Halloween - Fun, Tradition and Mystery
It’s a night of spooks, trick or treating and great fun. Hallowe’en is one of the most popular celebrations around the world, enjoyed by both children and adults.
But, how did this celebration originate and what is its true meaning?
First of all, although in the calendar October 31st is the official date for Hallowe’en, the festivities to remember the dead actually encompass three days and three different celebrations: All Hallows’ Eve (October 31st ), All Hallows’ Day (November 1st ) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd ).
According to traditional lore, the Eve of All Saints’ Day marks a period in which the spiritual world is nearest to the world of the living.
First of all, although in the calendar October 31st is the official date for Hallowe’en, the festivities to remember the dead actually encompass three days and three different celebrations: All Hallows’ Eve (October 31st ), All Hallows’ Day (November 1st ) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd ).
According to traditional lore, the Eve of All Saints’ Day marks a period in which the spiritual world is nearest to the world of the living.
Rites performed with candles, incense, music, etc. help guide lost spirits to their final place of rest, so that they may not haunt the living, rites which are also meant to appease wicked spirits and ward off evil.
While different cultures and religions around the world have performed rituals and ceremonials to remember their ancestors and the spirits of the departed since the dawn of time, it was not but until the 7th century when a day in the calendar was specifically marked for this celebration.
In 609 AD, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome, formerly a temple of pagan cult and place of martyrdom of countless Christians, and commanded that May 13th should be the day to commemorate all Martyrs.
In 837 A.D., Pope Gregory IV extended this celebration to include all saints - those which already had a particular day in the Christian calendar and those who didn’t -, and changed the date to the 1st of November.
While different cultures and religions around the world have performed rituals and ceremonials to remember their ancestors and the spirits of the departed since the dawn of time, it was not but until the 7th century when a day in the calendar was specifically marked for this celebration.
In 609 AD, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome, formerly a temple of pagan cult and place of martyrdom of countless Christians, and commanded that May 13th should be the day to commemorate all Martyrs.
In 837 A.D., Pope Gregory IV extended this celebration to include all saints - those which already had a particular day in the Christian calendar and those who didn’t -, and changed the date to the 1st of November.
Since then, the Feast of All Saints became universally celebrated.
However, this new date collided with ancient pagan traditions that were still practiced in territories still not fully converted to the Christian faith.
In fact, some historians and researchers argue that this date may have been specifically chosen by the Catholic Church - as in the case of December 25th for Christmas - in an effort to replace a pagan festivity.
In the ancient Celtic calendar, the start of autumn marked the feast of Samhain, which literally means ‘end of Summer’. Samhain was a celebration of the end of harvesting time and the preparation for the incoming winter.
A similar celebration, although at a slightly different time, was held in Mexico, where a devotion to the dead had been practiced for centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.
Although the Christian faith tried to stifle the pagan rites, the popular traditions prevailed, pervading through the religious restrictions, adapting in creative ways to keep the celebrations alive.
In countries of Celtic heritage, the eve of the celebration of All Saints’ Day - or All Hallows’ Day as it was called originally - gave way to Hallowe’en.
However, this new date collided with ancient pagan traditions that were still practiced in territories still not fully converted to the Christian faith.
In fact, some historians and researchers argue that this date may have been specifically chosen by the Catholic Church - as in the case of December 25th for Christmas - in an effort to replace a pagan festivity.
In the ancient Celtic calendar, the start of autumn marked the feast of Samhain, which literally means ‘end of Summer’. Samhain was a celebration of the end of harvesting time and the preparation for the incoming winter.
A similar celebration, although at a slightly different time, was held in Mexico, where a devotion to the dead had been practiced for centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.
Although the Christian faith tried to stifle the pagan rites, the popular traditions prevailed, pervading through the religious restrictions, adapting in creative ways to keep the celebrations alive.
In countries of Celtic heritage, the eve of the celebration of All Saints’ Day - or All Hallows’ Day as it was called originally - gave way to Hallowe’en.
Pumpkins, gourds and corn (the fruits of the harvest) became the main decorations.
During Victorian times, following a fascination with the occult and the after life, Hallowe’en became a celebration associated with ghouls and spectres, and the images of ghosts, witches and black cats made their first appearances in greeting cards and decorations.
In the 20th century, following the economic boom after the WWII, Hallowe’en turned into a commercial celebration, with sales of candy, costumes and parties as a required social exchange, very much like presents at Christmas.
Although in the process Halloween lost its original significance, it opened the celebration to everyone, regardless of origin or belief.
In the 1970's, with the boom of horror movies such as “The Exorcist” and “Friday 13th”, Hallowe’en became the favourite release date for horror films, linking the festivity with gore and violence, a trend that has continued through the decades.
The global influence of the United States internationalized the Hallowe’en tradition across continents, with countless movies, cartoons, music videos and TV programs, which helped in its popularization, such as “Halloween”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “E.T. the Extraterrestrial”, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, to name a few.
However, when adopted in each country, this celebration retained its traditional aspects without any significant addition from the local culture: trick or treating, jack-o’-lantern, ghost and skeleton decorations, costume parties, etc.
