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Halloween Myths by Brett Simpson Halloween will be on us soon, and so it's good to first take a look at how this holiday came about and what makes it so popular today (especially in the United States). Before Christianity the Celtic pagans held two great Fire festivals every year - Beltane (on May 1), and Samhain (November 1) - these two events were meant to mark the beginning of Summer and Winter. Because the Celtic day started at Sunset and lasted until the following sunset, the festival began on the eve o November 1st, or October 31st. Halloween on October 31st was meant to mark the transition from Autumn to Winter and was the time of year when the souls of the departed were supposed to re-visit their old homes to warm themselves by the fire and enjoy the good cheer provided for them in the kitchens and parlors of their kinsfolk. The name Halloween was created when 'All Hallows Eve', the festival of fire and spirit was moved to the SAME DAY as the pagan festival of Samhain. It is also the night before the Christian festival of All Hallow's (Saints) Day which commemorates the Christian Saints and martyrs and is marked by All Souls Day with prayers for the souls of the dead in the Roman Catholic Church. All Hallow's Eve or Hallowe'en was moved from May 13th to November 1st in the 8th century, most likely to make it coincide with the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain, so that All Hallows Eve became the same celebration as Samhain for the Celtic Pagans, and on the same day! For the Celtics, the day and evening was one when offerings of food and drink were put out for the spirits as they passed by moving from East to West - the direction of the dying sun. Today the masks and costumes are meant to symbolize these spirits, or to keep the evil at bay by scaring away the spirits with the ugly masks. As the children visit the neighbors for candy and treats - they are collecting the 'food offerings' that were originally left for the spirits. JACK-O-LANTERN
The Jack-o-lantern or (will-o-wisp), sometimes called a corpse light or candle was originally the mysterious lights seen hovering over lakes, ferns and marshes. It is said to represent a person's spirit counterpart or double. The lights are called 'swamp gas' by scientists and are believed to be either the ignition of gases from decaying plant or animal matter, or an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions. They look like small glowing balls of fire or like candle flames and are associated with the souls of the dead, or sometimes the wandering souls which cannot find refuge in Heaven or Hell. Reprinted from The Dreamtimes *Free Enewsletter, Copyright(C) 2002, Brett Simpson Brett Simpson is editor of The Dreamtimes and webmaster of The Dreamtime website (* http://thedreamtime.com (website gone to the cosmos)*), a free numerology & astrology website that offers free life path, compatibility, forecast readings & awareness, spirituality info. |
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In Irish lore, if you are passed by fairies on All Hallow's Eve, you should throw
the dirt from your footprint after them, which will force them to free any humans
they have taken captive. |
