WooHoo! I Just Wrote My Longest Post Ever. 4095 Words!

blog cover image
29
3.7K followers
Updated

I am totally amazed! I was having so much fun writing this post, that I had no idea how long it was! I have to keep this momentum going and get content for my website written!

Halloween, All Souls Day, and Other "Ghostly" Traditions


Halloween was last Thursday.

My original intention for this article was to wish our WA community a Happy Halloween. However, while researching the history of Halloween traditions in the United States, I stumbled upon a wealth of information about other "spooky" holidays celebrated throughout the world, thus broadening the scope of my article considerably. This of course slowed down the completion and publication of this post.

I apologize for the untimely subject matter, but I am enjoying writing this so much I'm going to finish it even if it is waaay too early for Halloween greetings for the year 2020!

I hope you enjoy learning about some of these international customs as much as I did.

My earliest memories of Halloween are from when I was three or four years old.

I grew up in a small farming community in south central Iowa. Our Halloween tradition began on October 30 and ran through the 31st. Halloween costume parties at school and church youth groups were usually held the week before the actual big event.

The night before Halloween was known as "Beggar's Night", and that was when all the kids donned masks and went door to door trick or treating. In the 50s, Halloween masks were made of rubber, and were extremely hot! Some of the more fortunate children had entire costumes, but we were happy with just our masks. I was a very shy child, and always dreaded going to the houses where we were actually required to perform a trick prior to receiving our treats.

In those days, Halloween costumes always included a mask. My older sister had a pig mask, and mine was a duck. This was before the days of Porky Pig or Donald Duck. My parents didn't have a lot of extra money, and Sheryll and I wore those masks interchangeably for several years. I think the two "animals" made their way through all four of us kids eventually.

In later years, scary and sinister Halloween costumes and masks arrived on the scene, primarily due to the influence of Hollywood's horror movies such as "Ghost", "Halloween"," A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Scream," "Frankenstein's Monster", and "Friday the 13th", to name a few.

The practice of "Beggar's Night" probably enhanced the safety of the younger children while roaming the neighborhoods trick or treating, because Halloween night (October 31st) was when the "big boys" got into mischief, playing tricks without the treats. I did not realize that other communities did not celebrate "Beggar's Night" the night before the real deal until I left home to go to college.

Tipping over outhouses (forerunner of Porta Potties) and writing graffiti on business windows with soap, a practice known as "soaping windows", were standard pranks that were expected each year. Our outhouse was tipped over one Halloween even though my Dad took the precaution of keeping our yard light on all night.


One year an industrious group of tricksters deposited an outhouse on the sidewalk in front of the door to the only restaurant in town. They also pushed farm implements from their parking place on a side street into the middle of the main street through town, thus blocking traffic. No one could get through until the implement dealer opened for business the next day and removed them.

As an adult, I enjoyed making unusual original Halloween costumes.

One year I made my husband a Ben Franklin costume. I spent so much time making his breeches, velvet waistcoat, vest, and ruffled cravat that I had to rent my own Betsy Ross costume!

My masterpiece was when I turned my husband into a Big Mac, and I was the French Fries. I used a hula hoop as a frame for Big Mac's bun, but neglected to measure the diameter of the hula hoop. The bun was too big to go through the door, and he had to take his costume off to enter the house where the party was being held!

What is the history of the holiday known as Halloween?

The origin of Halloween, which is celebrated on October 31, is believed to be derived from a harvest festival of the Ancient Celts, who lived primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This was a pagan religious holiday known as Samhain, which was celebrated on October 31.

The Celts believed that the ghosts of their dead loved ones returned to visit them on this date. During the holiday, the Celtic priest, known as a Druid, built a large bonfire that was used to sacrifice crops and animals to their gods. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes made of animal heads and skins so that evil spirits would not recognize them.

The family's hearth fire was allowed to go out during the Samhain festivities, and was relit from the sacred bonfire following the celebration. This was believed to protect the household during the long, dark winter months. The Celts also believed that the Druids could predict the future during this time when the dead had returned to Earth.

The Celts made lanterns out of large turnips by carving faces into them and setting candles inside. They were placed along the roads and by gates and served two purposes: to deflect fairy spirits from invading their homes, and to light the way for travelers. It is probable that the American tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns evolved from this practice.


When the Romans invaded and conquered Celtic lands, their harvest festival traditions blended with Celtic Sahmain. Feralia, the Roman holiday honoring the dead, occurred in late October. A harvest festival celebrating Pomona, the Roman goddess of orchards, who was represented by the apple in Roman celebrations, occurred around first of November. It is likely that current Halloween activities such as drinking apple cider and bobbing for apples resulted from this fusing of Roman and Sahmain traditions.

