Henry, despite his own misgivings, is ready for Halloween. (Photo courtesy L.D. Porter)
Well, here it is October.
You know who is beyond thrilled, kind of giddy? Mom, who loves Halloween. Eighteen days as of this writing till you know when. Yes, the yard is decorated with all kinds of ghouls, a werewolf, a clown (yikes, Mom is afraid of clowns), and a Nosferatu thing going on.
Funny thing – squirrels have been eating our pumpkins. One did such an amazing job that mom put it a battery-operated light in it, no carving necessary. It has been a strange season for sure. Mom put Vaseline on the pumpkins to deter them, but all to no avail. She didn’t want to put cayenne pepper or vinegar on them because she tosses them into the woods after Halloween for the wildlife. Pumpkins are a great natural dewormer and good for them.
My “hooman” sister is her with her dog Agent Dale Cooper – “Dale” or “Coop” for short – and cat Nathan Jr. She is a huge “Twin Peaks” and “Raising Arizona” fan, in case you notice a connection. It is nice having them here. She is going to stay for a few months, save money, and move to Oregon to be near her brother. It will be a big change for her, a true adventure. She is driven to do this.
We are excited for her, as there are lots of opportunities out there. Mom said she will have to make sure she gets out to visit often. She is not a fan of flying; it’s not the actual flying, she says. It is the reminders from the pilot that “We are now at 47,000 feet,” yada yada yada.
So, for this month’s column, I’d like to honor my mom and talk about the origins of Halloween. She does, after all, take great care of me, Brody, aka “The Brodster,” Lessa, my hoomans, and is a wonderful grammy to Justine’s dog Agent Dale Cooper and kitty Nathan Jr. (I say this in all hopes that she does not dress me up in some weird costume. I could use all the help I can get.)
According to thepioneerwoman.com, the origins of Halloween date all the way back to the Celts of ancient Ireland, who celebrated the new year on Nov. 1. That day marked the transition from the warm, fruitful summer months to the cold and dark winter, a period that was most often associated with death. So, on Oct. 31, the night before the new year, they celebrated what was known as (cue the spooky voice) Samhain. It was a night when the boundary between the living world and the world of the dead became thin, and ghosts could return to walk the earth. Or so they believed.
These meddlesome ghosts damaged crops and caused trouble, but the blurred line to the spirit world also made it easier for Celtic priests to make predictions about the coming year.
In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes.
When the celebration was over, they relit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated Nov, 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain.
The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.
This is a very interesting read. With the harvest moon last week, it really invoked the spirit of the season. The yard is now officially fully decorated. Now we wait for the big day. It has been a very long wait.
Happy Halloween to all my readers. Be safe out there, watch out for cars. Make sure you are easily seen if you are out and about and most of all have fun! Drivers, please watch out for trick-or-treaters, and if possible, watch out for people walking, dogs, kids, wildlife, etc. Please drive within the speed limit and don’t tailgate. It’s dangerous. The above-mentioned really depend on you to help keep them safe when out and about.
Hugs, Henry
