Post by Arrianna on Oct 19, 2006 18:15:59 GMT -5
Well, as we know Halloween is nearly here.
There are a lot of myths about Halloween so I though I would start with giving it's history.
Halloween is a Catholic holiday. It is actually Hallows Eve or All Hallowed Eve and was the night before All Saints day. Just as there is Marty Gras before Lent Hallows Eve was a night of feasts, celebration, and pagentry.
Now, "All Saint's Day originated as a feast of All Martyrs, sometime in the 4th century. At first it was celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It came to be observed on May 13 when Pope St. Boniface IV (608-615) restored and rebuilt for use as a Christian church an ancient Roman temple which pagan Rome had dedicated to "all gods", the Pantheon. The pope re-buried the bones of many martyrs there, and dedicated this Church to the Mother of God and all the Holy Martyrs on May 13, 610.
About a hundred years later, Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a new chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all saints (not just to the martyrs) on November 1, and he fixed the anniversary of this dedication as the date of the feast.
A century after that, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration of All Saints to November 1 for the entire Church."
So begining in the 800's All Hallowed Eve became a celebration for Catholics and is still followed in predominantly Catholic nations. Yet the US isn't a predominantly Catholic nation how did we get Halloween and trick-or-treating?
Well... It's the Irish and Scots fault.
You see, it was believed that on that night the spirits (both good and bad) could crossover easier. So in those countries Hallows Eve had become known as "Mischief Night" and it was a tradition to go out at night and play pranks and blame them on the "spirits". When these people moved to the US they brought their "Mischief Night" with them. I'm sure we've all heard stories of tipping outhouses.
Bu the 1930's these pranks had become dangerous. It was no longer mischief but real danger as both animals and people were harmed (being at the heighth of KKK activity as well didn't help) and property seriously damaged. What could be done? Well, the Boy Scouts came to the rescue and began organizing "trick-or treating" in their neighborhoods. It was thought by having people out that night it would be difficult for anyone to pull such pranks without being spotted. Think of it as a massive neighborhood watch program. They borrowed a Christmas tradition from the same countries of dressing up as spirits and other things (to scare evil away) while going door to door offering to pray for souls in return for treats and cakes and Halloween was born.
In 1941 the Saturday Evening Post (the same magazine that gave us "The Night Before Christmas") printed a poem titled "Trick-orTreat" and a phrase was created to go with the new tradition.
..and that is where Halloween as we celbrate it today comes from.
What is my point you ask? Well, every area/family celebrates Halloween just a little bit differently if at all. So....
How do you celebrate Halloween? Do you carve pumpkins? Hand out candy? Dress up for the night? Come on, share.
There are a lot of myths about Halloween so I though I would start with giving it's history.
Halloween is a Catholic holiday. It is actually Hallows Eve or All Hallowed Eve and was the night before All Saints day. Just as there is Marty Gras before Lent Hallows Eve was a night of feasts, celebration, and pagentry.
Now, "All Saint's Day originated as a feast of All Martyrs, sometime in the 4th century. At first it was celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It came to be observed on May 13 when Pope St. Boniface IV (608-615) restored and rebuilt for use as a Christian church an ancient Roman temple which pagan Rome had dedicated to "all gods", the Pantheon. The pope re-buried the bones of many martyrs there, and dedicated this Church to the Mother of God and all the Holy Martyrs on May 13, 610.
About a hundred years later, Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a new chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all saints (not just to the martyrs) on November 1, and he fixed the anniversary of this dedication as the date of the feast.
A century after that, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration of All Saints to November 1 for the entire Church."
So begining in the 800's All Hallowed Eve became a celebration for Catholics and is still followed in predominantly Catholic nations. Yet the US isn't a predominantly Catholic nation how did we get Halloween and trick-or-treating?
Well... It's the Irish and Scots fault.
You see, it was believed that on that night the spirits (both good and bad) could crossover easier. So in those countries Hallows Eve had become known as "Mischief Night" and it was a tradition to go out at night and play pranks and blame them on the "spirits". When these people moved to the US they brought their "Mischief Night" with them. I'm sure we've all heard stories of tipping outhouses.
Bu the 1930's these pranks had become dangerous. It was no longer mischief but real danger as both animals and people were harmed (being at the heighth of KKK activity as well didn't help) and property seriously damaged. What could be done? Well, the Boy Scouts came to the rescue and began organizing "trick-or treating" in their neighborhoods. It was thought by having people out that night it would be difficult for anyone to pull such pranks without being spotted. Think of it as a massive neighborhood watch program. They borrowed a Christmas tradition from the same countries of dressing up as spirits and other things (to scare evil away) while going door to door offering to pray for souls in return for treats and cakes and Halloween was born.
In 1941 the Saturday Evening Post (the same magazine that gave us "The Night Before Christmas") printed a poem titled "Trick-orTreat" and a phrase was created to go with the new tradition.
..and that is where Halloween as we celbrate it today comes from.
What is my point you ask? Well, every area/family celebrates Halloween just a little bit differently if at all. So....
How do you celebrate Halloween? Do you carve pumpkins? Hand out candy? Dress up for the night? Come on, share.