Spirit of Halloween

Spirit of Halloween

The story of Halloween goes back over 2000 years to the ancient Celts. Druidic priests regarded the day as the end of the year. Not only was it their day for celebrating the year's harvest, but October 31 itself was also the day of Samhain, a festival for honoring the dead. In order to appease the wandering spirits they believed roamed at night, the Celtic priests made fires in which they burned sacrifices, made charms, and cast spells.

Portions of the Celtic holiday of the dead eventually passed into Christian culture after the Romans conquered the Celts and tried to bring the Celts into the "Christian fold." It eventually became apparent to the church leaders that the Celts, in spite of their conformation to some aspects of Christian culture, were stubbornly sticking with elements of their old religion. o, in the seventh century AD, the church moved its

All Saints' Day, a holiday for honoring early Christian martyrs, from a day in May to November 1, thus associating it with the old Druid death rituals of October 31. By the tenth century A.D., the Catholic Church had added a new holiday, All Souls' Day. This day was set aside to honor all of the dead, not just the early Christian Saints.

Celebration of Halloween came to America with early Irish and Scottish immigrants. By then, though, it had already started to lose its mysterious overtones and was becoming merely a harvest celebration: a night of bobbing for apples, eating popcorn, and telling ghost stories around a bonfire. It was already changing into the holiday for children with
which we in the 20th century are so familiar. Wiccans celebrate Samhain as the third harvest sabbat.

Historical Halloween Facts

Halloween, also known as ""All Hallows Eve"", is a holiday that is associated with death and the supernatural. It is observed on October 31 in North America as well as some parts of Western Europe. Halloween falls on the eve of All Saints' Day, a Roman Catholic holiday. All Saints' Day was originally a pagan celebration of the dead and later became recognized in the Catholic church as a day to honor Christian Saints. Halloween is also associated with The Day Of The Dead, a Mexican holiday that coincides with all Saints' Day. During this celebration, Mexicans fill their homes with skeleton decorations, festive food, and later visit the graves of their deceased ancestors.

How did Halloween start? According to ancient Celtic tradition, Halloween (known to the Celts as Samhain) was a holiday of festivities to honor the end of a productive harvest season. This custom begins at sundown on October 31 and is celebrated long into the early hours of the following morning. According to the pagan Celtic religion of Druidism, those who died the past year would roam the earth on the night of Samhain. The Celtic people would appease these spirits with offerings of f ood and drink. At the same time, other Celts honored powerful deities by burning bonfires atop sacred hills. Sometimes, they went so far as to sacrifice animals or human beings during their ceremony.

Many Halloween festivities originate from folklore and pagan traditions. Supernatural forces and spirits of the dead all come to life on this hauntingly glorious day. Halloween decorations are often images of pumpkins, witches, black cats, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, bats and other associated paranormal. 

The most popular Halloween decoration is the ""jack-o-lantern"" pumpkin. The jack-o-lantern originates from a character in British folklore. According to these tales, the soul of a deceased person named Jack O'Lantern was barred from entering heaven or hell and was condemned to walk the face of the earth carrying his lantern. In memory of Jack O'Lantern, a pumpkin is carved to resemble his gruesome face along with a candle placed within it to highlight and accentuate this grotesque visual image. 

Dressing up in costume is another popular Halloween tradition. People enjoy this one day a year to ""become"" whoever they desire. This ritual-like tradition is considered to be harmless and fun. The more classical costumes are that of witches and ghosts. However, people today also enjoy dressing up to mock political figures and famous celebrities. 

""Trick-or-treating"" is another Halloween tradition in which children travel from house to house soliciting candy from neighbors. The term ""trick-or-treat"" resorts back to the original idea that if a treat is not given to the person who asks, then a devious (but harmless) trick will be played on the unwilling participant. Due to its increasing danger, many people now give Halloween parties to replace this holiday custom. 

Halloween is overall, a deliciously splendid holiday celebration where people feel free to reveal a deeper (sometimes playfully darker) side to themselves in the midst of others. ""Spirits"" come out to play, fun-filled festivities are prevalent, everyone can be ""anyone"" and the occult is magically acceptable to all beings at least for one day.

(History of Halloween courtesy of HALLOWEEN ETERNAL.)

Back in the "olden" days, Halloween was one of the most exciting times of the year. Kids dressed up in costumes and paraded down the street holding flashlights and paper bags heavy with candy.

