Wirral Mums Guide to Halloween

History and Customs of Halloween Wirral Mums Guide : What does Halloween Mean To You?

History and Customs of Halloween INTRODUCTION What does Halloween mean to you? For most kids, it's an occasion when they dress in costume and get lots of sweets, and perhaps visit a haunted house and hear some ghost stories. For parents, it's mostly about costuming the kids and accompanying them on their trick-or-treating trips or handing out sweets. For adults without children, it may be an excuse to put on a scary costume and party all night.

But have you ever wondered where the idea for Halloween came from? Did someone decide that kids needed an excuse to go door to door asking for sweets? Was there a petition to start an occasion to celebrate the scary and gruesome? Or is Halloween a throwback to a holiday from some obscure religion?

Actually, Halloween's roots go back several centuries. Although its meanings and customs have changed throughout the years, it still has some things in common with its early days. Keep reading to learn all about this spooky yet supremely enjoyable occasion.

The Beginnings of Halloween Some 2,000 years ago, there was no such thing as Halloween. But the Celts celebrated an annual festival known as Samhain. This holiday was believed to be celebrated on November 1st. But the Celts considered sunset the beginning of the day, so it technically began on the evening of October 31st.

Samhain was regarded as a day of transition between summer and winter, as well as the last day of the year. It was believed that on this night, the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth. This supernatural theme was transferred over into the modern-day Halloween, and continues to be recognized to this day.

The Celts believed that on the evening of Samhain, the spirits damaged crops and caused other sorts of trouble. But they also believed that they made it possible for the Celtic priests, known as Druids, to predict the future. Even common people were believed to be able to see glimpses of certain aspects of the future by performing certain rituals.

There were certain Samhain practices that were repeated from year to year. The Druids would build huge bonfires, and people would throw crops and animal bones into the fire as sacrifices.

They also wore costumes made of animal skins and heads, and sometimes put on masks. These costumes were intended to conceal the wearer's identity from the evil spirits.

There were also instances of people exhibiting strange behaviour during Samhain. Pranksters would remove farmers' gates and move their horses to different fields. Both men and women crossdressed. And children went to neighbours' homes, knocking on doors and requesting food and treats, not unlike they do today.

The Celts would extinguish their hearth fires prior to the Samhain festivities, supposedly so that spirits would find them too cold to haunt. When the celebration was over, they would relight them with coals from the sacred bonfires. This was believed to provide protection during the winter months.

By 43 A.D., the Romans had conquered most of the Celts' territory. They ruled this land for 400 years. During this time, they combined two of their own festivals with Samhain. One of these festivals honoured Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit. The other was Feralia, the Romans' own holiday honouring the dead.

Eventually, Christian influence made its way into the Celtic lands. In the 7th century, November 1st was declared All Saints' Day. The holiday was also known as All Hallows Day or All-hallowmas.

Samhain was the night before All Saints' Day, and they began to call it All Hallows' Eve. This was eventually shortened to the contraction “Hallow E'en,” which was later simplified to Halloween.

Ancient Halloween Customs and Superstitions Back in the days of Samhain, there were many rituals that were performed in efforts to ward off evil spirits and predict the future. There were also certain superstitions that we no longer hear about.

These included the following: * Unmarried girls would peel an apple, taking care to remove the peel in one long strip. They would then throw it over their shoulder. It was believed that when the peel landed, it would form the initials of the man they would marry. * Young unmarried ladies might also carry a lamp to a spring of water on Halloween night. This supposedly enabled them to see a reflection of their future husband in the water. * When the Druids' bonfires burned out, a circle was made with the ashes of it. A member of each family in the village would place a pebble inside the circle. The next day, if a stone was moved or damaged, it was believed that a person in the family of he who placed that stone would die by next Halloween. * The British believed that the Devil was a nut gatherer. On Halloween, they used nuts as magic charms. * Journeys should be completed before sundown on Samhain. Travellers carried with them a piece of “holy” bread with salt on it to keep witches away. * If a candle's flame turned blue or went out on its own on the evening of Samhain, it was believed that a ghost was nearby. * To ward off evil spirits, Celts would walk around their homes backward three times before sunset on Samhain.

Modern Halloween Customs and Superstitions There are some customs and superstitions associated with Halloween that we still observe today.

Here are explanations of some of the most prevalent.

Trick-or-Treating Although there are reports of children asking for treats in the days of Samhain, it was not a particularly widespread practice. The idea of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated in the 9the century, not with pagans, but with Christians.

