FROM DRUIDS TO DUCK DYNASTY
Citizens ?ock the usually
with the living. What excess
from door to door asking for
vacant streets, dressing up in
crops and unneeded animals
treats. In some cases, they’d
exposing ensembles and creepy
they had, they sacri?ced and
rehearse a chant asking for
costumes, collecting heaps of
used in their rituals and set out
hazelnuts or apples; some just
sweetmeat, using October 31st
for the dead, mainly for
asking for general treats, but if
as an excuse for night owls to
ancestors. Bon?res were lit to
denied and left empty handed,
stay up and out, partying late,
keep away sinister
they’d resort to tricks. In all
getting hyped on enough sugar
supernaturals, demons, ghouls,
traditions, shared fortune telling
to comatose a diabetic. Although
fairies included, from the living.
methods (such as wind direction,
we all anticipate the lively
Similar rituals were seldom
hazelnuts placed by ?res to
evening, not many know the
practiced in other parts of the
determine omens, etc.) and
abstract, spiritual origin of the
world during this early time. The
symbols of connections to the
celebration.
Irish hung solar crosses from
otherworld (mainly being apples)
their doors, which were meant to
are practiced.
Samhain (sah-WEEN), derived
ward off bad luck and pieces of
from the Celtic’s New Year
cold embers or iron were hid
modern Halloween when
festival during the pre-Christian
under the beds of children to
Christian missionaries began
eras. The date was a
protect them. In Scotland, it is
branding the Celtic’s form of
transformation of the autumnal
said that during the night the
priests, Druids, as devil
equinox and the winter solstice,
witches gathered to celebrate
worshippers, because of the
marking the ending and new
and cast spells, ?ying around the
prominence to the supernatural,
beginning of an in?nite cycle.
lands on broomsticks and riding
and converted people to
During this time, the pastoral
black cats, ravens and horses.
Christianity. Instead of denying
Celts had to prepare for the
Guises, masks and costumes
their holidays and beliefs, the
oncoming season by harvesting
were used to blend, or protect
Christians converted them, too,
all of their crops, reeling in and
themselves from the dead.
but altered the idea to
securing all livestock, and
Turnips and pumpkins were
consecrate Christ. November 1st
closing their pastures. The
carved into skeletal shapes and
now serves as the Christian feast
ghoulish vibes emerged from the
candles were set inside to light
of all Saints, as to substitute
Celtic beliefs that during this
their ways and ward off bad
Samhain and rid of the rituals for
point the souls of the deceased
spirits, brought by an old folktale
the dead and supernatural.
traveled to the otherworld, and
of the Jack o’lantern. Children,
had the opportunities to interact
usually, would dress up and go
Halloween, or known as
Samhain became the
-Syndie Snowden
The Gr ow le r 2