#Halloween - History Lessons

Welcome to Edenfantasys Halloween History lessons! All of the information for this event was kindly put together by Airen Wolf, even though she can't join us today due to her own festivities!This activity is a laid-back way for us to share our knowledge of the different customs celebrated during Halloween and we're especially interested in information you may have regarded cultures outside of North America and how they might celebrate.While we're waiting for everyone to join, can you remember your favorite costume or your best haul? What was so awesome about it? less

It was a Celtic tradition to go begging treats door to door dressed in funny or scary costumes to keep the fae from recognizing you. Since you never knew if it was a human or a fae knocking at your door you gave them little sweet treats for good luck in the coming year.

This is a traditional festival of lights so large bonfires were lit both to light the festivities and to burn off the chaff from the growing season. These fires could attract insect life and became a lovely smorgasbord for bats. This is one possible explanation for why bats are such a part of this holiday. For the Celts the holiday had many names but the most popular was Samhain (pronounced sow-en, or sah-whin). It roughly translates to Last Harvest or Summers End.

One interesting fact: An intense and persistent fear of Halloween is called Samhainophobia! less

My favorite costume was a beautiful blue ballgown that my mom and I made for a Colonial Ball in 5th grade. After the ball, it turned into my yearly Halloween "trick." I would put really pale makeup on and do a little dribble of blood, and sit dead still on the porch. My mom would be sitting next to me so the kids would have to walk near me to get candy. I had a very high success rate of kids thinking I was fake. Then I'd make a quick motion and they'd flip. It was really fun. less

We had a party at a local park here and I dressed up as a "Bad Kitty" with a "Very Good Master". We won first place but that could have been because I was wearing a black body stocking with a thong and push up bra, kitty ears, bow tie collar, tail, and 4 inch heals. My master was in a tux. I remember it was really cold and we were there for 6 hours. My belly piercing hurt for days due to being led around by it. I gotta say that was in my early 20's and 40lbs ago. less

Pope Gregory III, in the 8th Century designated November 1st the feast of All Saints and All Hallows Eve was celebrated as the night before this feast. It could be coincidence or it could have been a concerted effort to incorporate the SamHain Holiday, the jury is out on the actual course of events. All we really know for certain is the name Halloween is a corruption of the holiday Hallows ‘Eve.

When the Romans conquered the Celtic lands they brought with them two holidays: Feralia- the day when the Romans commemorated the passing of the dead.
Pomona-who was celebrated as the Goddess of fruit and trees. This is the holiday that may have lead to the fun activity bobbing for apples!
It is easy to see how the tradition of warding off and appeasing the "Unseely Court" or the Fae with sweet treats evolved into children begging for candy door to door. Trick or treat is a direct memory of the fear that to treat the beggars to anything but the sweetest treats was to bring down the wrath of the fae onto the family in the form of nasty tricks! less

The Jack and Jill Children's Activities magazine, the radio show The Baby Snooks Show, The Jack Benny Show, Walt Disney, the popular show Ozzie and Harriet, and UNICEF all helped to make Halloween an American tradition. Mind you, the early reactions of American adults was far from indulgent, and often the children were met with bemused intolerance to outright anger at the begging. In fact, in 1948 a troupe of boys from the Madison Square Boys Club from New York carried a banner proclaiming that, "American Boys Don't Beg"!
The holiday as celebrated by Americans has since then migrated to all the corners of the world.

Other October 31 celebrations:
In Taiwan Chiang Kai-shek's Birthday is celebrated
In Slovenia Reformation Day is celebrated less

Pope Gregory III, in the 8th Century designated November 1st the feast of All Saints and All Hallows Eve was celebrated as the night before this feast. It could be coincidence or it could have been a concerted effort to incorporate the SamHain Holiday, the jury is out on the actual course of events. All we really know for certain is the name Halloween is a corruption of the holiday Hallows ‘Eve.

When the Romans conquered the Celtic lands they brought with them two holidays: Feralia- the day when the Romans commemorated the passing of the dead.
Pomona-who was celebrated as the Goddess of fruit and trees. This is the holiday that may have lead to the fun activity bobbing for apples!
It is easy to see how the tradition of warding off and appeasing the "Unseely Court" or the Fae with sweet treats evolved into children begging for candy door to door. Trick or treat is a direct memory of the fear that to treat the beggars to anything but the sweetest treats was to bring down the wrath of the fae onto the family in the form of nasty tricks! less