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Halloween: Final Thoughts
So far, my research has shown that today’s modern Halloween is a combination of old pagan practices and early Catholic traditions. Just like the Christmas tree (originally a pagan symbol) has become a symbol of Christmas and under which Christians put presents today in America, partaking in this tradition does not mean that they are honouring a pagan god. In the same vein, kids dressing up, going around the neighbourhood, and coming home with enough candy to last a month, doesn’t mean that they are worshipping a pagan holiday. Yes, costumes originated because people believed that spirits would not be able to recognize them on Samhain if they were dressed…
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Halloween and Traditions about Marriage
Did you know that a lot of the traditions of Halloween weren’t actually about the dead or the past? The whole bobbing for apples thing and pretty much anything having to do with apples, has to do with the future. The first successful bobber would be the first one married that year (sounds like the bridal bouqet to me). Young women thought they could figure out who their husbands were going to be based on throwing the peel over her shoulder and seeing what letter or shape it took on landing. In the same vein, a matchmaker would bury a ring in the bowl of mashed potatoes, bringing luck and…
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Halloween and Jack-o-Lanterns
The Irish are the reason we have the Jack-o-Lantern (or Jack O’Lantern depending on who you are). Let me tell you a story. Stingy Jack was a horrid, miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone (including his own mother). One day, he had the bad fortune of running into the Devil in a pub and inviting him to have a drink with him. Well, true to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay a single penny for those drinks and true to his character, he managed to talk the Devil into turning himself into a coin so that Jack could buy their drinks. Rather than buying…