Psychic reSource

Halloween History
by Psychic Rainbow

25th October, 2009 - Posted by Rainbow x7953closeAuthor: Rainbow x7953 Name: Rainbow x7953
Site: http://www.psychicsource.com/Psychics/Profile.aspx?PsyID=460
About: Rainbow joined Psychic Source in the autumn of 2008. A member of the ATA and certified as a professional reader by the TCBA, she has over 20 years experience reading Totems, Spirit Guides, and Past Lives. Rainbow is also the Dean of Faculty for an online metaphysical school, where she writes and teaches classes in Shamanism, Tarot, and Lunar Astrology, amongst other subjects. Rainbow is of Cherokee and English descent and is a constant student in the mysterious schools of life. She has studied with Medicine Elders of the Cherokee and Delaware Nations, and is ordained as a shamanic minister. A published author, recorded singer songwriter, accomplished storyteller, and intuitive artist; she is at her happiest when she is creating something. While living in England she studied complementary and alternative healing disciplines, and is a practitioner of aromatic stone massage, crystal healing, herbal preparation, and meditation as medicine. Rainbow has a flair for recycling by finding new uses for discarded items and is keenly interested in organic gardening and cooking and environmental issues. Her leisure hours are spent feeding a passion for needlework including knitting, beading and working with leather. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and four-legged kids.See Authors Posts (13)

When most of us think of Halloween, we think of kids dressed in costumes, trick-or-treating to the porches of their neighbors. We think of lighted pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, and those of us who are older may even have memories of hayrides and bobbing for apples. Have you ever wondered about the origins of these traditions?

Halloween is rooted in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which was brought to North America by the early immigrants. It was at the festival of Samhain – roughly the half way point between the Autumn equinox of September and the Winter solstice of December – that the harvest was celebrated, and that food (both animal and vegetable) was stored in preparation for the winter.

Samhain was also a time when the dead were particularly respected. It was believed that the veil between the physical world and the spirit world was thinnest at this time. Masks were worn, so if any malicious spirit came seeking someone, the mask might hide that person’s identity. Often bonfires were lighted, and the bones of the recently slaughtered animals were burned to help keep death away from the village folk.

As well as bonfires being lighted, skulls made out of root vegetables were also carved and lighted, and placed in the windows of the home. It was believed that the head contained the wisdom of the ancestors, and placing it in the window deterred any negative energies. It is easy to see how the carved turnips turned into contemporary jack-o-lanterns – which are much easier to cut than turnips!

The name “jack-o-lantern” comes from an old Irish tale about a farmer who was locally known as “Stingy Jack.” He was a gambling man, who wagered with the devil and tricked him, trapping the devil in a tree. The devil was so outraged that he placed a curse on the farmer, that he would not find rest in death, but wander the lands at night, carrying his candle in a hollow turnip.

The origins of the custom of trick-or-treating are somewhat sketchy. We know that in the middle ages villagers would dress up and go wassailing around Christmas time (hence the carol, “Here We Come A-Wassailing”). We also know that in medieval times ‘souling’ – receiving food in return for praying for the dead – was practiced in Britain, Ireland, and other parts of Europe around All Souls Day on 2 November. Could these events have given birth to our modern practice of trick-or-treat?

The main colors of the season are traditionally orange and black, although recently the purple of the electric black lights, and the green of the ‘monstrous’ decorations have also become popular. Traditional decoration, as well as the jack-o-lantern, includes corn stalks, ‘Indian’ corn, and harvest items; many of which can remain seasonal and carry us to the next Great American Tradition: Thanksgiving!