Join me on a trip of Halloween sites, where kids are allowed to be kids, and potential cavities are forgotten for one night.

Let's begin at Haunted America, where we'll find a listing of haunted attractions nationwide. Click on a state to see what spooky events it offers. Learn tips and tricks for makeup and props, or peruse the Killer Cookbook for tantalizing recipes such as the Spider Web or Ghouls in the Graveyard. Be sure to try The Nightscape, a shockwave Halloween experience.
http://www.HauntedAmerica.com/

Here's a site with something for everyone: The Fun Room's Halloween Area. Read Halloween Safety Tips, or discover how to make Gauze Ghosts or a Paperbag Scarecrow. Play exciting Halloween games such as Muffin Ramp Game or Bobbing for Donuts. You'll also find recipes such as Pumpkin Cookies and Mulled Apple Cider.
http://tac.shopnetmall.com/www.funroom.com/halloween/

Booville is a totally delightful site with areas such as Halloween Haunts, Boo Books, and Trick Net Treat. Got a spell you'd like to cast? Brunhilda, the resident witch, will take care of it for you.
http://www.usacitylink.com/boo/

How would you like to participate in an Internet seance? No? What if I told you that we're trying to conjure up Houdini, who died on Halloween day, 1926? Visit Halloween Seance on the Internet to see if the famous escape artist escapes death in '97. The site also features historical information about Houdini from the Houdini Museum.
http://www.microserve.net/~magicusa/halloween.html

Come with me as we visit The Ghost Web, the official website of the International Ghost Hunters Society. We'll stop by the Ghost Web Photo Gallery, where we'll see the largest gallery of ghost pictures on the Net. We'll learn of local ghost clubs, or read true ghost stories. Need a ghost detector? You'll find one for sale at the site.
http://www.ghostweb.com/

If you think this Halloween will be just another boring day, head on over to Sympatico: Halloween. You'll find links to horror movie sites, the history of Halloween, and party ideas. Learn how to make great fake blood on a budget, or visit an online Ouija Board.
http://www.nb.sympatico.ca/Features/Halloween/boo.html

A site that offers Halloween links for and by kids is Dark Side of the Web: YaBoo Halloween Page. Visit online chat areas for teens, Family Fun Magazine's Haunted House Party, or Billy Bear's Halloween.
http://www.gothic.net/darkside/dhauntkids.html

For tricks, treats, and even a chance at winning prizes, stop by the Night of the Living Yahoo! Visit Monsterpedia, "your guide to the Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-Legged Beasties and Things That Go Bump in the Night." In fact, this area claims to have so many monsters that they have to use Monster Repellent. The Trick-O-Meter features Halloween songs and costume hints of all kinds, like In the Fuzz, which helps you create your very own hairy costume. You'll also discover ghost stories and a Paranormal Panel.
http://www.yahoo.com/promotions/halloween/

Flaming Ghost Cake. . . Moldy Dinner Rolls. . . Skeleton Bone Cookies. . . Cheese Eyeballs. . . Nuclear Waste Punch. Sound delicious? Make your Halloween party the *best* by serving these scrumptious recipes found at Gory Goodies.
http://www.ultranet.com/~kaleidos/hallow.shtml

Halloween on the Net is a fabulous site for kids and adults. Print pictures for your children to color, light your own virtual pumpkin, or read the history of trick-or-treating.
http://www.holidays.net/halloween/

At Halloween Tricks and Treats, you'll find mouth-watering recipes like Edible Eyeballs and Green Slime. Visit a haunted house, or read Halloween poems or pumpkin stories.
http://www.night.net/halloween/

Would you enjoy an interactive haunted house filled with monsters, secret passages, and trap doors? At The Haunted Homepage, you'll also find a collection of pumpkin carving stencil patterns, a safety checklist, scary sound files, and eerie Halloween lore.
http://www.hauntedhome.com/

Visit Kid's Domain Halloween for clipart, Halloween software, and word puzzles. Under craft projects, you'll learn how to make different variations of Halloween Tic-Tac-Toe.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/halloween/index.html

All links were updated on Oct. 11, 1998. And here's one more from your editors.

Halloween Magazine designed for the entire family strives to provide the best in fun and information regarding Halloween. With he Official Halloween Safety Game, crafts and activities, articles, and more Halloween links you'll have fun checking them all out. http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/