November 2nd was another Christian holiday, known as All Souls' Day. This was a day to commemorate the deceased. Some Christians would walk from house to house, knocking on doors and begging for square pieces of bread with currants, known as soul cakes. In exchange for the cakes, they would agree to pray for the dead relatives of the donors. This was believed to aid their passage into heaven.

By some accounts, this practice spawned another tradition for All Hallows Eve. This day of celebration was observed by the rich and poor alike, yet many could not afford to celebrate properly. So the poor would visit the well-to-do, asking for donations of money and food. These donations were used to prepare a feast and celebration for their families.

Jack o' Lanterns The Jack o' Lantern is a staple of Halloween decorating. But few people are aware of the story behind it. This piece of Irish folklore makes an interesting tale for Halloween night.

As the story goes, there was a farmer by the name of Stingy Jack. He had a bad reputation for being a drunkard and a trickster. On Halloween, the left a pub and was greeted by the Devil himself, who wished to claim Jack's soul.

The clever Jack asked the Devil to let him have one more drink. The Devil obliged, but Jack said he didn't have any money. So the Devil turned himself into a coin. But instead of taking the coin in and buying a drink with it, Jack put it in his wallet, which contained a cross. The Devil lost his power and was unable to take back his true form. Jack said he would free the Devil if he would let him live for another year, and he had no choice but to agree.

A year later, the Devil came back once again to claim Jack's soul. This time, Jack tricked him into climbing an apple tree. He then carved a cross into the trunk. While he was in the tree, Jack convinced the Devil to let him live for 10 more years.

When Jack died, he was not allowed into heaven because of his misdeeds. He was sent to hell, but the Devil wouldn't let him in because he had already tricked him twice. The Devil threw Jack an ember, and he placed it into a hollowed out turnip to use as a lantern as he roamed the earth for eternity.

The Irish began to make their own “jack o' lanterns� out of turnips for Halloween, as they were supposed to ward off evil spirits. But when Irish immigrants came to America, they found few turnips. Pumpkins, however, were plentiful, so they began to use them for their jack o' lanterns instead.

Bobbing for Apples

If you've ever attended a Halloween party, there's a good chance that you've either bobbed for apples or witnessed others doing so. It's lots of fun, and quite a challenge! Even this game has roots in ancient Celtic folklore.

The goddess Pomona's symbol was the apple. In addition to being in charge of fruit and trees, Pomona was also known for her beauty and fertility. When the Romans combined Pomona's festival with the Celtic Samhain, the Celts began to take on some of the traditions associated with it.

One of these traditions was bobbing for apples, just like we do today. Apples were placed in a tub of water, and participants attempted to remove them using only their teeth. But in those days, it wasn't just a game played for fun and/or prizes. It was a means of predicting the future. The first person to successfully remove an apple was believed to be the next to marry.

Black Cats Black cats have long been associated with Halloween. We've all heard the superstition that having a black cat cross your path is bad luck. There are numerous stories associated with this.

One such story comes from England in the middle ages. It's said that a father and his son were walking one night when they were frightened by a small animal that crossed their path. It ran underneath a house, and they threw rocks at it. When it re-emerged, they saw that it was a black cat. Injured, it limped into the home of a woman who the villagers believed to be a witch. The following day, the father and son saw that woman, and she was bruised and bandaged. This brought forth the belief that witches turn themselves into black cats.

There were also rumours around this time that black cats were the Devil in disguise, or that they were possessed by evil spirits. Like those suspected of being witches, they were often hunted down and burned. Yet in some places, black cats are considered omens of good luck.

Broken Mirrors Some say that if you break a mirror, you will experience bad luck for 7 years. This too has roots in ancient times.

Our ancestors believed that the image they saw in the mirror was their soul. If someone broke a mirror, it represented the separation of the soul from the body, which caused bad luck. The only way to break the spell was to wait 7 hours, pick up the pieces, and bury them outside by moonlight.

Halloween around the World Halloween has its roots in Celtic territory, which includes modern-day Ireland, Scotland, and parts of surrounding countries. But it has spread to most of the rest of the world. This is due in part to influence from American pop culture.

The Irish still consider Halloween a significant cultural event. They celebrate by dressing up in costume and putting on fireworks displays. Children go trick-or-treating and attend parties.

In Scotland, Halloween is also widely celebrated. Children participate in an activity similar to trickor-treating, but there it is known as guising. There has been a movement, however, toward reinstating more traditional activities to preserve the holiday's heritage.

Wales is another country that actively celebrates Halloween. However, they call it “Nos Calan Gaeaf,” which means beginning of the new winter. Their traditions are similar to those adhered to during the days of Samhain.

