Spotlight Magazines Spotlight Magazine Mansfield North October 2015 | Page 8

Spotlight Magazine

Pumpkins At The Ready..

There are big tubs of pumpkins outside
the supermarkets, along with costumes,
fake blood and multi-packs of sweets in
the aisles. Halloween is almost upon us.
But why do we celebrate it, when did trick
or treating start, and what’s the point of
carving pumpkins?
As many people know, Halloween
is short for All Hallows’ Eve. All
Hallows’ Day (also known as All
Saints’ Day) was an important
occasion in the early Christian
calendar and is still recognised
by many Christians today. It
is a national holiday in some
predominately Catholic countries
and is seen as a time to recognise
and remember saints.

Pumpkin carving is believed to date
back to the 1800s. Originally, turnips
were carved and a candle placed inside.
It appears that these lanterns served
numerous purposes: to frighten spirits
away; to guide travellers home safely; and
simply to light the way in a time before
street lights were commonplace.

It is believed that many Halloween
traditions pre-date Christianity, and
actually date back to the ancient
Gaelic festival Samhain, which was
held to mark the transition from
harvest time to winter.
Samhain was seen to be a time
when the boundaries between
worlds, particularly those of the living
and the dead, were loosened, enabling
spirits to cross through into our world.
Bonfires were lit to cleanse the air and offer
protection.
People would often dress up as evil spirits
in order to appease the ‘real’ spirits into
not harming them, their families or their
livestock. The ‘evil witch’ may have its roots
in the Pagan goddess, The Crone, who was
celebrated at Samhain for her wisdom and
nurture of the Earth.
In the Middle Ages, poor people would visit
homes, offering to pray for the dead on All
Soul’s Day (November 2nd), in exchange
for food. This is likely where trick or treating
started.
Trick or treating may also be related to
‘guising’, a tradition where children would
dress up and perform a song, dance, or
other entertainment in exchange for a
sweet treat.

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Pumpkins started to replace turnips when
Irish immigrants took their Halloween
traditions with them to America. Pumpkins
were easier to acquire there than turnips,
and soon became more popular as they
are usually larger and much easier to
carve! In recent years, pumpkin carving
has become something of an art form, with
elaborate designs often replacing simple
grotesque f