31 Days of Halloween : Halloween Habits, Rituals, and History

AuntieWicked
Oct 25, 2010
6 min read

Spooky Halloween :

Halloween Habits, Rituals, and History

Today I would like to talk about the Rituals and Celebrations of Halloween. This is a Holiday that has been with us and has been one of the most important for nearly as long as well, humanity. It was always extra so important, for me, in my family. For my family, Halloween had this thick importance that almost seemed to overshadow Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My house was, a pretty typical house of Northern Europeans who lived in Southern California. October was a huge celebration in my hometown, starting with Oktoberfest, coasting along the lines of Harvest Festivals, and finally with Halloween. I celebrated like many typical American kids, with costumes and my first tastes of freedom (going out ALONE and at NIGHT to be a ghoul and scare the adults into giving me Candy!!). Atypically, my family continued old country rituals. When I was younger, we always put an extra plate out at dinner because Halloween was the time the dead passed through. We lit candles so their souls wouldn’t get lost in the darkness and so they could see their way home. As I grew up, we integrated the concepts of the Dia de los Muertos into our family tradition. In honoring the dead and the bounty of the year there were alters, the lighting of candles, pouring glasses of wine, and words of thanks.

Now that I’m on my own, I continue the rituals I was taught, as a kid, by honoring the belief that my dead loved ones are visiting on this very special day. A bit of this new tradition has been pulled from my childhood, that resembles Winternights (although who has time to feast as an adult, amirite?). So often I make a Dia de los Muertos- style alter out of my kitchen table. Then leave candles to burn, with bread, wine,and salt. I ask my ancestors to bless my house, and keep me protected for another year. I tell them I hope that I make them proud, how much I love them, and ask for blessings on my home.

Unlike Meurtos, we always left the plate, alter, or candles from Midnight of October 31st, till the first morning light. For whatever vestigial reason, in my home, that was when our spirits went back home, following the light, ushering out the darkness. This ritual was a constant for me, through the wide variety of religions I was honored to experience.

Now that I’ve talked about MINE, lets talk about Halloween Rituals and Habits from ALLLL over the world, shall we!?!?!?

Ancient Egypt :Apparently, the First Records of a ‘creepy’ Holiday-in-the-Fall was in Egypt. This was the time of year that Osiris was assassinated at a banquet by his brother (eep!). Ancient Egyptians avoided doing business for that one day, as it was considered bad luck to do stuff on that day.

Ancient Rome :Pomona’s Festival was a festival of Harvest. Although, not a lot is known about it, they know the festival was held very near or on November 1st, and offerings to her (To assure future good harvests) were Fruits and Nuts, and particularly Apples. Horses where also taken from their work in fields and raced, ‘released’ from toil. (sacred texts archive )

Samhain :() is the darker of the ancient Celtic Year. For them, it was a time to live it UP before the dark sparseness of winter. Religiously, they believed that Winter came because the Sun died.

Samhain Fire would celebrate the harvest and say good-bye to plenty (cause you know, no lights or heater to turn on, scary right?). To these Ancients, Samhain was November 1st, the first day of Winter.”

The Irish had a derivative of Samhain as well, but had other habits. The ‘Feast of Tara’ Marked a New Year, where hearth fires where all extinguished and re-lit with Druid fires. In addition, they gave thanks to the bounty of the year, and burned wishes for the new year. Now, according to some resources, they would burn fires, and wear costumes to ward off evil spirits released by God of Death. Sometimes, there was even stuffing of ‘evildoers’ into big wicker things and burning them in sacrifice. However do note, that the “God of Death” thing is probably not 100% true, despite how sexy and scary it sounds . Back in reality, the Celts ,very like the Romans, used Apples for Divination and ‘Thanks’ Sacrifices. Young girls would play games with apples asking for the names of their future husbands, and apples would be burned/offered up to the gods to insure good fortune. (Samhain )

All Saints Day / All Souls Day: In early Christianity, it was customary, to celebrate the martyrdom of saints. On these days, Christians often exchanged relics and celebrated with feasts. Keep in mind that this wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill celebration but often a solemn, durgey time that underlined the passing of said saint passing, and how they were Martyred. The Church however, felt that there should be one BIG day in which Martyr’s where celebrated, giving birth to All Saints Day, which honors the souls of these Dead Saints. In Eastern Christianity, this was after Pentecost (May or June), but in Western Christianity, this was in November.

The modern All Saints has many forms of Celebration. In France, children go from door to door on October 31st, begging for flowers and trinkets to decorate Graves. Churches are dressed in bright colors with lights and festive celebrations are had. This changes over to somber colors and funerary marches by November 2nd. In Italy, All Souls day is the day that the Souls of those departed are mingling with the living. Funerary dress is worn and bells are hung to remind people to pray for the Dead. Tombs are decorated and visited. Other celebrants set out full feasts for the Dead. In Spain, the children beg for cakes and nuts to decorate graves. This act is said to distract the spirits from interrupting the honoring of the Saints. The Celtic Ritual of divination isn’t alone, in Germany young girls will ask the spirits for her Husband’s name, and do elaborate rituals to assure that this will come true. Northern Europeans celebrate Winternights, where they honor ancestors and the spirits of the dead with a feast, lighting up the night with fires to stave off the darkness of Winter. (Catholic Encyclopedia )

Asia :Even the FAR East has festivals to celebrate and honor the dead! Most are simply honoring ancestors and decorating Gravesites, but the Chinese Teng Chieh is more familiar to the Western eye. This tradition has people journeying to temples to make paper boats, not only to celebrate the dead, but to also urge the listless spirits that walk among them to go to heaven. Most of these Asian “Halloween” rituals take place at Midsummer’s. ( Asian “Halloween” )

The Americas :The Traditional mingles with Native beliefs in El Dia de los Muertos.: A Mexican celebration that honors the belief that the dead come to visit every year! They Start their visit on the 31st of October, and leave on the 2nd of November. This, unlike many, is not just a sombre or scary time, but often a celebration, marked with cooking (especially the dead Loved One’s Favorite foods!), decorating alters with Yellow Marigolds and Sugar Skulls, and making light of death with poems and celebrations of life. ( Dia de lost meurtos blog)

The Pumpkin King by *Radojavor

As for America itself, many of my readers are very familiar with it. At first, it was not a huge celebration with our Pilgrim forefather’s (lets just say the Puritans didn’t much care for that witchy-magic stuff unless they where burning it). However, it became impossible after a time NOT to integrate the Native American celebrations into old country habits, and the old familiar Halloween was born. Although, at first, it was more of an adult type holiday of party and booze, it eventually grew into its familiar form, children dressed as ghouls and TONS of Candy. Everything from calling for Bloody Mary in the mirror, to bobbing for apples has roots in a variety of time-honored traditions. I would go into it, but sacred texts archive has a marvelous page on it already!! ( American Halloween Traditions )

31 Days of Halloween : Halloween Habits, Rituals, and History

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