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day were Christian Holidays similar to Sahmain.

All Saints' Day was created by Pope Boniface IV in 609 AD in commemoration of all Christian martyrs who were killed in Rome. Originally called All-hallowmas, All Saints' Day celebrations were similar to Samhain, with bonfires and parades in which celebrants dressed up as angels, saints, or devils in order to prevent ghosts from recognizing them. The night before this holiday came to be known as All-Hallows Eve, and eventually, Halloween.

In 1000 AD., All Souls' Day, which is believed by some to be an effort by Christians to replace the Celtic festival of Sahmain with Christian beliefs, was established. In addition to prayers for all the souls believed to be in purgatory being offered on November 2, All Souls' Day celebrations consisted of blended Christian and pagan rituals.

The practice of "going a-souling", which is probably the origin of modern day "trick or treating", began during All Souls' Day celebrations in England. Hungry poor folks begged for food and were rewarded with "soul cakes" by those more fortunate revelers, in return for their promise to pray for the souls of their dead loved ones. The children eventually began going door to door in their neighborhoods begging for food, coins, and ale.

In Scotland and Ireland, a similar tradition called "guising" developed in which the young people dressed up in costumes and went from house to house. Instead of making promises to pray for the dead, they performed a "trick", which consisted of singing a song, reciting a poem, or telling a joke, and were rewarded with a treat of fruit, coins, or nuts.

The celebration of Halloween in the United States is fairly recent.

In New England, celebrating Halloween was frowned upon due to the rigid Puritanical belief systems in the colonies. The more liberal southern colonies had more freedom to celebrate the holiday. European and American Indian traditions merged to form harvest celebrations which included telling ghost stories, fortune telling, dancing, and singing.

Celebration of Halloween in the United States was not widespread throughout the country until immigrants from Ireland and Scotland arrived in the mid 1800s, bringing their Celtic heritage with them.

By the 1920s Halloween was celebrated throughout the United States with parades, costumes, and Jack-o-lanterns. In the 1950s, costumed children going door to door trick or treating became more popular, and continues to this day.

Halloween is now the second largest commercial holiday in the United States. It is estimated that Americans spend approximately $6 billion for costumes, decorations, parties, and candy for trick or treaters. Approximately one fourth of the annual money spent on candy is for Halloween.

One of the more recent Halloween traditions is pet costumes. It is estimated that Americans spend approximately half a million dollars a year to dress up their furkids for Halloween.

Holidays honoring the dead are an international phenomenon.

I was amazed to discover that so many countries and cultures celebrate holidays to honor their dead relatives, or celebrate holidays similar to Halloween traditions in the United States. Below is a brief summary of several. If you do not see your country in the list below, or have other information to share about traditions where you live, please feel free to add them in the comment section of this post.

Austria:

The Austrians celebrate a holiday known as Martini on November 11. Festivities include costumes and lantern processions. Some people light a lamp and put out bread and water for dead souls in order to welcome them when they return to Earth on that night.

On All Saints' Day, known as Allerheiligen, families visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of their deceased loved ones. Victims of the two World Wars are honored by a special service on this day as well.

Belgium:

Both Halloween and All Saints' Day celebrations are observed in Belgium. Costume parties, haunted houses, and zombie nights do occur, but trick or treating is not common. This may be due in part because Halloween is not a native traditional holiday, and other holidays provide similar events for the Belgian children. During Driekoningen, the Feast of Three Kings, which is celebrated on January 6, children wear costumes of kings and queens and go to homes in their neighborhoods singing songs and requesting treats. Sinterklaas, or the Feast of St. Nicholas provides candy and gifts.

On Halloween night, some Belgians light candles in memory of their departed loved ones, but All Saints' Day, which is celebrated on November first, is the religious holiday in which businesses are closed and people attend church services to honor all the saints and martyrs. They may also remember their dead relatives and friends by visiting cemeteries and decorating their graves with chrysanthemums and candles.

Cambodia:

Pechum Ben is celebrated during a period of 15 days from the end of September to mid-October. It is a Buddhist religious holiday in which the families take food and flowers to temples in order to honor their deceased ancestors. Pechum Ben is also a holiday to show respect and appreciation for their elderly relatives who are still living.

Canada

Scottish and Irish immigrants introduced Halloween to Canadians in the 1800s. They enjoy celebrating Halloween on October 31 by hosting and attending costume parties, decorating their homes and businesses, and trick or treating.

