Ah, Halloween… a very popular modern holiday! It started as the Celtic/pagan festival of Samhain, to welcome the harvest and usher in the “dark part of the year.”
Celebrants believed the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world break down at this dark time, allowing more interaction between them. In ancient Europe pagan celebrations of the dead took place in the fall and consisted of bonfires, dancing, and feasting.
There were many scary creatures associated with Samhain too, including shape-shifters, headless horsemen and devious fairies. Other creatures entered houses to steal souls. Celts would dress up as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them.
In later times, people dressed up as saints and went door-to-door singing songs to the dead. Cakes were given as payment. All these practices contributed to the origin of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating!
The customs survived even after the Catholic Church rolled them into All Saints’ and All Souls' Day, celebrated the first two days of November. In medieval Spain, people brought wine and bread to the graves of loved ones on All Souls' Day. They covered the graves with flowers and lit candles to guide the dead souls’ back to their homes on earth.
On the other side of the world, 3,000 years ago in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, similar rituals were celebrated. This history inspired the contemporary “Day of the Dead” (el Día de los Muertos) in the Americas. A blend of Mesoamerican rites, European religion, and Spanish culture, it’s celebrated in Mexico every year from October 31st to November 2nd.
According to tradition, the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and spirits can rejoin the living for a short time. Families welcome back the souls of relatives for a brief reunion which includes food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. It’s a demonstration of love and respect for their ancestors.
People still leave food and other offerings on their loved one’s grave, or on altars called “ofrendas” in their homes. Costumes and parades are now also part of the tradition; skeletons and skulls are a common theme during modern “Day of the Dead” festivities.
These customs are a celebration of life and death. We make death spooky and scary; but can you imagine Americans partying in a graveyard for a few days? We can make a “Day of the Dead” altar as a dedication to our departed loved ones. Why not make one this year? You might even include our founding fathers at this time; although probably not direct relatives, they gave us a bold vision for an egalitarian society - ”if we can keep it.”
The veil is thin - be inspired!
Peace, love and healing -
Bear
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