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The Origins of October 31st is Scary: What's Behind the Symbols of Halloween

2022-10-29 20:18:24Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The Origins of October 31st is Scary: What's Behind the Symbols of
What is hidden behind the symbols of Halloween

There are different versions of Halloween traditions, but the true origins can be found in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain.

In old Scotland, it was thought to be the night of October 31st, when there was no longer a boundary between the world of the living and the dead. Legend has it that the souls who had died during that year would gather together to mingle with the world of the living and then make their way to another world. On the last night of the autumn harvest, the world changes from the warmth of the summer sun to the dark cold of winter, the land from fertile to barren.

The ancient Celts believed that this transition gave supernatural forms a chance to break through into the world of the living and their diabolical destruction to flourish. They come to celebrate the main night in winter as Samhain ("end of summer"), the festival widely considered to be the forerunner of Halloween. On the night of Samhain, the Celts believed that the spirits of people who had died the previous year would walk among the living. Thus, villagers brought food and sweets to appease their spirits, a ritual that may have preceded the spell or treatment.

Maize and wheat

The meaning of corn and wheat is simple. Halloween is celebrated in autumn and in the Samhain culture this marks the end of summer and the harvest. Corn and wheat are symbols of agricultural change and the change of seasons. It is the symbol that represents this contradictory holiday in the most pragmatic and clear way possible. End of summer = harvest = wheat and food for the winter. That's it.

Orange color and black color

Similarly to the symbol above, the color orange and the color black are further representations of the corresponding time of year, rather than part of the Halloween mythology. The color orange represents autumn, when the leaves fall and change from green to red. According to Celtic tradition, the holiday marked the transition from "light" days to "dark" days. Black probably represents the dark days of winter when the day gets shorter. Of course, modern Halloween does not have these two colors anymore, so such an explanation may seem weak, but it is true.

Spiders

Let's move on to the spiders! If you go to a Halloween party you will definitely come across spider figures scattered everywhere. Discussion of any possible mystical qualities of spiders might consider that spiders have webs, which are associated with the passage of time, progress, and fate. Also, spiders prefer dusty and dark places, so in an abandoned house (a favorite place for Halloween) you will be able to find a lot of spiders and spider webs.

Bats

Bats are, by their very name, creatures of the night, so it's only natural that the celebration of the end of the light seasons and the beginning of the dark ones would include bats. In addition, bats are part of various legends, according to which they can communicate with the dead. How this can be known is uncertain, as bats have not yet had any communication with the living, and therefore cannot tell us this. Also, in the vampire legends that are part of Halloween folklore, bats play their part – since vampires could turn into lower creatures like bats. All these explanations make bats the most inherent elements of Halloween.

Black cats

According to some ancient cultures, it is believed that on Halloween night the dividing line between our world and the spirit world is very thin. The old Celtic religions suggested that cats were reincarnations of human souls and that they had the ability to predict the future. Also, it was thought that witches could turn into cats. Most of the witches were single women and a good number of them had cats. In the 1600s and 1700s, various cultures during the month of June participated in ceremonies where cats were burned. This practice was followed for hundreds of years in the French countryside until the practice was abolished. Such is the superstitious power of cats.

The skeletons

The skull in particular is a symbol in many cultures, serving as a manifestation of people's mortality, fear of death or potentially lethal danger. Meanwhile, the Celts believed that the skull was the "psychic seat" of the human soul. Skulls and skeletons are associated with Halloween because they represent the end of the physical part of life, something that is associated with Halloween in two senses: firstly with the death of the "light" seasons and secondly, with the perception of connection to the world of the soul.

The ghosts

Since in its beginnings, Halloween was celebrated not only for the end of the harvest, but also for those who had passed on to the other "kingdom", it was often called the "festival of the dead". The idea of ​​ghosts suggests that Halloween is the night when the spirits of the dead are able to walk among the living. Moreover, in the modern sense of Halloween, ghosts are an additional element to create an honest and scary atmosphere.

Masks and costumes

What would Halloween be without costumes? If we go back to Celtic times, those present wore costumes in order to treat dead spirits. It was thought that if they managed to trick the dead, the spirits would stop bothering them. At night when the difference between the spirit world and the natural world was so thin, it's better to pretend to be someone else. At the beginning of the 20th century, Americans began to wear costumes for Halloween.

WITCHES

What is the most favorite costume for girls on Halloween night? Witch costume! What is your favorite Halloween movie subject? Serial killers that can't be caught! If you were to talk to someone from the Salem Witches era, the difference isn't that big. It was believed that witches' powers were greatest on Halloween night. They were thought to be related to the devil. Even today, the symbol of a witch on a broomstick on a moonlit night is one of the most traditional symbols of Halloween.


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