Steel Notes Magazine | 9
Smith suggests that the bonfires were also used to scare witches of “ their awaiting punishment in hell ”.
In modern Ireland , Scotland , Mann and Wales , the festival included mumming and guising , the latter of which goes back at least as far as the 16th century . This involved people going house-to-house in costume ( or in disguise ), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food . It may have come from the Christian custom of souling ( see below ) or it may have a Gaelic folk origin , with the costumes being a means of imitating , or disguising oneself from , the Aos Sí . In Scotland , youths went house-to-house on 31 October with masked , painted or blackened faces , often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed . F . Marian McNeill suggests the ancient festival included people in costume representing the spirits , and that faces were marked ( or blackened ) with ashes taken from the sacred bonfire . In parts of Wales , men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod . In the late 19th and early 20th century , young people in Glamorgan and Orkney dressed as the opposite gender . In parts of southern Ireland , the guisers included a hobby horse . A man dressed as a Láir Bhán ( white mare ) led youths house-to-house reciting verses — some of which had pagan overtones — in exchange for food . If the household donated food it could expect good fortune from the ‘ Muck Olla ’; not doing so would bring misfortune . Elsewhere in Europe , mumming and hobby horses were part of other yearly festivals . However , in the Celtic-speaking regions they were “ particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers ”. As early as the 18th century , “ imitating malignant spirits ” led to playing pranks in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands . Wearing costumes at Halloween spread to England in the 20th century , as did the custom of playing pranks . The “ traditional illumination for guisers or pranksters abroad on the night in some places was provided by turnips or mangel wurzels , hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces to represent spirits or goblins ”. These were common in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in the 19th century , as well as in Somerset ( see Punkie Night ). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of England and became generally known as jack-o ’ -lanterns .
2.2 Christian Influence
Today ’ s Halloween customs are also thought to have been influenced by Christian dogma and practices derived from it . Halloween falls on the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows ’ Day ( also known as All Saints ’ or Hallowmas ) on 1 November and All Souls ’ Day on 2 November , thus giving the holiday on 31 October the full name of All Hallows ’ Eve ( meaning the evening before All Hallows ’ Day ). Since the time of the primitive Church , major feasts in the Christian Church ( such as Christmas , Easter and Pentecost ) had vigils which began the night before , as did the feast of All Hallows ’. These three days are collectively referred to as Allhallowtide and are a time for honoring the saints and praying for the recently departed souls who have yet to reach Heaven . All Saints was introduced in the year 609 , but was originally celebrated on 13 May . In 835 , it was switched to 1 November ( the same date as Samhain ) at the behest of Pope Gregory IV . Some suggest this was due to Celtic influence , while others suggest it was a Germanic idea . It is also suggested that the change was made on the “ practical grounds that Rome in summer could not accommodate the great number of pilgrims who flocked to it ”, and perhaps because of public health considerations regarding Roman Fever – a disease that claimed a number of lives during the sultry summers of the region .
On All Hallows ’ Eve , Christians in some parts of the world visit graveyards to pray and place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones .
By the end of the 12th century they had become holy days of obligation across Europe and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for the souls in purgatory . In addition , “ it was customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets , ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember the poor souls .” “ Souling ”, the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened
Steel Notes Magazine | 9