Halloween made its way to the United States and Canada in the 19th century by way of Irish and Scottish immigrants. At first, the immigrants used the holiday to celebrate their heritage. But others in the two countries eventually picked up some of the customs, and they began to play pranks on Halloween night. In the early 20th century, children began to go trick-or-treating, and it became a widespread activity in the 1930s.

China and Japan each have their own unique Halloween-type celebrations. In China, they celebrate Teng Chieh. Traditions include placing food and water in front of pictures of the deceased and lighting lanterns to guide their spirits home. In Japan, the Obon Festival celebrates the spirits of the deceased. Activities include a feast of holiday foods and setting lanterns afloat in rivers.

England did not start actively celebrating Halloween until the late 20th century. But in northern parts of the country, Mischief Night has long been celebrated on October 30th. This involves children playing tricks on adults. Some of the tricks are harmless, while others constitute vandalism.

In Mexico, Halloween didn't catch on until the 1960s. There, trick-or-treating is the primary activity of the day. Halloween in Mexico is followed by All Saints' Day, and then the two-day celebration of Dia de los Muertos, which translates to “Day of the Dead.”

Halloween has only recently caught on in Australia and New Zealand. Trick-or-treating is not exceedingly common, but it does occur. Most celebrations consist of horror film festivals and private parties.

In the Netherlands, Germany and Australia, trick-or-treating is quite uncommon. This is due to a similar tradition carried out on St. Martin's Day. But people in these countries have recently begun to celebrate by dressing in costume and having parties and parades.

In some countries, religious groups have worked to prevent Halloween from becoming a widely celebrated holiday. They feel that it contradicts their beliefs or interferes with other holidays that are based on their religion. In other countries, it just hasn't caught on due to similar holidays or disinterest. Countries in which Halloween is seldom celebrated include Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, France, Morocco and Bulgaria.

Fun Things to Do on Halloween The first Halloween activity that comes to mind for most people is trick-or-treating. That's lots of fun for the kids, and adults can join in by dressing in costume and accompanying them or handing out sweets. But that's far from the only thing to do on Halloween. Most areas have a wide variety of Halloween activities we can enjoy. Here are some ideas.

* Visit a “haunted house.� Schools and civic groups often sponsor these delightfully scary Halloween activities. You can usually take a tour for a small donation, but be prepared to be scared out of your wits! If you prefer to do the scaring, inquire about participating next year. * See what your favourite attraction has to offer. Many have special Halloween activities during the month of October. For example, Church Farm in Thurstaston has an annual Halloween event called Scareshow that features haunted hay rides, a creepy cottage and other spooky attractions. If you have children, check with the attraction in advance to see if their programs are appropriate for their ages. * Seek out a haunted maze. These are found in many cornfields, and are fun for the whole family. * Participate in a costume contest. Most are announced in the newspaper, on the radio or on television in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Many bars have contests for adults with cash prizes. For the kids, check with local schools and civic groups. * Do some crafting. Whether it's sewing costumes or making paper bats with the kids, there's nothing like creating Halloween-related stuff to get you in the holiday spirit. * Watch scary movies. Some TV channels have horror film festivals before and during Halloween, and you can catch some good scary movies in the cinema as well. Kids can watch age-appropriate spooky movies and cartoons at the cinema or on channels such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. * Play some good-natured pranks. Cut up some Jelly and put it in a bowl, place a layer of wrapped sweets over it, and offer it to guests. Spray unsuspecting souls with Silly String. Hide in the bushes and scare family members. As long as no one gets hurt and there's no property damage, it's all in good fun. * Have a party. Halloween parties give teens and adults something fun and safe to do and provide an alternative to trick-or-treating for kids. Activities could include your own costume contest or horror film festival, games and dancing.

Costume Considerations Costumes aren't just for trick-or-treaters. Even kids who think they're too old to go door-to-door enjoy dressing up as someone or something else. And adults don't have to have an excuse to don a funny or scary costume on Halloween, either.

When choosing a costume, there are a few things to consider. First, it's important to make sure it's appropriate for the occasion. A suggestive or super-gory costume might be a hit at the Halloween bash at the local bar, but may not be appropriate for handing out sweets to trick-or-treaters. And in some locations, wearing a mask out in public is against the law if you're over a certain age. Masks may also be prohibited at certain events or establishments.

Face paint is a popular component of many Halloween costumes. But some individuals may be allergic to certain types of makeup. If you have sensitive skin, do a test by placing a small amount of the makeup in an inconspicuous place and leaving it on for a few hours. If you experience an adverse reaction, try another brand or skip the face paint altogether.