Czech Republic:

Dusicky, (Commemoration of All the Departed), is celebrated on November 2nd. On this day, Czechs celebrate the memories of their dearly departed relatives by visiting their graves and decorating them with flowers and candles. They believe that on this day they can communicate with the dead. Chairs representing both the living and deceased are placed in front of the fireplace.

China


The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated from the middle of August to mid-September, when people believe that spirits who need food and money for the afterlife
are roaming the Earth. The festival is held to provide these things to the
spirits.


The Double 9th Festival (Chongyang), also called Seniors Day is a festival honoring the elderly. It is celebrated by climbing mountains, drinking chrysanthemum wine, and admiring chrysanthemums.

England:

Halloween in England is sometimes referred to as Mischief Night. Children carved "punkies" out of beets, similar to Jack-o-lanterns in the United States.

Many English stopped celebrating Halloween when the Protestant reformation spread through England because they didn't believe in saints; therefore they had no reason to celebrate All Saints' Day or the evening before.

Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on November 5th. He was a Catholic traitor who was executed for trying to kill Protestant King James by blowing up the Parliament building. He was executed on November 5, 1606, and the original celebration was held on that day. Each year On November 5th Englishmen light "bone fires" and burn effigies of Guy Fawkes in them. In some parts of England the children carry effigies that they have made through the streets instead of burning them, and ask people for "a penny for the guy".

France:

The French observe All Saints Day on November 1st. This is a public holiday, a time to honor their dead relatives and friends. Families go to cemeteries together and decorate their loved ones' graves with pots of heather, chrysanthemums, or wreaths of artificial flowers. They also light candles to represent happiness in the afterlife. This is a family holiday, a time to enjoy spending time together, or share their grief if they are mourning the recent loss of a loved one. Attending All Saints Mass is an important aspect of this holiday for many people.

Halloween was not very popular in France until the 1990s, when American businesses such as Disneyland Paris and McDonalds began to promote it. Around the year 2000 scary or ghoulish costumes depicting the frightening aspects of Halloween such as monsters, ghosts, ghouls, witches, zombies, Frankenstein's monster, vampires, and skeletons began to appear in French stores.

The French version of American trick or treating was more negative. If treats were not forthcoming, the offending parties often found their homes and gardens pelted with eggs or draped with toilet paper.

Interest in Halloween has been waning since 2008 for a variety of reasons. Halloween occurs during the mid term break in the school year. The small shop keepers who have just stocked their shelves with school supplies prefer to focus their marketing efforts on Christmas sales. Halloween is not a traditional holiday in France. It is considered a marketing strategy that has no cultural value. In addition, many people feel that it is disrespectful for occult or party activities to occur on the eve of Toussaint, the French Day of the Dead.

Germany

Both Halloween and All Saints' Day are celebrated in Germany, depending on what state you are in. Halloween is celebrated on October 31st, and All Saints' Day is November 1. Five states in Germany celebrate Allerheiligen, All Saints' Day, with a public holiday, which means that most businesses are closed. So why not don a costume and find a Halloween party to attend?

Halloween is not a traditional German holiday. When the German government canceled the Fasching celebrations in 1991 due to the Gulf War, this dealt a devastating blow to the German economy. The German Toy and Retailers Association chose Halloween to jump start the economy, and Halloween was heavily marketed. Today Halloween retail sales are the third largest, lagging behind only Christmas and Easter.

Children do dress up in costumes and go trick or treating in areas near American military bases, but most children's activities are parties that do not involve such scary costumes. Halloween activities are celebrated by adults at costume parties and night clubs. People carve pumpkins or display them as decorations, but not many houses have ghostly or ghoulish displays.

All Saints' Day is only celebrated as a public holiday in five states. Catholics attend a special mass honoring all the saints, light candles, and pray for their deceased loved ones. They go to cemeteries and place lit candles or lanterns, wreaths made of fir branches and pine cones, or bouquets of flowers on their loved ones' graves.

Hong Kong:

Shopping centers and theme parks are decorated for Halloween. Similar to China, the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated from the middle of August to mid-September, when people believe that spirits who need food and money for the afterlife are roaming the Earth. This festival provides supplies to them.

India:

Pitru Paksha is a time when the souls of the dead are allowed to return to Earth to be with their families. A fire ritual known as ShraddhaIndia must be performed in order to ensure that the souls return to the afterlife safely. Food that is cooked in a silver or copper vessel is presented to the dead relatives on banana leaves.

Ireland:

The Irish have Halloween traditions that are uniquely their own in spite of the many similarities between them and American ones due to their Celtic origins. In addition to trick or treating, Irish children knock on the doors of their friends and neighbors, then run away before the door is answered. This is a "trick" known as "knock-a-dolly". There is also a card game in which a person draws a card and is given the prize of the item that is indicated on the card.

