Pumpkins at the ready…
There are big tubs of pumpkins outside the supermarkets, along with costumes, fake blood and multi-packs of sweets in the aisles. Halloween is almost upon us. But why do we celebrate it, when did guising start, and what’s the point of carving pumpkins?
As many people know, Halloween is short for All Hallows’ Eve. All Hallows’ Day (also known as All Saints’ Day) was an important occasion in the early Christian calendar and is still recognised by many Christians today. It is a national holiday in some predominately Catholic countries and is seen as a time to recognise and remember saints.
It is believed that many Halloween traditions pre-date Christianity, and actually date back to the ancient Gaelic festival Samhain, which was held to mark the transition from harvest time to winter. Samhain was seen to be a time when the boundaries between worlds, particularly those of the living and the dead, were loosened, enabling spirits to cross through into our world. Bonfires were lit to cleanse the air and offer protection. People would often dress up as evil spirits in order to appease the ‘real’ spirits into not harming them, their families or their livestock. The ‘evil witch’ may have its roots in the Pagan goddess, The Crone, who was celebrated at Samhain for her wisdom and nurture of the Earth.
In the Middle Ages, poor people would visit homes, offering to pray for the dead on All
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Soul’s Day (November 2nd), in exchange for food. This is likely where trick or treating and guising started - a tradition where children would dress up and perform a song, dance, or other entertainment in exchange for a sweet treat.
Pumpkin carving is believed to date back to the 1800s. Originally, turnips were carved and a candle placed inside. It appears that these lanterns served numerous purposes: to frighten spirits away; to guide travellers home safely; and simply to light the way in a time before street lights were commonplace. Pumpkins started to replace turnips when Irish immigrants took their Halloween traditions with them to America. Pumpkins were easier to acquire there than turnips, and soon became more popular as they are usually larger and much easier to carve! In recent years, pumpkin carving has become something of an art form, with elaborate designs often replacing simple grotesque faces.
Black cats, spiders and bats are common Halloween symbols, and likely relate to the idea of a witch’s ‘familiar’ – an animal that was said to be a demon in disguise.
Halloween is now celebrated in numerous countries across the globe, although it is particularly popular in the United States. Samhain itself is also still celebrated by pagans and wiccans around the world.
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