Halloween also known as All Hallows’ Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in western countries including Ireland, the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and the UK as well as Australia and New Zealand on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It initiates the triduum of Hallowmas ( All Hallows’ Eve 31st Oct, All Saints Day 1st Nov and All Souls Day 2nd Nov ) , the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers.
According to many scholars, All Hallows’ Eve is a Christianised feast initially influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, with possible pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic Samhain, which represents the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker months of Winter. Other academics maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots.
Wikipedia says the modern imagery of Halloween comes from many sources, including Christian eschatology ( the study of humankind as described in the Bible ) , national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein and Dracula) and classic horror films (such as Frankenstein and The Mummy). Imagery of the skull, a reference to Golgotha, in the Christian tradition, serves as “a reminder of death and the transitory quality of human life” and is consequently found in memento mori and vanitas compositions; skulls have therefore been commonplace in Halloween, which touches on this theme.
Traditionally, the back walls of churches are “decorated with a depiction of the Last Judgment, complete with graves opening and the dead rising, with a heaven filled with angels and a hell filled with devils,” a motif that has permeated the observance of this triduum. One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne, who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween; “What fearfu’ pranks ensue!”, as well as the supernatural associated with the night, “Bogies” (ghosts), influencing Robert Burns’ Halloween 1785. Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil, and mythical monsters. Black, orange, and sometimes purple are Halloween’s traditional colours.
In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money. The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going “guising” around the neighbourhood. We were always really careful though not to make a nuisance of ourselves as my Great Nan never liked all the door knocking that went on at Halloween.
The earliest known use in print of the term “trick or treat” appears in 1927, from Blackie, Alberta, Canada:
Hallowe’en provided an opportunity for real strenuous fun. No real damage was done except to the temper of some who had to hunt for wagon wheels, gates, wagons, barrels, etc., much of which decorated the front street. The youthful tormentors were at back door and front demanding edible plunder by the word “trick or treat” to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing.
Because in the Northern Hemisphere Halloween comes in the wake of the yearly apple harvest, candy apples (known as toffee apples outside North America), caramel or taffy apples are common Halloween treats made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, sometimes followed by rolling them in nuts.
One custom that persists in modern-day Ireland is the baking (or more often nowadays, the purchase) of a barmbrack (Irish: báirín breac), which is a light fruitcake, into which a plain ring, a coin and other charms are placed before baking. It is said that those who get a ring will find their true love in the ensuing year. This is similar to the tradition of king cake at the festival of Epiphany.
I’m surprised there aren’t more musical connections with Halloween I must try to do some research into this, if any of you can suggest any songs then I would be grateful for your comments and contributions 🙂
Thanks to Pascal Barnier who sent this picture over to me just in time to make my blog post 🙂
Finally, I was thinking of changing my Gravatar picture to a more Autumnal one, what do you think? I used the picture as the feature header and I would love to hear your opinions.
Well researched and interesting post. I do like the autumnal portrait of you above.
Always an eye opening pleasure to read your blog 🙂
Thanks Jim, I held a party at mine for around 30 friends so I wanted to do a bit of research and thought I’d share it.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Nice post Charlotte (Missy H)… No Halloween here of course, but best post Iv’e seen today; more than just a photo of some pumpkins!
As for the photo, it’s very good, classy and yes, autumnal, lol
Hi Uncle Spike, Did you click through to those pumpkin carvings in the Guardian? They were fabulous, I didn’t manage anything so exciting. Glad you like the new gr avatar 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
We eat pumpkins here as a desert during summer, that’s all. All quiet here (thank goodness, said the old Halloween humbug) 🙂
Cool post
Thanks Ruth 🙂
All the best
Charlotte
Thank you for all that marvelous Hallowe’en lore.
It was fascinating I hadn’t realised it was a three day festival so I learnt something new which is always useful.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Bonsoir Charlotte,
Very intersting post “My below witch.”.;-) .
And yes, your automnal portrait is full of charm….
About musical connections , you may have some interesting things on : http://voices.yahoo.com/let-me-terrify-ten-halloween-worthy-songs-from-2026789.html
my best thoughts
pascal
Merci Pascal for the link and for your photographic picture. I like the bubble in the top right, Galinda in Wicked always travels by bubble 🙂 I will check out the link you suggested over the weekend.
Best wishes
Charlotte
This bubble is made with a full moon picture……Nice week end Charlotte
And you have a great weekend too 🙂
Charlotte
Artistic kiss my dear…;-)
Excellent post about Ghosties an’ Goblins an’ lang-legged beasties and things that go Bump in the night. I also liked your your automnal portrait.
