" This Is Hallowe'en ... "

"Boys and girls of every age

Wouldn't you like to see something strange

Come with us and you will see

This our town of Halloween

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Pumpkins scream in the dead of night

This is Halloween, everybody make a scene

Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright

It's our town, everybody scream

In this town of Halloween

Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

In this town we call home

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song"

~ Marilyn Manson ~ This Is Halloween ~

***

Halloween ~ Hallowe’en ~ All Hallows’ Eve ~ All Saints’ Eve ... 

celebrated every 31 of October.

This hallowed evening dates back to ~ 1745, a Celtic festival, marking the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture.  The ancient Gaels believed that boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc, such as sickness or damaged crops, on Halloween.  

Although, scholars were still divided on the roots of origin, whether Christian or Pagan, during the ancient times, people wore masks and costumes in an attempt to mimic or appease evil spirits.  In current times, the media has popularized the festival, irrespective of region.  It is more about candy and costumes and less and less about anything else ...

Yet the ancient Celtic tribes, worshiped nature and believed in the spirit world.  The Sun, their chief god, was the focus of two festivals ~ Beltane, marking the beginning of summer and Samhain or Saman, marking the start of winter.  The end of summer, Samhain aka the lord of death, becomes powerful over the Sun god.  Therefore, on October 31, Samhain assembles all the evil spirits who had died the previous year and allows them a return home to visit the living.

The day after Halloween, the night of all fires occurs near large stone circles, similar to the one in Stonehenge, England.  The priests offer sacrifices to Samhain to ensure that the sun returned after the winter.  All fires, except the sacrificial one to Samhain, were extinguished.  Called the Vigil of Samhain, the embers from this fire would be used to light the fire in each household.

To appease demons, offerings of food and nuts were provided, believing if satisfied with the treat, he demon would not trick or cast an evil spell on the person ... hence the origin of present day trick OR treat.  

Legends have it that people would wear masks or other disguises to darken their faces, trying to pass unnoticed by the spirits ... 

Ironic how modern day has man wearing masks daily to disguise their true self, taking Halloween to a whole new level ...  Happy Hallowe’en !!!

www.walkstrong.ca