By this time on Sunday, millions of homes around the world will be preparing for an invasion—one spurred on by tiny armies of goblins, ghosts, monsters, and a plethora of Marvel Cinematic Universe characters. Come October every year, and sometimes even before the last week of September has fully passed, we engage in a slow-burn ritual which celebrates all things dark, mysterious, spooky, and downright chilling to our bones. And we call it Halloween.
To all things there is a season. And to all seasons, there is a reason. But I’m not talking about the tilt of the Earth’s axis here: I am talking about human history. And like all events that have taken place before us, the celebration of Halloween comes with a story. Quite often that story seems to vary, especially depending on who is telling it and where they may personally stand on celebrating it. But from a cultural perspective, nearly every country celebrates the dying season in one way or another, and the Halloween we know of today has roots that burrow deep into the world’s past.
To the ancient Celts, the transition from summer to winter symbolized a literal death—not only of the world around them as the plants died and the animals went into hibernation, but of their god, who would later be rebirthed by the goddess around the winter solstice and thus begin our journey back into longer and warmer days. To them, Halloween (or Samhain, as they knew it [SOW-wen]) was the new year. Not only was it the harvest season, preparing them for the long winter ahead, but it was also a time when the veil between the human world and the spirit world was at its thinnest, allowing loved ones we have lost to come back for a visit. Some say this is where the jack-o-lantern may have originated, since putting a lit candle in the window was supposed to help guide the spirits of lost loved ones home.
However, the thinning of the veil meant that malicious and harmful spirits could sometimes cross over as well. According to the World History Encyclopedia, people would often darken their faces with ash from their bonfires in order to hide from hostile spirits. This is, supposedly, when we started wearing masks to celebrate the season. It has also been said that mothers would instruct their children to use a false name during Samhain, in order to protect them from the mischievous fairy folk that were also known to roam around this time. This is possibly when we all started playing pretend on Halloween.
Whichever way you might celebrate the season, it is important to note that fall is also about transformation and transition. As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer and colder, this should be taken as a time to embrace change. And yes, sometimes change is mysterious and frightening. But Halloween gives us a chance to face our fears of the unknown and waltz through the veil and back again with little more than a backward glance. So whether you dress up, watch scary movies, eat candy, set out food for the spirits, or light a jack-o-lantern, Halloween has a little something for all of us to enjoy and to consider as the bright autumn colors fade and another cold winter comes in to take its place.
Happy Celtic New Year, everyone!
— C.Q.
Night Owls, how do you choose to celebrate Samhain? Do you celebrate all month long, or only the day of Halloween?
