Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculliar custom originate? Is it as some claim, a kind of pagan holiday? Or is it just another harmless children's holiday?
The word itself, Halloween, actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve or All Hallows Day or All Saint's Day which falls on Nov. 1. It is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New Year.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time. Allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in the homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily praded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland at Usinach.
Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth, the Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, they abandoned any pra tice of sacrificing of humans in favor of burning effigies. The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts and witches took on a more ceremonial role. The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840s by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates. The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a minth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes", made out of square pieces of bread with currants.
The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death and that prayers, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.
Blood-Curdling Story
by Shel Silverstein's book "Falling Up":
That story is creepy,
It's waily, it's weepy,
It's screechy and screamy
Right up to the end.
It's spooky, it's crawly,
It's grizzly, it's gory,
It's the awfulest story
(Please tell it again).
Best Mask?
by Shel Silverstein's book "Falling Up":
They just had a contest for scariest mask,
And I was the wild and daring one
Who won the contest for scariest mask --
And (sob) I'm not even wearing one!
Monsters I've Met
by Shel Silverstein's book "A Light in the Attic"
I met a ghost, but he didn't want my head,
He only wanted to know the way to Denver.
I met a devil, but he didn't want my soul,
He only wanted to borrow my bike awhile.
I met a vampire, but he didn't want my blood,
He only wanted two nickles for a dime.
I keep meeting all the right people --
At all the wrong times.
The Worst
by Shel Silverstein's book "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
When singing songs of scariness,
Of bloodiness and hairyness,
I feel obligated at this moment to remind you
Of the most ferocious beast of all:
Three thousand pounds and nine feet tall --
The Glurpy Slurpy Skakagrall --
Who's standing right behind you.
Tips for a Very Safe & Happy Halloween:
ALWAYS walk with a grown up you know, a parent or responsible older sibling.
ALWAYS try to trick-or-treat while it's still light out.
ALWAYS go to only those houses with whom you know who lives there.
NEVER walk into your neighbor's home.
STAY with your buddy or parent.
ALWAYS cross ONLY at street corners. REMEMBER to look both ways before crossing streets.
REMEMBER to come home when you're told to.
NEVER wear masks that completely cover your face and doesn't let you see well.
ALWAYS wear light-reflective clothing.
ALWAYS carry a flashlight.
NEVER eat your candy until your parents have had a chance to look through it first.
And remember:
ALWAYS have fun!! Try to have a party instead of trick-or-treating!!
Need some funny trick-or-treat jokes?
Q: How come the skeleton never crossed the road?
A: He didn't have any guts!! HA HA HA
Q: How do you kill a Jewish Vampire?
A: Drive a porksteak through his heart!! HA HA HA
A Halloween Treat for You
The snowglobe to the left was created by me. The image used is created by Kayomi.
If you would like to "adopt": this snowglobe for your page, please follow the directions below. DO NOT LINK DIRECTLY TO MY SITE.
Follow the instructions below. Then copy my banner and link my banner to this following website address:
http://www.geocities.com/karenalitygraphics/index.html
1) Right click the image
2) go to "Save As":
3) name your file
4) Upload the image to your web server.
5) ENJOY!!
DON'T FORGET TO RIGHT CLICK MY BANNER BELOW!!
DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN
by Shel Silverstein's book "A Light in the Attic"
Skeletons, spirits and haunts,
Skeletons, spirits and haunts.
It's a halloween sale:
A nickel a pail
For skeletons, spirits and haunts.
Skeletons, spirits and haunts,
More than most anyone wants.
Will you pay for a shock,
'Cause we're quite overstocked
On skeletons, spirits and haunts.
Halloween every year is October 31
