
Thus, the Christian, colonial heritage of Halloween has not been taken on everywhere around the world.
The overarching idea of celebrating the dead remains across the world.
Most cultures seem to believe that boundaries between the living and the dead are blurred on this day.
The association with predictions of the future can be found in each culture’s interpretation of a Halloween-esque festival.
Remember…
Halloween is a festival of celebration, and the marking of the coming winter.
It seems as though the monster of Western Colonialism has influenced many parts of the world.
Halloween is a secular celebration, yet the traditions of the Samhain remain.
That being said, don’t forget to enjoy your Halloween and subscribe to my blog for new posts!
Blessings,
With light and love,
Stay true stay weird~~
~~ Kristina