The Origins of Halloween
...ere the food could be found to mislead the neighbors. Another important aspect of survival was fire as it meant light, warmth and the ability to prepare food. So important was fire that a member of each family was assigned to feed it making certain it would not diminish. Think for a moment – shadows cast from a great roaring bonfire with many soot-stained individuals tossing barren tree limbs from every angle – looks like dark figures with horns dancing around an endless flame … How does all this correlate to current Halloween symbology? Much of what is socially accepted for this holiday comes from the collective works of the Celtic people. Historians now believe the Celts to be an ancient race that underwent large-scale immigration around 2300 B.C. Initially, the Celts moved into Spain, then Ireland, Western Britain, Italy and Palestine which explains why similar holiday customs are so wide-spread. Like the Egyptians, Mayans, Greeks and Romans, they had a very elaborate social system that included regular gatherings. In keeping with the “light time” and the “dark time,” two major festivals were celebrated by the lighting of great fires – Beltane - to welcome the “light time” in what we know as early May. Because all of life is quickening, the light time of the year became associated with fertility and birth. To honor the “dark time” at the end of October, the Celts celebrated Samhain. Because all of life is slowing, the dark time of the year became associated with rest and death. A few highlights of the Samhain festival included: 1. Children in disguise going from house to house exchanging their families’ crop for that of another that they did not have. The origins of Trick-or-Treat grew from exchanging fruits and vegetables, not candy. 2. As pumpkins were ripe in the fields, the women would scoop out the pulp for pies. Because the skins were thick and tough, beeswax with vine could be placed in the hollowed out shells to become a flame-retardant light source when darkness fell. Thus the origins of the Jack-o-Lantern – a source of light. 3. As the weather became colder, field mice sought shelter in the warmth of cottages and food scraps during the festivals. As mice carried disease and destroyed crops, cats were most welcomed and the most prolific species was black. This would make cat’s good luck not bad luck! It was not until the 4th century that Christianity found its way to the Celtic countryside. The country folk or “Paganus” were easily identifiable as most were pastoral – planting and harvesting as well as herding cattle, goats and sheep. Usually they could be observed carrying wheat on their backs to their cottages. These sheaves or “WICCE” became the cry of Christians during the time of harvest. In time, Christian missionaries became particularly concerned with the “midwife” who is actually credited with much of our Halloween lore. These elder women of the community maintained a significant amount of power because they had the knowledge of plants that could cure the sick and safely bring children into the world. It was commonplace to see a midwife running through the night to a woman in labor with the tools of her trade. These tools included a Besom – broom – that was used to sweep clean the houses where birthing was to occur. The broom would be affixed to her apron - brush side forward - because her hands were usually full with clean linens. This is a far cry from riding the broom through the night sky! The necessary herbs, ointments and utensils were carried by the midwife in a wide-brimmed hat. These hats were square, not pointed and treated first with karaya gum to ...