Traditional Sahmain or Halloween dishes included colcannon and barmbrack. Colcannon is a potato and kale mixture that was sometimes used for fortune telling. Small prizes were hidden within the dish, and the meaning of the token was thought to foretell your fortune. Likewise, barmbrack, an Irish fruitcake, had these small prizes embedded in them as well. Each family member received a slice of barmbrack. If a person found a ring, it was believed that marriage was in the near future. A coin designated financial prosperity for the coming year, but if a person received a rag in the slice, their financial future was in doubt. Receiving a thimble signified that a person would never marry.

Italy:

Ognissanti, or All Saints' Day is a national holiday on November 1. Italian cemeteries are decorated with fresh flowers, usually chrysanthemums. Italians place them on the graves of both their deceased loved ones and also those of complete strangers. At sunset, Italians place a red candle in a window to honor their deceased loved ones. In addition, they hope for a visit from the spirits of these departed people, and a place is set at the table for them.

Crossing the Devil's Bridge at Borgo a Mozzano is an interesting Halloween tradition celebrated by some Italians. The belief is that the bridge is haunted by evil spirits. According to the tradition, if the bridge is crossed on October 31, they are washed away.

Japan:

Halloween has been observed in Japan since the year 2000, when theme parks such as Disneyland and universal Studios began promoting celebrations there. People celebrate with costumes and decorations. However, the traditional celebrations to honor their dead ancestors are held in August in most parts of the country.

The Japanese believe that the spirits of their ancestors come to visit their homes during the ObonFestival. People return to their home towns, where they gather to pray and await the return of the spirits of their departed ancestors. The celebration lasts three days. Prior to the beginning of Obon, the house is cleaned, and food is placed in front of the butsudan, the Buddhist altar.

On the first day of the festival, families light paper lanterns, called Chochin, in their homes, and place them along with flowers in front of the butsudan. They take lit lanterns to their ancestors' graves so that the spirits can find their way to their homes in order to visit with them.

On the second day, folk dances known as Bon Odori are held in temples, shrines, parks, and gardens throughout the area to welcome the spirits when they arrive. A beautiful tradition to assist the spirits to return to the spirit world is performed. Floating lanterns containing a lit candle, toro nagashi, provide a method for families to send their ancestors' spirits back into the spirit world. When the candle burns out, the lanterns float out to sea, releasing the spirits to return to where they came from.

On the third and last day of the festival, the visiting spirits are assisted to return to their graves by hanging Chochin lanterns to help guide the spirits back to the afterlife.

Latin America/Mexico/Spain:

These countries observe Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, on November 2nd. Celebrants believe that the spirits of their loved ones who have died visit them on the night of November 1st and depart for the afterlife again on November 2nd. This is a happy celebration that combines ancient Aztec traditions and beliefs with newer Catholic ones introduced by the Spanish Conquistadors.

Families prepare for the return of their loved ones by erecting altars lit by candles to help the spirits find their way into their homes. Favorite foods, flowers, photographs, and items that were important to the ancestors are placed on the altar as well.

Death is not feared, but is considered a part of the cycle of life. This is a happy celebration. Decorations containing skeletons in playful positions having fun abound. Even foods shaped like skeletons are a part of the fun.

Families prepare a feast of their ancestors' favorite food and have a celebratory picnic at their family members' gravesites while they clean and decorate their graves with marigolds and candles.

In Guatemala, people build and fly large kites with messages for their dead relatives written upon them.

Nigeria:

The Awuru Odo Festival is celebrated for a six-month period that occurs every two years when the Odo, spirits of dead relatives and friends, are believed to return to the land of the living. The spirits arrive in the fall between September and November and return to the spirit world in April. Families hold celebrations of their own Odo group, but the main part of the festival is an elaborate play. Masked actors portray the Odo and present the story of their arrival to visit the land of the living, and their return to the after world.

Philippines:

Pangangaluluwa is the Philippine equivalent of Halloween. Children don costumes and go door to door, similar to trick or treating, but they sing and request prayers for relatives in Purgatory instead of treats. Pangangaluluwa consists of a three-day family holiday that is celebrated October 31 through November 2nd.

October 31 is a national holiday. Families prepare to begin the journey to the location of their ancestral family tombs. Candles and flowers are purchased, and a feast is prepared to take to the cemetery. Because so many people are traveling at this time, traffic is terrible.

Once they arrive at their destination, celebrants clean their family tomb or mausoleum. This is a time that the extended family spends joyful time with each other and their departed loved ones.

