Hodson Gazette: Happy All Hallows Eve

Image via Wikipedia Halloween

Halloween is based on several ancient cultural celebrations, however most of the modern customs are based on the Celtic festival called Samhain, which means “summer’s end”, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.

It was the Celtic New Year’s Eve, when the new year begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year, just as the new day begins at sundown.

People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living.

On that day all manner of beings were abroad: souls of the dead as well as fairies, witches and demons.

According to Christian history, the earliest form of All Saints' (or "All Hallows'") was first celebrated in the 300AD, and originally took place on 13 May. In the beginning the festival only commemorated the martyrs, but by 741AD, it came to include all of the Saints, especially those that didn't otherwise have a special day devoted to them. It was transferred to 1 November in 844AD when Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter's Basilica to All Saints.

Today's Halloween customs are a combination of Catholic, French, Irish, and English customs all mixed together.

From the French we get the custom of dressing up, which originated during the time of the Black Death when artistic renderings of the dead known as the "Danse Macabre," (dances of death) were popular. Dances of Death were acted out in public by people who dressed as the dead.

The wearing of costumes and roaming from door to door demanding treats can also be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons.

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Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved.

From the Irish also came the carved Jack-o-lanterns, which were originally carved turnips. It was based on a folklore story about a man called Jack who liked to play practical jokes even on the devil and when he died he was refused entry to heaven and also to hell because of his actions. He was made to roam the earth as a ghost for all eternity with only a lantern to guide his way.

From the English Catholics came the custom of begging from door to door, the original form of "trick-or-treating." Children would go about begging their neighbors for a "Soul Cake," and in return they would say a prayer for the dead. Instead of knocking on a door and saying the threatening, "Trick-or-treat", children would say:

A Soul Cake, a Soul Cake,  
have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake!

Later on this was replaced with the chant:

Soul, soul, an apple or two,  
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,  
One for Peter, two for Paul,  
Three for the Man Who made us all.

SOUL CAKE RECIPE

Soul cakes are a bit like Aussie damper or the old-fashioned rock cakes.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
4 cups plain flour, sifted
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons currants or sultanas
a little milk

Method:
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale in colour and fluffy in texture.
- Beat in the egg yolks.
- Fold in the sifted flour and spices.
- Stir in the currants/sultanas.
- Add enough milk to make a soft dough.
- Form into flat cakes and mark each top with a cross.
- Bake on a well-greased baking tray in a hot oven until golden.

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A funny halloween video:

Some great Halloween costumes for Kids.

Clown

Light coloured sweat clothes that are too large. Decorate by using either fabric paint or markers. Tack on some large pop-poms, add a cheap wig, hat, and make-up. You may also stuff the extra space in clothing with tissue.

Scarecrow

Over sized flannel shirt, faded blue jeans with stapled on patches, rope for belt and to tie at the cuffs of his jeans and sleeves, stuff the shirt and jeans with plastic grocery, or paper, a little bit of straw to hang out of jeans and shirt. Add a little bit of make-up.

1960s Hippy

Hippy style clothing (long dress, anything colourful, geometric or paisley designs etc), vests, long wig, sandals, headband, anything with fringe on it or crocheted, lots of ribbons andbeads, and coloured sun glasses.

Old man

Dark paints (cuffed), and jacket, most any dress shirt, mans flannel hat, walking cane, wire rimmed-glasses. Gray the hair, with any of the commercial temporary colors, or dust with a little flour.

Old woman

Old style dress, knee-hi stockings rolled down a little, large black purse, hat or wig, wire-rimmed glasses.

Nerd

Slick back the hair, grab some pants that are too short, white shirt, white socks, pocket protector with lots of pens, dark rim glasses (don't forget to tape the corner, or at least paper clip it) briefcase, or backpack for treat bag.

Japanese Doll

Paint face white using face paints or face cream and talc powder, paint cheeks rosy red circles. Hair in buns, use hair combs decorated with ribbon or strands of beads, white socks and thong slippers, and a kimono with a long satin sash around waist.

1950’s “Sock-Hopper”  

It’s quite simple, just a round skirt, a white short-sleeved shirt, and some sand shoes. You could add some cat-eye glasses if you want. Tie their hair in a ponytail, and wrap a scarf around it.

