Happy Halloween!
Tonight is the time when summer and autumn meet, it is a new year for the ancients, and on midnight the wall to the spirit world is at it's thinnest. Oooo-ee-ooo....I love Halloween. Ever since I was a litte kid I've loved scary stories, and horror movies, and reading about haunted houses, and tvampires and such, so Halloween is perfect for me. For me there is nothing better than watching those shows about hauntings and exorcisms...not only are they fun, but they're fodder for story ideas. Yay!
Here is the story of Halloween...
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts. The Celts worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. It was "he" who commanded their work and their rest times, and who made the earth beautiful and the crops grow. The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold".
On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished. The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). The Druids would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin. When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits. The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween. During the first century the Romans invaded Britain. They brought with them many of their festivals and customs. One of these was the festival know as Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. It was also celebrated around the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman Pomona Day mixed becoming 1 major fall holiday.
The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church would make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.
But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day. Over the years the customs from all these holidays mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween. The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day and All Souls' Day.
Also, Stephen King is a personal hero of mine, he did what very few will ever do, made a huge sum of money by writing scary books...how awesome is that? Plus, he's just fascinating, and a really nice person. I always think of Stephen on Halloween, and try to watch his biography on or before the holiday. It's a kind of tradition with me.
Here are some pictures to enjoy...
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http://www.webtree.ca/tree/gifs/halloween/bloody_halloween.gif
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http://www.jeffus.net/haunted/lightning31.gif![]()
http://www.jeffus.net/haunted/ghostlygrave.jpeg
So anyway...I was watching a show the other day, Frisday, I think it was, and there was this program on about the modern day vampire. I love vampires, and so, I watched. It had how there is this condition that some people have where they physically crave blood...they are low on minerals or their bodies don't make enough minerals, or something...anyway they crave blood.....aminal, or human. They decribed the kind of people who have this...affliction....pale, sensitive to the sun, senstive to touch, extremely good sense of smell, and craves blood, either in rare meat, or actual human blood....well, I'll be damned, if this is true I am a vampire...all the symptoms fit...except I hate the taste of human blood. I do love a good rare steak however...and I mean rare...run it through a warm room-rare. So...anyway, I think it's silly, and I don't sleep in a coffin, and I love garlic...but, if I ever meet you in person, make sure your cattle are safe, just to be sure. But yeah, there are people out there who really consider themselves to be vampires. I mean HanksterZ often calls me a vampire because I'm a night owl, but these people are vampires. They drink blood, and live the life style...I find it interesting, and while I never judge, I don't think I could do that myself. Besides, coffins don't look really all that comfy, you know?
Also, I have weird dreams...I dream a lot about zombies...I've always found that odd. I have never met anyone who dreams of zombies...I always thought I was just a nut...until...I met Jason. It turns out he dreams about them too. We're made for each other, no?
So, anyway...I hope you all enjoyed my Haloween rant...I decided something special and kind of weird was in order for the day. Have fun, be scared, but above all be safe.
Here is the story of Halloween...
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts. The Celts worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. It was "he" who commanded their work and their rest times, and who made the earth beautiful and the crops grow. The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold".
On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished. The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). The Druids would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin. When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits. The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween. During the first century the Romans invaded Britain. They brought with them many of their festivals and customs. One of these was the festival know as Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. It was also celebrated around the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman Pomona Day mixed becoming 1 major fall holiday.
The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church would make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.
But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day. Over the years the customs from all these holidays mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween. The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day and All Souls' Day.
Also, Stephen King is a personal hero of mine, he did what very few will ever do, made a huge sum of money by writing scary books...how awesome is that? Plus, he's just fascinating, and a really nice person. I always think of Stephen on Halloween, and try to watch his biography on or before the holiday. It's a kind of tradition with me.
Here are some pictures to enjoy...
http://www.webtree.ca/tree/gifs/halloween/bloody_halloween.gif
http://www.jeffus.net/haunted/lightning31.gif
http://www.jeffus.net/haunted/ghostlygrave.jpeg
So anyway...I was watching a show the other day, Frisday, I think it was, and there was this program on about the modern day vampire. I love vampires, and so, I watched. It had how there is this condition that some people have where they physically crave blood...they are low on minerals or their bodies don't make enough minerals, or something...anyway they crave blood.....aminal, or human. They decribed the kind of people who have this...affliction....pale, sensitive to the sun, senstive to touch, extremely good sense of smell, and craves blood, either in rare meat, or actual human blood....well, I'll be damned, if this is true I am a vampire...all the symptoms fit...except I hate the taste of human blood. I do love a good rare steak however...and I mean rare...run it through a warm room-rare. So...anyway, I think it's silly, and I don't sleep in a coffin, and I love garlic...but, if I ever meet you in person, make sure your cattle are safe, just to be sure. But yeah, there are people out there who really consider themselves to be vampires. I mean HanksterZ often calls me a vampire because I'm a night owl, but these people are vampires. They drink blood, and live the life style...I find it interesting, and while I never judge, I don't think I could do that myself. Besides, coffins don't look really all that comfy, you know?
Also, I have weird dreams...I dream a lot about zombies...I've always found that odd. I have never met anyone who dreams of zombies...I always thought I was just a nut...until...I met Jason. It turns out he dreams about them too. We're made for each other, no?
So, anyway...I hope you all enjoyed my Haloween rant...I decided something special and kind of weird was in order for the day. Have fun, be scared, but above all be safe.