Poland:

Dzien Zaduszny, or All Souls Day, is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. It is a very important family holiday in which it is mandatory for family members to travel to their original family homes. The extended family visits the graves of their ancestors in order to please the spirits of the deceased that have come to visit.

The first day of the celebration is spent tending the graves of family members. It is believed the spirits of the dead return to the living on November 1st, which is a national holiday with businesses closed. It is preferable that people not do any labor and go to bed early so that they can avoid disturbing their ghostly guests. Ancestors are believed to attend a special mass held just for the spirits that no mortals are allowed to attend.

Special bread is baked and taken to the cemeteries. This is to be given to the poor or priests, or left on the graves of the ancestors. It is believed that this generous act could help attone for the the sins of the ancestors whose souls are in Purgatory.

A requiem mass is held for the souls of the dead on the second day of the celebration.

We are an international Wealthy Affiliate family.

There was no way I could research and include every country represented in our WA community. Please feel free to add a description of your country's traditions in the comments section, and I will include it in the text.

Even though Halloween is past, I think the topic of whether your culture has a belief that souls of the dearly departed might be able to return to visit us could make an interesting exchange of ideas between us.

What are your thoughts? Does your culture celebrate a Day of the Dead?










Login
Create Your Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Today!
icon
4-Steps to Success Class
icon
One Profit Ready Website
icon
Market Research & Analysis Tools
icon
Millionaire Mentorship
icon
Core “Business Start Up” Training

Recent Comments

36

That's an awesome piece of writing. You were most definitely in the 'zone'

Thanks so much. Just gotta stay there.

Very looooooong indeed

We just flower the graves of our deceased
and it is a beauty for the eye

So true! Could have kept going there was so much info out there, but had to call a stop somewhere!

Yes, indeed. When I was writing this, I was thinking that the graves that are so lovely when they are decorated for Day of the Dead remind me of what Americans do on Memorial Day, which is in May. Families decorate the graves, and American flags are placed on the graves of all the veterans.

Must be awesome to see!

Yes, it is. I was a drummer when I was in high school. The band marched from the school to the 2 cemeteries in town and played patriotic songs before the memorial service started.

Our band uniforms were wool, and this was about a mile march in HOT weather. As a drummer, I had to play the cadence (the drum beat that keeps people in step and together) all the way.

One of our clarinetists passed out from the heat when we were standing at parade rest. She had her knees locked, got too hot, and down she went! After that, we just wore black pants and white shirts for that parade so nobody else got over heated.

Oh my!
Good old days...
;-)

You knew bravery!

Thanks, Fleeky!

*** holy moly ! ... wow ! ... that many words, for real?! ...

it's like an encyclopedia ! .... keep goin'! ... cheerio-o ..⭐️😊⭐️

Thanks, Keisha.

My Dad (deceased Marine Chaplain/ Baptist Minister) use to proclaim at funerals he conducted that we have it all backwards: funerals are times to rejoice and be merry; births are times to mourn and have sympathy.

Good point. Sure glad I'm not raising kids these days!

Wow!

Can you turn this into a post for your website somehow? You would have to reword it so it isn't a copy, but that's a lot of work on your part.

Interesting history...

Thanks. No, I don't see how that would relate to ballroom dancing, except for the Monster Mash! Great idea, though.

Well, one Halloween years ago when my then-husband and I were working at an Arthur Murray dance studio, we went to their halloween party in twin outhouses. Quite original, but not easy to dance in...

Great story. By the way, what brand of dance shoes do you use? I'm writing a series of posts about them for my website.

I haven't worn dance shoes for a while, but I liked Capezios.

That's what I had, too. Have written the post on them. Working on Bloch now.

Carol,thank Great job keep up the good work.All the best to you on your journey at WA .

Thanks so much.

That's quite a post - and a fun one! Thanks for sharing! Christine

Thanks.

Very interesting history of Halloween throughout the world. And I love the big mac costume, and the fries aren't bad either! Best continued success to you here. Carol!!

Jeff

Thanks, Jeff.

Congrats and well done. I enjoyed your Halloween story and post.
Have a great week,
Mickey

Thanks, Mickey.

Hello Carol and congrats on your progress.
This is really inspiring and well done on this achievement.
We wish you all the best and have a great week.
Darren & Nicola :)

Thanks so much.

See more comments

Login
Create Your Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Today!
icon
4-Steps to Success Class
icon
One Profit Ready Website
icon
Market Research & Analysis Tools
icon
Millionaire Mentorship
icon
Core “Business Start Up” Training