The tradition of celebrating Halloween dates back from the ancient legends and folklore across the world. In Catholic countries, November 1 is the All Saints Day, which marks a special celebration of the saints’ good deeds here on earth. November 2 is considered as the All Hallows Eve, a day said to believe that spirits of the dead return to the land to visit their loved ones. Originally, the tradition of Halloween dates back since the Middle Ages, based on the ancient pagan festivity in Ireland. This celebration is called ‘Samhain,’ (pronounced as sow-een) which means ‘the end of summer’. This festival knows little information because some of the historical writings about Samhain have been burned when Mary I (Bloody Mary) converted the country to Catholicism. On this day, people pay homage to the souls of the dead by visiting graves and cleaning tombstones. Druid priests also perform sacrificial offerings to the pagan Gods, whilst townspeople dance around lit bonfires. The gory sacrificial ceremony includes stabbing the body of a conscious person as an offering to the gods. The Catholic Church incorporated the All Saints’ Day to make the pagan holiday more Catholic.
Halloween is a secular tradition, meaning it does not have any direct relationship with religion at all. Some historical accounts say that this tradition originated roughly about 2,000 years ago and still widely celebrated today. During this day, people wear costumes of ghosts and do trick-or-treating. Harvest is abundant, especially the pumpkins which became the holidays emblem. Long time ago, it is said that during All Hallows Eve, dead walks upon the earth bringing turmoil and bad luck to the living people. As a form of defense, people imitated the spirits by dressing scary costumes to drive them away; and it became successful because after that, no evil spirits disturbed the people on earth. There are also some beliefs pertaining to Halloween tradition, which are listed as follows.
For Good luck:
- In order to attract good luck, one must sleep facing southward.
- Good luck can be attained by picking a lump of charcoal and putting it in the breast pocket.
- Hearing a cat’s sneeze is a sign of good luck.
- Dreaming of a white cat means good luck.
- If one’s head itches, he or she will have good luck.
For Bad luck:
- Listening to three hoots of an owl means a bad luck.
- The sight of a white cat on the eve of Halloween is a bad omen.
- Avoid opening umbrella inside a house as this may result to bad luck.
- Putting one’s shirt outside the house is another way of attracting bad luck.
- On Halloween, upon waking up, avoid using the left foot to get up as this may lead to bad luck.
There are also superstitious beliefs about the omens of death as for example; hearing footsteps behind is another sign of death and one is not advised to turn back because death is following him. There is a scientific explanation regarding this one, for example, if a person is driving at the road, he or she is not advised to turn back as the action will result to an accident and eventually, may lead to death. There is also a myth about learning one’s health status during Halloween. One can learn his health status by peeling the skin of an apple without cutting the skin as the peel determines the length of one’s lifespan. Again, there are scientific explanations regarding this one, people tend to eat a lot during All Hallows eve. In the Middle Ages, they celebrated the occasion by roasting pig blended with special sauce mixed with herbs and spices to make it tastier. Because medieval minds are too ignorant at that time, they are not aware of the dangers of eating pigs, which have high cholesterol and fats that can block the hearts vessels. As a result, medieval doctors suggest that eating an apple twice a day can help relieve the patient. This is very true because apple is known to combat cholesterol in the body. According to Michelle Roberts, health editor from BBC News Online is that eating apple lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes because the fruit is known to have antioxidants and chemical compounds known as ‘flavanoids’ that enhances the body’s metabolism in fighting illnesses. Hence, the saying ‘an apple a day, keeps the doctor away.’ There are also some Halloween myths about marriage and love that putting a rosemary leaf underneath one’s pillow will mean a good luck because, for single ladies, this will allow them to dream of their future husband. On the other hand, gazing in front of the mirror in a dark room is the easiest way of seeing who their future husband is. If a man who is destined to be their soul mate is alive before their wedding, they will able to see his face in front of the mirror; however, if the man dies before their wedding, a skull will appear in front of the mirror. This belief is not true and does not have any logical and scientific explanations.
People during the Middle Ages can be easily fooled by any superstitious beliefs; it is because that they lack the proper education and knowledge that would better explain the things happening in the daily world. Their profound ignorance about science makes them a gullible target for quacks and people with evil intentions. Halloween is nothing but a holiday with no direct correlation about religion. The main purpose of this festival was merely to entertain and to give respect to our deceased loved ones who departed the earth. Halloween celebration nowadays has become more than a family celebration compared to the Halloween centuries ago where, in fact, Halloween celebration before falls between the boundaries of false beliefs and mythical superstitions.
Works Cited
Roberts, Michelle. "Apple-a-day call for all over-50s." BBC News, 2014. Web. 18 Mar 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/health-25413939>.
Emery, David. "A Quick Guide to Halloween." About.com Urban Legends, 2014. Web. 18 Mar 2014. <http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/halloween/a/History-Of-Halloween.htm>.
