So for us Halloween newbies - here's the low down on what the feast day is all about and where it originates. It has origins in the British Isles where it is linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced 'saw-in') which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year. A time when the boundaries between this world and the 'Otherworld' thinned. This meant the 'spirits' or 'faeries' could more easily come into our world and be particularly active...or mischievous. It also has origins in Christianity as early as the year 609, being the evening before 'All Saints' Day or 'All Hallows' day. A time for honoring the saints and praying for those that have recently departed.
The dressing up for Halloween started as far back as the 16th century, and would involve people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verse or songs in exchange for food.
So we have Spirits, faeries, ghosts and ghouls, dressing up in disguise in exchange for treats......sounds like a recipe for GREAT FUN!!
Here are a couple of pic's that show just how fun, cute, bizarre and crazy Halloween can be. Hope you all have great fun tomorrow night....but please spare a thought for our fur-kids and refrain from using fireworks in town....remember in the old days they did the song and dance thing, much cooler!!
