Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Proud To Be A Celt on Halloween
Halloween has become one of the biggest holidays in America.
Halloween is an annual fun-filled celebration, but it didn't start out that way. The history of Halloween dates back 2,000 years to the superstitious Celts, who lived in Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Their calendar year began on November 1st, so October 31st was their New Year's Eve.
The Celts believed that on this night ghosts, goblins and witches came back to earth and wandered through the villages and countryside trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived. Because the Celts were frightened - even terrified - they tried to "blend in" with the spirits by dressing up in ghoulish costumes so they would be taken for fellow spirits. The frightened villagers also placed gifts of fruit and nuts on their doorsteps to appease the spirits and prevent them from entering their homes.
When the Romans conquered the Celts, some Roman and Celtic traditions were combined. For Romans, November 1st was an important holy day called All Hallows Day (or All Saints Day). Eventually, October 31st became All Hallows E'en (evening), which is known to us as Halloween.
As European cultures meshed in a new America, we developed our own Halloween traditions over the years. Parties for adults and children became the norm, and they focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes. Between 1920 and 1950, the tradition of trick-or-treating was revived. Over the years, several animals became closely associated with this American holiday season (including the eerie howl of the werewolf).
Cats - You rarely see a Halloween witch without a black cat. The Halloween black cat is always in a fear-provoking position, with back arched, fur on end and eyes glittering. For thousands of years, black cats have been regarded as mysterious creatures with supernatural powers, associated with witches and death. It was believed that witches could change into cats; in fact, they could make that change nine times. Some people believed that cats were the spirits of the dead. The cat's pupils - narrow slits in the daytime, but luminous globes at night - linked him to the moon and emphasized his ability to see into the future.
(Special thanks to PetPlace.com for parts of this post)
posted by Cheyenne at 12:00 AM comment(s) made:
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