Thank you John, I didn’t whether to change my gravatar in case people don’t recognise it’s me when I visit their blogs so I’ll see how it goes 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Very informative and well written. Nice pictures. Happy Halloween.
Thank you for sharing.
Hello Evelen, My pleasure 🙂 I love the photos of my little brother in his Halloween masks with his red eyes shining through.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Good to know. happy halloween.
Thank you Krishnan, do they have anything like this in India?
Best wishes
Charlotte
We have a significant christian population, where I come from. But nothing like halloween.
but I can’t think of a more fun holliday for kids. dressing up and collecting sweets – wish we had something like that when we were kids.
Wonderful post, and a lovely new photo.
There are some songs usually associated with Halloween. My favorite is “Haunted House,” which I know best from the great version by Jumpin’ Gene Simmons:
http://youtu.be/LBFNEAT_HIQ
“Monster Mash” also remains popular, although I don’t think that it’s as good as “Haunted House”:
http://youtu.be/J0R_oDEvYUY
Hi Dan, thanks for the links, I’d originally drafted up the article to post on Wednesday but didn’t get the time to finish it off, I was hoping to download the music for my party but I have them for next year now 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Some great photos and information here – Happy Halloween to you!
Thank you 😉 I had a great evening, we dressed the living room up with bats and cobwebs and pumpkin balloons and I dressed up with three friends as a ghost busters.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful post, Charlotte, and I love your photo above, just beautiful!
Thank you Lauren 😉 thanks for your lovely message.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Nice description for those who don’t do Halloween!
I’ve only ever done Halloween low key in the past but after such an intense month I thought we deserved a party 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Happy Halloween Charlotte. Fun pictures, you can get the treats.
I like the treats I was never very good at tricks 🙂
Have a nice weekend.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Well researched!
It was fun, apparently the party was epic so the research was worth it 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hello! Here is the Halloween song we always sang as kids:
That’s cute, I’ve not heard that before Tricia thank you 😉
Enjoy your weekend.
All the best
Charlotte
Happy Halloween 🙂
Thank you 😉
I was busy ghost busting.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I love the new autumn picture! Happy Halloween!
Hello Janice, the clocks went back an hour last weekend and it really feels like winter is on the way now 😉
All the best
Charlotte
You might add that this is Día de Muertos (The Day of the Dead) in Mexico. It is a time to remember loved ones who have passed on. It’s a bank holiday there. Another piece of music that fits in well with the holiday is Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain.
Hello Don, fabulous suggestion, I should have thought about this exercise a week ago and put a compilation of tracks together, what the neighbours would have thought I don’t know lol. This piece is very atmospheric and would have been a grand entrance to kick things off.
All the best
Charlotte
The tradition of remembering the dead extends beyond the anglo saxon countries you mention. Mexico, south of your border, all the way to Patagonia. Obviously it is not a disneyfied event, or trick-or-treating but more of remembering the dead. At home my parents would set up a table with the photos or mementos of family members, water (for apparently the spirits are always thirsty), a small glass or two of pisco, candles. There was silence in the house.
Hello Javier, how fascinating thank you. I will have a quiet moment tomorrow to remember my relatives this is a lovely idea.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great post love all your pictures and such a great insight into Halloween, I did not get to carve a pumpkin this year they all looked a little worse for wear. Also loving the new gravatar 😉
Hi Hayley, we found a reasonable looking pumpkin, I was so pleased our flat didn’t look worse for wear lol. Glad you like the new gravatar.
All the best
Charlotte
This post was fascinating! It helped me understand Halloween so much more, and therefore, to LIKE the ‘holiday’ more. Thanks for stopping by at my blog. The song I used as a “halloweeny” tune in the post before is Witchy Woman, by the Eagles.
Brilliant, I’ll have a listen to ‘Witchy Woman’, the Eagles are one of Dads favourite albums but I can’t remember this one 😉
Best wishes
Charlotte
thank you Charlotte for following my blog. yours is such an interesting find and easy read. Good luck in your studies and continue writing.
Thanks for visiting Cheryl and good luck with your art gallery; my family are big supporters of local small businesses.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great post. Almost a condensed version of the lecture I gave to my university students the other day.
Thank you 😉 My friend Les is a big angler he likes sea fishing too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Nice informative and entertaining post Charlotte. Thanks.
Thanks for your visit and comment Marc, sorry for the delay in replying just catching up now 😉
All the best
Charlotte