Costumes are available in most sizes. But for infants, it can be difficult to find anything that fits.

Safety is also an important issue. If you can't find anything for your little one, consider using fabric paint to transform a plain t-shirt or onesie into a costume.

Comfort is an important factor in choosing a costume. No matter how great you look, you're not going to have a good time if you're wearing something that's too tight, too hot, too cold or too itchy.

Try your costume on ahead of time and make sure you'll be able to live with it for the amount of time you'll be wearing it. If you're making your own costume, carefully consider the fabrics you use.

For trick-or-treaters and their escorts, comfortable shoes are especially important. Unfortunately, the shoes that look the best with your costume may not be the best for walking long distances. If in doubt, bring along a comfortable pair of trainers to change into if the shoes you're wearing hurt your feet.

Those who are hitting the streets should also wear costumes that are safe. They should be flame resistant, and should not be long enough to trip over. There should also be some element to them that is reflective, especially if you will be out after dark. Masks should be properly ventilated and have eye holes that do not obstruct vision. Also, it's not a good idea to carry accessories that are blunt or sharp, as injury could occur in the event of a fall.

Staying Safe When Trick-or-Treating From the time they're old enough to eat sweets, most kids love to go trick-or-treating. Although this activity is geared toward the younger set, there are many safety issues to consider. But if you and your kids are well prepared, a safe and fun time can be had by all. Here are some safety tips to remember: * Double check your child's costume for safety issues before going out. There could be something you missed before. If you forgot to incorporate something reflective into them, pick up some reflective tape from the store and at least place it on your child's shoes and sweet bag. * Young children should ideally be accompanied by a parent or other trusted adult. If that's not possible, a responsible older sibling can keep an eye on them. Children of all ages who go out without an adult should be briefed on safety just before going out the door. * Kids without adult supervision should carry a cell phone in case of emergency, and should be taught how to call home and dial 999. It's also prudent to send a flashlight with them, even if they are supposed to be home before dark. * All children, supervised or not, should only go to homes of people that they and their parents know. They should also be advised not to go indoors unless accompanied by a parent or other trusted adult. * Children should not approach or pet unfamiliar animals. If they do, they may be in danger of being bitten or attacked. * Inspect your child's sweets before he eats any of it. Throw anything that is unwrapped or appears to have been tampered with away. Tampering with sweets is rare, but it's not something that it's worth taking a chance on. Besides, it doesn't take long to look over your child's stash.

* For small children, remove any sweets that might pose a choking hazard. Most hard sweets are not safe for children under 3 years of age, and some chewy sweets could be dangerous as well. * Serve dinner before sending your kids out to trick-or-treat. If their stomachs are full, they will be less likely to pop sweets in their mouths while they're out. That means they won't eat sweets that you haven't had a chance to inspect, not to mention fewer tummy aches!

During a fun occasion like Halloween, safety can easily end up on the back burner. But taking some simple precautions can increase your chances of having an incident-free good time.

What to Do With All Those Sweets If your child just visits a couple of houses or goes to a party on Halloween, the amount of sweets he brings home might not be overwhelming. But the average trick-or-treater brings home a huge amount of the sugary stuff, and if you have more than one child, it can seriously add up! If your children's sweets bags or baskets are overflowing, visions of cavities and obesity might start running through your head.

There's nothing wrong with a little sweet now and then. But the last thing we want is to have our kids gorging themselves with it for a couple of weeks. And what about the sweets they don't like?

Here are some things you can do with some of those sweets. * Send your kids trick-or-treating early. When they get home, have them go through and pick out the sweets they aren't particularly fond of. Put it in a bowl to give to the ghosts and goblins that show up at your front door. * Put some of it away to use in pinatas. If one of your children has a birthday coming up, you can use it then. Otherwise, get one for Christmas. Most sweets will keep that long and longer. * Take some of the sweets to the office and share it with your co-workers. Parents who have an overabundance of sweets at home may say “no thanks,� but those who do not have children will appreciate it. * Save some of the hard sweets for making gingerbread houses at Christmastime. That will be one less thing you have to buy! * Use it for baking. Chocolate bars can be crumbled up and substituted for chocolate chips in recipes. You can also use soft sweets to make surprise cupcakes. Just push a piece of the sweet down into the batter in each cup before baking.

For many children, Halloween is second only to Christmas as special occasions go. And there's plenty of fun to go around for adults, too. It's never too early to start planning ahead for the big day.

Making plans and getting your costumes and decorations ready ahead of time will help make the coming Halloween one of the best ever!