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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
A&C
Why do we have these Halloween traditions? Lauren O’Donnell A&C Reporter
Halloween has become a celebration, of dressing up and eating chocolate to your heart’s content. But it wasn’t always this way. A long time ago, Halloween was something deeper. This article charts the rise and fall of some of Halloween’s most popular traditions.
Samhain and AlL-- Hallows Eve Halloween began as the Celtic tradition of Samhain. Accoridng to History.com, it marked the evening before the beginning of the new year, when “the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred”. During the festival, bonfires would be lit and sacrifices made both to ward off evil spirits and to try and predict the future of the
coming year. When the Celts were violently conquered by the Holy Roman empire, the festival was adapted to suit Catholic sensibilities. Eventually it became a part of a three-day commemoration of the dead known as Allhallowtide. Today, one of these three days is now a chance to dress up and eat discounted candy in many Western societies.
Jack--- o’-- lanterns Jack-o’-lanterns originate from an Irish myth about a man called Stingy Jack. Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him, but he claimed he didn’t have any money. He conned the devil into turning into a coin, which Jack then put in his pocket next to a silver cross to prevent the devil from transforming back. He freed the devil on the condition that he wouldn’t claim Jack’s soul for a year. When the devil came
back, Jack tricked him into climbing up an apple tree, and then surrounded the tree with silver crosses, trapping the devil again. Jack made the devil swear not to take his soul for ten years. When Jack died, he ended up locked out of both Heaven and Hell. He was sent away with only a burning coal to light his way, which he put into a carved out turnip. Initially, jack-o’-lanterns were made from carved potatoes and turnips. When the tradition came to America, they switched to pumpkins.
TRICK-- OR--TREATING Trick-or-treating comes from a number of ancient traditions. During Samhain, food was left out for the spirits — like leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, but with demons. In the middle ages, performers called mummers would perform in exchange for food and drink. In Scotland and Ireland, children
would dress up and perform tricks in exchange for snacks, a tradition known as guising. Unfortunately, they generally received nuts and seeds rather than mini Mars Bars.
COSTUMES During Samhain, the borders between the natural and the supernatural became blurred. Certain attire was used to scare away unwanted spirits. They would also wear masks so that when they ventured forth into the night, ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. This is a far cry from the twelve Spiderman costumes I saw last year.
VOODOO Not all spooky traditions are light-hearted. Many of us may be familiar with the image of the voodoo doll stuck full of pins. However, similar to other Halloween traditions, voodoo has been watered down and
distorted over the course of history. Voodoo originated in West Africa, in modern-day Benin, as a religion and way of life. It only became associated with “evil” practices when Haitian slaves were brought to America and forced to give up their religion. The conception of voodoo as evil and malevolent is one which still persists today. Maybe give this some thought before you dress up as a voodoo doll for Halloween. Many Halloween traditions are traditional rituals and practices that have been watered down over time. While some elements still remain in our modern-day society, their roots are being muddied, potentially through a lack of awareness and appreciation for past traditions and values. @TheSilhouette
ELISABETTA PAIANO / PRODUCTION EDITOR