10/31/2024
๐Happy Halloween / All Hallows Eve, and Blessed Samhain!๐
Samhain (SOW-win "Summer's End") is where the season of growth, light and life (spring and summer) meets the dark half of the year (autumn and winter), welcoming the harvest before the cold bleak winter and welcoming spirits passing through the thin barrier separating the spirit from the physical realm. It is a time for family gatherings, remembrance, and festivities. (source: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain ; https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween )
Fun Facts:
๐ It is around this time that the barrier between the spirit world and the physical world disappear and spirits can interact with the living. This is the best time to connect with loved ones long gone, to light candles in their memory, or even go to places of worship so that what you want to say to them can be heard.
๐ป Trick or treating, mumming or guising is to wear costumes to walk amongst spirits unrecognizable and to protect oneself from harmful ones, but also impersonate spirits to receive offerings (the treats) on their behalf in exchange for good fortune for the coming winter. Sometimes even bowls of food was left outside to protect their homes. In Christianity, souling is the equivalent, whereas people would visit house to house as representatives of the dead to sing and/or offer up prayer for the souls of their friends, relatives or even pets and in exchange be rewarded baked goods. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating )
๐ Jack 'O' Lanterns and candles are used to ward off evil spirits, like the equivalent of scarecrows. ( Source: https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-video ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o'-lantern )
๐ฏ๏ธ Samhain is Pagan in origin, while Halloween/All Saints' Eve/All Hallows' Eve is Christian in origin, created in an effort to distract or convert pagans from their practices. ( Source: https://www.history.com/news/halloween-samhain-celts-catholic-church )
๐ฏ๏ธ In Christianity, the triduum Allhallowtide ('Every Holy Time') or Hallowmas ('Holy mass') is observed from Oct. 31st - Nov. 2nd. It includes All Hallow's Eve / All Saints' Eve, All Hallows' Day / All Saint's Day and All Souls' Day. ( Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allhallowtide ; https://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=76 )
๐ฏ๏ธ In Mexico, families get together for festivities involving music, dancing, food, colorful costumes and even parades to celebrate the guests of honor, the souls of the deceased, who awaken and return to the physical realm for a brief time when the barrier between realms dissolves. These guests of honor are normally gifted their favorite foods at their gravesites or at home shrines called Ofrendas. (source: https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead )
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/halloween
Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and is now a worldwide event. Learn more about Halloween's origins, traditions, interesting facts, scary movies and more.
