"Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night."
-Steve Almond
Halloween is upon us and little kids in costumes of ghosts, witches, princess' and Spiderman will be filling the streets. The origination of this holiday is rooted in the (from Wikipedia) ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year."
Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops.
The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.
In modern terms, it has evolved into a a fun and spirited time to simply enjoy the fall weather and gather candy; lots of candy. So the bags will be filled, tummies will be bursting from chocolate and bubble gum. Little feet will be tired and the morning will come all too soon.
But this year it falls on a Friday night so it is likely many will be out much later. Heck, the kids can sleep in on Saturday morning and miss some of the cartoons. Parents can rest and possibly sift through the candy finding the good stuff before the little ones wake up.
With all of the fun and good cheer, drive careful, walk careful and above all - have fun!
Boo!!
_
Halloween is upon us and little kids in costumes of ghosts, witches, princess' and Spiderman will be filling the streets. The origination of this holiday is rooted in the (from Wikipedia) ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year."
Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops.
The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.
In modern terms, it has evolved into a a fun and spirited time to simply enjoy the fall weather and gather candy; lots of candy. So the bags will be filled, tummies will be bursting from chocolate and bubble gum. Little feet will be tired and the morning will come all too soon.
But this year it falls on a Friday night so it is likely many will be out much later. Heck, the kids can sleep in on Saturday morning and miss some of the cartoons. Parents can rest and possibly sift through the candy finding the good stuff before the little ones wake up.
With all of the fun and good cheer, drive careful, walk careful and above all - have fun!
Boo!!
_
