Deja-Boo: Reliving the Halloweens of Past Village

By Peter McBride

Witches and warlocks. Ghosts and goblins. Howling and hauntings. Pranks and pumpkins. Devils and demons. Spooky and scary. Tricks or treats.

All are part of the “spirits” of Halloween. But from where, when, what, and how did All Hallows’ Eve originate?

• Halloween traces its origins back approximately two millennia to the ancient Celtic religious harvest festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-win in Gaelic) in Scotland, Ireland, and part of Northern France.

• Led by Druid priests, festival participants were encultured to believe that the boundary line between the living and the dead melted away during Samhain.

• By the mid-first century AD, the then Roman rulers of the Celtic territories linked Samhain with two Roman festivals: Feralia, “commemorating the passing of the dead”; and giving thanks for a bountiful harvest to Pomona, “goddess of fruitful abundance.”

• In 609 AD, Pope Boniface IV launched All Martyrs Day in the Western Catholic church. Pope Gregory III broadened that honorific to include all saints, changing the date to November 1. And November 2 later became All Saints Day to honor all those deceased and departed - and quite possibly to further offset any remaining vestiges of Samhain with a more then “theologically correct” Christian holy day. cont'd on next page

• The middle English word alholownese means “all saints” (or “all hallows”). The night before All Hallows Day (All Saints Day) on November 1, is All Hallows Eve on October 31 – better known as Halloween.

Over the centuries and throughout multitudes of countries and cultures, Halloween customs and rituals have blossomed like…well…like magic.

• Donning costumes was originally a safeguard to prevent the living from being recognized by roaming ghosts.

• Devout believers begged and collected foodstuffs that could be given to appease those spirits that roamed the countryside.

Here are some frighteningly funny Halloween Riddles to share… perhaps with any trick-or-treaters who may come to your door:

Q. How do you open the locked door of a haunted house?

A. Use a spook-key.

Q. How does a zombie get to be the best in his/her profession?

A. Dead-ication

Q. How do you get rid of an evil demon during a workout?

A. Exor-cise

Q. What’s the problem with twin witches?

A. You never know which witch is which.

Q. How do ghosts keep their hair neat?

A. Scare-spray

Q. Why did the man ghost fall in love with his ghoulfriend?

A. She was boo-tiful.

Q. Why did the baby ghosts cry?

A. They missed their mummy.

Q. Why are skeletons afraid to go to the doctor?

A. They haven’t got the guts.

Q. How do you repair a broken pumpkin?

A. You use a pumpkin patch.

Q. Why was the pumpkin so futuristic?

A. It was always ahead of the “carve.”

Q. What was the ghost doing when she got home from trick-or-treating?

A. Goblin up her candy.

Q. What is a math teacher’s favorite Halloween treat?

A. Pumpkin Pi.

Halloween (from previous page)

• It was believed that generous donors would be blessed and prosper (treated); the stingiest and less generous would be cursed and suffer illness and misfortune - even death (tricked).

• Jack-o-lanterns were originally carved from turnips, but U.S. immigrants from Ireland (where turnips were in short supply) substituted pumpkins.

• The Irish myth of “Stingy Jack” who pranked the Devil for his own ill-gotten gains was sentenced at his death to roam the earth carrying a lantern (or carved out turnip) for light. Hollowed-out pumpkins with candles inside represent Jack’s travails.

• Some lost and pretty-much-forgotten Halloween traditions involved helping young maidens to determine if they would someday find a husband, and who that future spouse might be, by looking for a ring in their mashed potatoes; tossing hazelnuts into the fireplace; eating a sweet and sugary concoction; tossing apple peels over their shoulders; or bobbing for apples. All of these traditions apparently predated on-line dating and matchmaking services.

Yes. Halloween started out as a “spiritlifting” harvest festival with historic origins, customs, superstitions, and legends, “witch” still provides millions of people – young and old - with fun, goodie bags overflowing with treats, costume parties, and good times. And yes… maybe even some goosebumps.

Whatever the case, may your own Halloween be truly spook-tacular!

Sources used include: Library of Congress blogs, history.com, Scholastic kids Press, spirithalloween.com, HouseBeautiful.com.