Mummy  

Wrap yourself in white bandages (rolls of gauze) Use splotches of green paint for "mold". Use white make-up on face with "age lines" drawn on. The stiff-legged gait works perfectly.

Pirate  

Form a fake wooden leg by wrapping your bad one in brown felt. Wear sailor pants or jeans with a striped top. Tie a bandana around your head, wear an eye patch, carry an empty bottle marked XXX (for the "rum") and mutter "aargh" a lot.

Mother Nature
Decorate a skirt and top or vest with silk leaves in a random pattern using either glue or staples to attach. Decorate the skirt with silk flowers growing out from the leaves, ribbons, netting, strands of beads, feathers and other trims . Use the remaining leaves and flowers to decorate a face mask. Bend a wire coat hanger into the shape of a circle for a head piece. Gather some twigs and secure to the wire. Add leaves, flowers, ribbons etc to cover the wire.

Bunny  

Wear pants and top that is either pink, brown, or white, add a powder puff or large pom-pom to the backside, and a set of ears make from cardboard and a plastic headband. Now just hop on out and enjoy!

Turtle  

Wear green top and pants with a piece of poster board attached to the back. Simple cut the poster board into a large oval, make random marks like a turtle shell, and paint.

Puppy
Wear top and pants either in brown, tan or white, either paint, or pin paper spots on. Make floppy ears from fabric and bobby pin to hair over your ears. The tale can be most anything, depending on what type of doggie you wish to be. Add a little make-up.

Kitten  

Wear top and pants in either gold, brown, tan or white. Make ears from cardboard or stiff fabric, attach to head band or bobby pin in to hair. Tack on a simple tale on back of pants using fabric.
Spider  Wear top and pants in black. For the eight legs grab some cheap black pantyhose, stuff with any thing dark and light weight. Either sew, or staple to keep stuffing from falling out.

Lady Bug
Use a pair of black sweats and black sweat shirt (and a pair of black shoes). Use a large piece of cardboard and cut out a large oval. Paint it red with black dots. Staple black elastic pieces (in a loop) onto the board to make arm holes. For the antenna attach craft pipe cleaners with black pom poms on the ends to a headband. Pin to clothing, add a little make-up

Cereal Killer
Attach little cereal boxes to a shirt, cut a slit in the boxes, glue in plastic knives into the holes, drip red paint running down from the knife hole in the box.

Bag of Jelly Beans  

Blow up lots of different coloured balloons (make them fairly small to avoid bursting). Cut two leg holes in the bottom of a plastic grocery bag and two arm holes near the middle. Have your child stand in the bag and fill with blown up balloons. Cut out two rectangles from white cardboard and write on each piece "JELLY BEANS 2 CENTS EACH". Safety pins signs to front and back of bag. LOOSELY tie around shoulders with a colourful ribbon. Cut off excess bag around face.

Black Bat  

Using a black umbrella and tights, Rip the umbrella in half. Discard the centre and innards of the umbrella. If you are fancy you can sew the edges of the umbrella to the back of the body. If you don't have the time or patience to sew the umbrella you can always use safety pins.  

Butterfly  

Put on black sweats and black shoes. Use a piece of cardboard and paint them in colours of your choice. Draw the wings on the cardboard and then cut them out. Punch two holes toward the middle of the wings, put black ribbon through them and tie around shoulders. Attach pipe cleaners and pom poms to a plastic headband.

Blooming Idiot!  

Get a green body suit and some green tights and on your head wear a beanie hat. Glue fake flowers to the beanie hat and maybe pin a few on your body suit. Also it's fun if you paint some flowers on your face and arms and presto! Your a blooming idiot! 

Ragdoll
Use a dress or pants and top that is too short or too long. Attach patches of fabric onto clothing. Sew or glue strands of wool to the rim of an old hat to make the hair. Tie the strands up with ribbons to make two ponytails or plait the wool to look like plaits to sit on either side of the head. Paint face with red circles for cheeks and brown dots for freckles.

Some of My Favourite Things on the Net

My favourite halloween cake....