Thus, although well-known and adopted globally, Halloween remains a foreign celebration and without any trace of its original meaning.
In contrast, in Mexico the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ has retained its original flavour throughout the centuries and has been kept mostly untouched by commercialization.
In pre-Hispanic times, it was a warrior's tradition to keep the skulls of the fallen enemies to exhibit them in death and renaissance rites. Those skulls are now replaced by artistically decorated candy skulls, but they also form part of the offerings to the dead.
Following both the pre-Hispanic and the catholic traditions, in the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ a shrine is built to honor the dead (one or several), decorated with an array of offerings: flowers, candles, water, salt, candy skulls, pan de muerto, photographs, cut paper, toys and anything else that the honored dead one may have liked and enjoyed in life.
The day of the dead is a true celebration to honor and remember those who passed away but are still in our hearts and minds.
And yet it’s also a celebration for the living, with lively parades, food and music, as a reminder that death is never too far away, and we should dance and be merry while we’re still alive.
The Dia de los Muertos is not one day only but a celebration that spans from October 28th through November 2nd, and since 2008 it’s been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO.
Its spiritual character and colorful visuals have even inspired animation films, such as “The Book of Life” (2014) and “Coco” (2017).
Beyond the colorful celebrations and parties, these festivities are also carried out more soberly in all countries of Christian heritage, with visits to the graveyards of loved ones to deposit flowers, small tokens and to pray to their memory.
The fear of the unknown and the dread to supernatural forces may have originated the rites of death and renaissance carried out through the ages, but also the flow of seasons and the eternal circle of life and death.
On a deeper level, Hallowe'en allows us a time of reflection, a time to face our fears (real or fictitious) and come out wiser from the encounter, or else to exorcise them through the brightness of laughter and merry-making, just like laughter defeats boggarts in the Harry Potter books.
And although the traditions may vary, taking a day to remember those departed and our own mortality is a good way of making a pause in our agitated lives, be grateful for what we have, have some fun and celebrate the joy of being alive - either in costume or not!
During Victorian times, following a fascination with the occult and the after life, Hallowe’en became a celebration associated with ghouls and spectres, and the images of ghosts, witches and black cats made their first appearances in greeting cards and decorations.
In the 20th century, following the economic boom after the WWII, Hallowe’en turned into a commercial celebration, with sales of candy, costumes and parties as a required social exchange, very much like presents at Christmas.
Although in the process Halloween lost its original significance, it opened the celebration to everyone, regardless of origin or belief.
In the 1970's, with the boom of horror movies such as “The Exorcist” and “Friday 13th”, Hallowe’en became the favourite release date for horror films, linking the festivity with gore and violence, a trend that has continued through the decades.
The global influence of the United States internationalized the Hallowe’en tradition across continents, with countless movies, cartoons, music videos and TV programs, which helped in its popularization, such as “Halloween”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “E.T. the Extraterrestrial”, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, to name a few.
However, when adopted in each country, this celebration retained its traditional aspects without any significant addition from the local culture: trick or treating, jack-o’-lantern, ghost and skeleton decorations, costume parties, etc.
Thus, although well-known and adopted globally, Halloween remains a foreign celebration and without any trace of its original meaning.
In contrast, in Mexico the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ has retained its original flavour throughout the centuries and has been kept mostly untouched by commercialization.
In pre-Hispanic times, it was a warrior's tradition to keep the skulls of the fallen enemies to exhibit them in death and renaissance rites. Those skulls are now replaced by artistically decorated candy skulls, but they also form part of the offerings to the dead.
Following both the pre-Hispanic and the catholic traditions, in the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ a shrine is built to honor the dead (one or several), decorated with an array of offerings: flowers, candles, water, salt, candy skulls, pan de muerto, photographs, cut paper, toys and anything else that the honored dead one may have liked and enjoyed in life.
The day of the dead is a true celebration to honor and remember those who passed away but are still in our hearts and minds.
And yet it’s also a celebration for the living, with lively parades, food and music, as a reminder that death is never too far away, and we should dance and be merry while we’re still alive.
The Dia de los Muertos is not one day only but a celebration that spans from October 28th through November 2nd, and since 2008 it’s been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO.
Its spiritual character and colorful visuals have even inspired animation films, such as “The Book of Life” (2014) and “Coco” (2017).
Beyond the colorful celebrations and parties, these festivities are also carried out more soberly in all countries of Christian heritage, with visits to the graveyards of loved ones to deposit flowers, small tokens and to pray to their memory.
The fear of the unknown and the dread to supernatural forces may have originated the rites of death and renaissance carried out through the ages, but also the flow of seasons and the eternal circle of life and death.
On a deeper level, Hallowe'en allows us a time of reflection, a time to face our fears (real or fictitious) and come out wiser from the encounter, or else to exorcise them through the brightness of laughter and merry-making, just like laughter defeats boggarts in the Harry Potter books.
And although the traditions may vary, taking a day to remember those departed and our own mortality is a good way of making a pause in our agitated lives, be grateful for what we have, have some fun and celebrate the joy of being alive - either in costume or not!
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