“Darkness falls across the land, The Midnight Hour is close at hand.” ~ Rodney Lynn Temperton
When the month of October is about to end, one thing that comes to mind is those dressed up kids, knocking at the doors around the neighborhood for Trick-or-Treating. It’s Halloween! This became one of the most popular holidays celebrated by many countries. Halloween represents a time for superstitious and paranormal notion. Although it kept a deeper symbolism of its celebration, others may have seen it as a traditional holiday one can fondly follow. Besides, it is fun looking for costumes to wear when attending Halloween parties or doing the Trick-and-Treating for the kids. We could imagine children dressed up in fairies and elves costumes, walking in groups around the neighborhood, bursting their laughter as they carried their basket filled with collected candies and many other sweet treats. But do you know where these ideas of dressing up costumes came from? And more importantly, do you know about the history of Halloween?
Others dubbed it as a spooky time of the year as ghosts and spirits lurked around in the corner waiting to be discovered. Some paranormal experts have chosen this particular day to hunt ghost and filmed it for a documentary compilation. Driven by the beliefs that it is the perfect timing to capture such as the world of the living and the dead could have a very close encounter. For sure, many were skeptics. However, there’s nothing to lose if one knows how this story about Halloween has started.
First, let me start your reading from these lines extracted from a book written by Shirley Toulson, “The Celtic Year”.
The Coming of Winter
I have news for you; the stag bells, winter snows, summer has gone.Wind high and cold, the sun low, short its course, the sea running.Deep red the bracken, its shape is lost; the wild goose has raised its accustomed cry.Cold has seized the birds’ wings; season of ice, this is my news. ~Irish, 9th Century, author unknown.
Nowadays, many perceive Halloween as a spooky but fun night. But it’s not always been this way. Many paranormal experts dug deeper to its root and the history of Halloween can be traced way back 2,000 years ago as a celebration known as the Celtic festival of Sahmain (Sah-win). Although the word Halloween is a contraction of Christian’s servants of All Hallows Eve, Hallow means ‘Holy’, it was widely believed that many of the traditions were associated with the ancient festivals.
The night of the 31st of October, Sahmain marks the start of the Celtic Year. Author Shirley Toulson described it in her book as “the thinnest time of the year, the season at which the veil between time and eternity can easily become transparent.” She also described it as the time when darkness overtakes the light, and that the Christian churches have chosen to celebrate the feasts of All Saints and All Souls.
Historically, The Celtic festival of Sahmain was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. This Celtic year marks the end of summer and the harvest season as it enters the darkness and the cold. The word Sahmain comes from the old Irish word for “Summers End”. During this celebration, it was symbolized with an important representation which is the lighting of special bonfires. Sahmain was regarded as the time of the year when the boundary between this world and the other world is at its thinnest. The bonfires served as for protection and used for its cleansing powers. Due to the proximity of the other world, the ancients believed that the souls of the dead family members will revisit their homes on this night of cold darkness. Lavish hospitality was offered like providing places at the feast table for the souls who will visit the house. Food offerings were made and the most popular ones to offer during those times where nuts and apples.
Another visit could come from another mystical race comparable to fairies or elves known as the Aos Si (E Sy). They were thought to walk more actively than usual. The presence of these other worldly entities such as the Aos Si were thought to make it easier to predict the future. Because at those times of the looming darkness and cold, those favorable prophecy would provide comfort for superstitious culture. Hence the dressing up like fairies or elves are fondly preferred by many, especially when dressing up for Halloween costumes.
The month of October 2020 marks a very rare setting on a Halloween as the moon sits directly opposite to the sun on a full moon phase. October’s full moon is commonly called the Hunter’s moon, associated by some as the time of capturing one’s dreams. During the time of the middle Ages, people called October’s full moon as the Blood Moon because of its reddish glowing color. And until today, we see Halloween themes and banners depicting the imagery of a Blood Moon on a Halloween night. It is very rare to have a Blood moon on Samhain or Halloween night itself. According to the experts, the next time we could get to see the full moon on Halloween is on 2035. So despite of how spooky the Blood moon is associated with, it is such a spectacular view to witness its majestic glow on this night of the Halloween.
“There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight.” ~Author Unknown
How is Halloween celebrated in Asia?
Specific traditions differ from country to country. But same as in Catholic Europe, celebrating Halloween in Asia remembers those love ones who passed away. It goes hand in hand with a more symbolic Catholic festival of All Souls Day and All Saints’ Day on the 1st and 2nd of November.
In the Philippines, concentration of the festivals is more given emphasis to the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. People flock to the cemetery to pay a visit to those love ones who passed away. This is in the context of getting together with the soul of the dearly departed, talking with them, offering foods and flowers. Prayers for eternal peace and protection to watch over the living family members are offered. This is also the time of doing some renovation of the gravestone like repainting, or re-carving those epitaph of loving words to make it more visible in the eye.
While in Hongkong, China, and Singapore, they are known to celebrate the Ghost festival, also known as the Hungry Ghosts Festival. This celebration sees offering of water and food for the dead. Pictures of money were burned as they believed that their dead ancestors will use it to buy something they want.
Meanwhile, the Obon festival is celebrated in Japan. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years. A famous dance known as “Bon Odori” or “Bon Dance” is traditionally highlighted on this festival. It is a representation of a time which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.
The carving of pumpkins became widespread that even in Asia, people decorated a replica of spooky pumpkins during Halloweens. In the old ways, Celts carved faces into turnips and set candles inside. This is to distract wandering spirits from settling into their homes and farms. This tradition became an introductory form of today’s pumpkin carvings.
Overall, the Halloween festivals are merely a celebration between love ones and ancestors. A time of remembrance and reunification between those living, and those who departed.
Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen. Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!” ~ Dexter Kozen
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