Halloween derived from the ancient Celtic
festival, Samhain, the Celtic celebration of the new year (November 1st),
the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time often
allied with death. Celts were of the belief that the night before the New Year
(31st October), the worlds of life and death were merged and spirits
and ghosts would return to earth. Those spirits who were content on causing
trouble and damaging crops were warded off by bonfires and costumes. This
festival also allowed people to feel close to deceased relatives and friend, a
feeling that for people dependent on the capricious natural world was of great
comfort, especially in the imminent winter. For these spirits, places at the
dinner table were left, treats were left at doorsteps and candles were lit
along the road to aid loved ones travelling back to the spirit world. As this
tradition has been established, it has developed into a secular event
characterised by trick of treating, apple bobbing and pumpkins.
Speaking of pumpkins, what are the origins of
these infamous carvings?
The practice of carving out pumpkins for
Halloween was instigated from an Irish myth about a man dubbed ‘Stringy Jack’. As
the story goes, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him and true to his
name, did not want to pay for his drink. Jack convinced the Devil to turn
himself into a coin in order to pay, but when he did so, Jack kept the money
next to silver cross, preventing the Devil from morphing back to his original
form. Eventually, the Devil was freed but under the condition that he would not
bother Jack for another year and should Jack die, the Devil would not claim his
soul. A year passed, and Jack once again tricked the Devil by getting him to
climb up a tree to pick a piece of fruit. Jack carved a sign of the cross into
the tree’s bark so the Devil could not come down until the Devil vowed not to
bother Jack for ten more years.
Jack died - and as the legend goes, God would
not permit such a malevolent person into heaven and keeping true to his word,
the Devil did not claim his soul nor did he allow Jack into hell. The Devil
sent Jack off into the night merely with a burning piece of coal , which Jack put into a carved – out
turnip and has been rumoured to be roaming the Earth ever since. Thus, the
Irish began to refer to him as ‘Jack of the Lantern’, which later developed to
‘Jack O’ Lantern’.
So, next Halloween, while you’re getting into
costumes, covering yourself in fake blood or turning the house into a haunted
graveyard, just remember the origins of Halloween. Perhaps you could incorporate
these origins to create a unique and authentic All Hallows Eve. Jenny Brown, year 12
