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It's everyone here at Buried's favorite holiday; yours too most likely. But what's it all about? Is it more than just toilet paper in your neighbor's tree and eggs on the sheriff's car? Every dentists looks forward to the increased business, while parents detest the daunting task of following a herd of rugrats around from house to house begging. Surely it's Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter's favorite holiday, royalty checks, a sweet treat indeed. All us horror fans love it; hell, it's better than the Yuletide season whatever a Yule is. Halloween remains our most mysterious holiday. Think about it. What do you really know about its true origins? Well, let's see. Below are the facts… and the fiction; you figure out witch is witch. Have fun!
- Halloween's origins date back over 3,000 years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain (Sow-en, not Sam-haain).
- Samhain means November. Celts believed the souls of the dead moved on this night and that the barriers between the living and the dead were at there thinnest on this night. They also felt this night was best for predicting the future, like the fact that the Boston Celtics would really suck after Bird retired.
- The Jack-o-Lantern originated in Ireland, as a turnip hollowed out for a piece of coal to light the way of poor old Jack who didn't make it into heaven and wasn't let in hell for tricking the devil. The devil gave said lantern to Jack so he could walk the earth forever in limbo. Luckily, the micks figured out once they arrived in America that a pumpkin is much cooler. A turnip? Somebody had to be drunk to pull that off.
- On Samhain, not all the dead were considered friendly, so food and sweets were left to appease the rowdy spirits out to cause trouble. This custom drained down into what we now know as trick-or-treating.
- Wearing of masks originated due to the fact that most Celts were just fuckin' ugly and used the masks to enable procreation of their tribes.
- Pre-Christian Halloween is actually a mix of both Celtic and Roman traditions as the two cultures came in contact with the spread of the Roman Empire. Romans had their own harvest celebrations not unlike Samhain's festivities.
- Christians don't care too much for the pagan ways. They try, but fail to get rid of these traditions. Figuring if you can't beat 'em, join 'em; they create All Saints Day as November 1st, preceded by All Hallows Eve. Halloween derived its name from this, though not much else. How many people do you know that celebrate All Saints Day?
- Early Samhain celebrations included both blood sacrifices and bonfires used to roast animals to the gods in prayer for the return of the sun. Entrails from the burned carcasses were sometimes "read" to help predict the future. Burnt up horse guts work about as good as Miss Cleo I guess.
- Halloween in America was originally to be called Razor Apple Day.
- While witchcraft has always been associated with Halloween, witches in America took a beatin' in colonial times up north in Mass. Halloween was frowned upon to say the least. However, Virginia was pretty much the birthplace for Halloween in America as many of the southern colonies embraced the traditions and celebration festivities.
- Halloween was originally adult oriented. It was a great many years before children took over.
- Bobbing for apples is a tradition carried over from Roman times. Bobbing for trouser trout may have originated there as well.
- Today Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, even surpassing Valentine's Day. Scary must be better than loving.
- Silver Shamrock is the leading maker of masks in the U.S.
- The Mexican cousin of Halloween is called The Day of the Dead. It celebrates the spirits of dead relatives and has the same scary imagery as our own holiday. It also has a great deal more gas and you still can't drink the water.
Well, there are a few facts (mostly) for your head. Of course you know all the movies by now that have ever been made that relate to the season, so no need for me to advise you on that I hope. Go watch 'em. Have a fun night bobbin for whatever!
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