Samhain Countdown Day 2
Why Samhain? A History
Samhain (pronounced Sow-win in Gaelic) is usually celebrated from October 31 to November 1. It originated as a Celtic festival and is celebrated to welcome the harvest, as well as the ‘dark half of the year’.
It was believed that the barriers (also known as the veil) between this world (the physical world) and the spirit world were the thinnest, allowing easier communication with the spirits.
This Sabbat is positioned between the Fall Equinox (Mabon) and the longest night of the year (the Winter Solstice or Yule).
Because of the belief that the barrier between worlds was thinner during Samhain, the Celts prepared offerings that were left outside villages and fields for fairies, or Sidhs.
As ancestors were expected to cross over during this time, Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them. This is the origin of the costumes we wear today.
Some myths include;
The Dullahan who sometimes appeared as impish creatures, sometimes headless men on horses who carried their heads (sound familiar). Riding flame-eyed horses, their appearance was a death omen to anyone who encountered them.
Faery Hosts are hunters who might also haunt Samhain and kidnap people. Similar are the Sluagh, who would come from the west to enter houses and steal souls.
Samhain in the Middle Ages
As the Middle Ages progressed, so did the celebrations of the fire festivals. Bonfires were more personalized and these Samhain fires were burned nearer the farms, and became a tradition, purportedly to protect families from fairies and witches (ironic).
Jack-o-lanterns began to appear, however, these were carved turnips (not pumpkins) attached by strings to sticks and embedded with coal. It was only later in Irish tradition that they were switched to pumpkins.
Dumb Supper
The tradition of “dumb supper” began during this time (I don’t like the terminology I try to use the wording silent supper or similar). It was a regular meal however, it was only eaten after inviting ancestors to join in. This would give the family a chance to interact with the spirits until they left following dinner.
Children would often play games to entertain the dead. The adults would also update the dead on the past year’s news. Later at night, doors and windows might be left open for the dead to come in and eat the cakes that had been left for them (also known as soul cakes).
Christian Samhain
As Christianity gained popularity and often took a foothold in pagan communities, church leaders attempted to reframe Samhain as a Christian celebration.
There were many attempts and changes made during the ages; the first attempt was by Pope Boniface in the 5th century. He moved the celebration to May 13 and specified it as a day celebrating saints and martyrs. This had little effect as the fire festivals of October and November did not end with this decree.
The second occurred in the 9th century, Pope Gregory moved the celebration back to the time of the fire festivals, however, he renamed it All Saints’ Day, on November 1. All Souls’ Day would follow on November 2. Moving the dates slightly to not confuse the people.
The Origins of Halloween Traditions
Pumpkin Carving
originated in Ireland using turnips instead of pumpkins
allegedly based on a legend about a man named Stingy Jack who repeatedly trapped the Devil and only let him go on the condition that Jack would never go to Hell. But when Jack died, he learned that Heaven did not want his soul either, so he was forced to wander the Earth as a ghost for eternity. The Devil gave Jack a burning lump of coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. Locals eventually began carving scary faces into their own turnips to frighten away evil spirits
Seeing Ghosts
Celtic people believed that during the festival, spirits walked the Earth
was believed that the barriers (also known as the veil) between this world (the physical world) and the spirit world were the thinnest, allowing easier communication with the spirits.
Wearing Scary Costumes
in order to avoid being terrorized by all the evil spirits walking the Earth during Samhain, the Celts donned disguises in order to confuse the spirits and be left alone.
they were also worn to confuse the evil spirits so the ancestor spirits could walk freely
Trick-or-Treating
There is much debate around the origins of trick-or-treating, so these are just theories;
The first theory suggests that during Samhain, Celtic people would leave food out to appease the spirits traveling the Earth at night. Over time, people began to dress as these unearthly beings in exchange for similar offerings of food and drink
The second theory speculates that the candy boon stems from the Scottish practice of guising, which is a secular version of “souling.” This was done during the Middle Ages, generally, children and poor adults would collect food and money from local homes in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day. Guisers dropped the prayers in favor of non-religious practices with the inclusion of songs, jokes, and other “tricks.”
A third theory argues that modern American trick-or-treating stems from “belsnickeling,” a German-American Christmas tradition where children would dress in costume and then call on their neighbors to see if the adults could guess the identities of the disguised. In one version of the practice, the children were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them
Black Cats
the idea of being spooked by black cats dates back to the Middle Ages, when these dark felines were considered a symbol of the Devil these symbols also included rats, bats and owls as well
it didn’t help that centuries later, accused witches were often found to have cats, particularly black ones. People began to believe that the cats were a witch’s “familiar”–supernatural entities that would assist in their practice of dark magic–and black cats and spookiness have been linked ever since
Black and Orange
the traditional Halloween colors of black and orange also trace back to the Celtic festival of Samhain
for the Celts, black represented the “death” of summer while the orange symbolized the autumn harvest season
Bobbing for Apples
the game of bobbing for apples has been a staple at Halloween parties for many years, but its origins are more rooted in love and romance
it traces back to a courting ritual that was part of a Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of agriculture and abundance
Lighting Candles and Bonfires
for much of the early history of Halloween, towering bonfires were used to light the way for souls seeking the afterlife.
these days, lighting candles have generally replaced the large traditional blazes.
we also see candles lit in pumpkins as Jack-O-Lanterns
Candy Apples
for centuries, people have been coating fruit in syrup as a means of preservation
however, during the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess was often represented by and associated with apples; her name derives from the Latin word for apple “pomum” and the fruit is at the heart of harvest celebrations
it is believed that candy apples were invented accidentally in 1908 by William W. Kolb, a candymaker in Newark, New Jersey.
as the story goes, Kolb was experimenting with red cinnamon candy to sell at Christmastime and he dipped apples on sticks into the red glaze and put them in his shop window to showcase his new candy. But instead of selling the candies, he ended up selling the apples to customers who thought they looked good enough to eat. They became fashionable treats for Halloween starting in the early 1900s and they remained popular up until the 1970s.
Bats
as part of Samhain, Celts lit large bonfires, which attracted insects, which in turn, attracted bats
soon spotting bats became connected with the festival.
Medieval folklore expanded upon the eeriness of bats with a number of superstitions built around the belief that bats were harbingers of death
Candy Corn
a candymaker at the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia is sometimes credited with inventing the tri-colored candy in the 1880s
candy corn did not become a widespread sensation until the Goelitz Company brought the candy to the masses in 1898
Candy corn was originally called “Chicken Feed” and it sold in boxes with the slogan “Something worth crowing for.”
Initially, it was just an autumnal candy because of corn’s association with harvest time. Candy corn later became Halloween-specific when trick-or-treating grew in popularity in the U.S. during the 1950s.