ϡ - Chapter Sixteen; this is halloween [voice/action]
Halloween...Halloween. [ He sounds contemplative and hums a little before continuing. ] What to say about it. [ A pause there's the sounds of something be unwrapped probably a candy knowing Helios's sweet tooth. Then almost automatically there's the sound of 'mmm' in the silent background. How has he not gotten a cavity yet? ] I do hope the ghosts in the castle behave themselves this year. They love playing practical jokes around this time...April Fools isn't any better. [ Damn ghost kids always making trouble for him! Good thing he doesn't have to deal with it this year, haha! Though Ra might light the castle on fire... ] Ah...best to not think of such things. [ He'll just clear his throat because oh the horror, his poor castle. ] I distinctly recall that Halloween's roots go back to Samhain and the Celtic festival held in light of that. But today it's widely distributed and practiced pretty much everywhere. Samhain is...er Gaelic for summer's end. It was originally a harvest festival as they were generally more prominent back in the day you know? [ He laughs. ] What with farming relying on the sun Samhain was the end of the lighter half of the season and the beginning of the darker one. Something like day lights savings time or the summer and winter solstices.
Ah but! There's a catch! Many people believe that on this day the border between the living and dead became so thin that spirits could cross over and thus allowed the dead to cross back over from the living world into their own. This event brought up the custom of wearing costumes and masks which people did back then to help ward off the spirits and were used them to calm them down. I'd imagine pumpkin carving came from the old tradition of carving faces into turnips to ward off evil spirits as well.
It's such a wonderful holiday, very rich in folklore and the transition into modern culture is fascinating! The story of Mongfind for example is a folktale for this specific holiday. Modern times has done away with most of that but you know...the spirits of our deceased are always passing over, perhaps more so on that day than most. [ That's totally not a creepy thought nope. He's actually perfectly neutral in saying that it must be the dork in him. ] Ah what typically goes on here during Halloween, trick or treating I would hope? Oh! Perhaps a haunted house or a walk through the woods would definately be eerie. The spirits don't seem to be acting any differently though. [If you only knew what was in store for you Helios. ] Hm...I do wonder if the indigenous population here even knew what it was. There's just so much we don't know about this place. [ Sighs. So many questions yet so little answers. But back to the treats... ] But the best part about Halloween is...the candy! [ He sounds like a five year old don't mind him. ] What's everyone's favorite type? You can never go wrong with having too many favorites either!
Ah but! There's a catch! Many people believe that on this day the border between the living and dead became so thin that spirits could cross over and thus allowed the dead to cross back over from the living world into their own. This event brought up the custom of wearing costumes and masks which people did back then to help ward off the spirits and were used them to calm them down. I'd imagine pumpkin carving came from the old tradition of carving faces into turnips to ward off evil spirits as well.
It's such a wonderful holiday, very rich in folklore and the transition into modern culture is fascinating! The story of Mongfind for example is a folktale for this specific holiday. Modern times has done away with most of that but you know...the spirits of our deceased are always passing over, perhaps more so on that day than most. [ That's totally not a creepy thought nope. He's actually perfectly neutral in saying that it must be the dork in him. ] Ah what typically goes on here during Halloween, trick or treating I would hope? Oh! Perhaps a haunted house or a walk through the woods would definately be eerie. The spirits don't seem to be acting any differently though. [If you only knew what was in store for you Helios. ] Hm...I do wonder if the indigenous population here even knew what it was. There's just so much we don't know about this place. [ Sighs. So many questions yet so little answers. But back to the treats... ] But the best part about Halloween is...the candy! [ He sounds like a five year old don't mind him. ] What's everyone's favorite type? You can never go wrong with having too many favorites either!