Happy Samhain All You Pagans

I like to consider myself a poster Canadian, with a concoction of nationalities coursing through my veins. I am ½, eighth generation French Canadian, ¼, fourth generation Newfie/Brit and ¼, second generation Irish.  It is those ¼ Irish genes that make celebrating Halloween almost a genetic necessity.  In addition, I am driven to introduce the tradition to as many cultures as I can. Hence the fourth annual HIT Halloween celebration was born.  

Halloween is believed to have begun as a pagan festival called Samhain.  Samhain was a time used by the ancient Gaels (Celts) to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. They believed that on October 31^st, the 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.











They celebrated with huge bonfires, dressing up in costumes consisting of animal skins and heads in an attempt to fool the spirits into believing they too were spirits and leave them alone.  As time passed, the animal skins and heads were replaced with masks. 

Those pesky Christians got involved when they named November 1^st as “All Saints Day”, a celebration of martyrs.  The day was also called “All Hallows” and the night before, October 31, Samhain, became known as “All Hallows Eve” and eventually “Halloween”

 

 

 

It is suggested that trick-or-treating" dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits.

 

 

 

In the mid 19^th century, the great potato famine saw hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants settle in North America, bringing with them the traditions of Halloween. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. By the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults had become the most common way to celebrate the day.

 

 

Beginning in the 1920’s, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow.

 

 

Spooky pumpkins started out as spooky turnips. Turnips were hollowed out and spooky faces were carved into them. Lit with candles, they were carried or left in windows or front doors to scare away the spirits of the dead. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the tradition arrived in North America, pumpkins replaced turnips as a cheaper alternative for scaring away the spirits. I believe that it was also the birth of pumpkin pie. They had to do something with all those pumpkin guts!

 

Today, we spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the second largest commercial holiday in North America. Can you imagine if this celebration catches on in China?  You might want to start buying shares in candy companies because I think I have lit the fuse. 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween everyone and a special Happy Samhain to all you pagans