From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Halloween
Date: 9 Nov 1992 04:07:12 GMT
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

djs@DIALix.oz.au (Darryl Salisbury) writes

  +Having just experienced my first halloween party I'm interested to know
  +if anyone can fill me in on the origins of halloween, and the types of
  +costumes which are appropriate.

In one of Panati's books (the Origins one, duh), he traces the origins
of the modern celebration (if it be) of Halloween to 5th Century B.C.
Ireland.  Most of which I copied as what follows.

Ancient Celtics observed October 31 was the official end of summer.  
So they deliberately put out their hearth fires to make their homes 
cold and undesirable to spirits.  They then went outside the village 
where the local druid fires up a bonfire to honor the sun god for the 
past harvest and frighten away furtive spirits.

This is because the Celts believed that on October 31, everybody who
died in the previous year assembled to choose the body of the person
or animal they would inhabit for the next 12 months, before they 
could pass peaceably into the afterlife.  Thus, everyone dresses up
as demons, hobgoblins, and witches to frighten them souls off.  In
these getups, they'd parade inside then outside the house, trying to
be as noisy and destructive as possible, up to the bonfire outside of
tow.  Then, a villager, deemed by appearance or mannerism to be
already possessed, could be sacrified in the fire as a lesson to other
spirits contemplating possession.

The Romans took on this festival, but in a decision sure to lower
ratings, outlawed human sacrifice in 61 AD.  Then, further weakening
the dramatic effect, substituted the Egyptian practice of using an
effigy, and thus, the beliefs in spirit possession waned and we just
get some funny ritual amusement (this lives on in Elks and Rotary
Clubs).

Irish immigrants in the 1840s brought both French Fries and the
Halloween customs of costume and mischief.  Similar to modern
fraternities, Panati notes that the favorite pranks played by New 
England Irish youths on "mischief night" were overturning outhouses
and unhinging front gates (and is probably a precursor to mailbox
baseball).

The Irish also had a custom of a hollowed-out large turnip with a 
carved demon's face and a candle inside.  Since they have very many
suitable large turnips, the Irish used the pumpkins.

Amazingly enough, the term "Jack-o'-lantern" is also taken from
Irish folklore.  There was once a "drunken and niggardly" guy
named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree.  By quickly
carving a cross into the tree's trunk, he trapped the dimwitted devil
until Satan promised to never tempt Jack to sin again.

Unfortunately, he was too stupid to make even a faustian bargain 
because as it turns out, when he died, he had too many past sins to 
get to the comforts of heaven, and with the deal with the devil, he 
couldn't get to the heat of hell either.  So he was doomed to wander
in frigid darkness until Judgement Day (when BTW, he probably wouldn't
be raptured).  Therefore, since he knew Satan was loaded with burning
embers, Jack asked for some to light his way.  But, Satan just gave
him one coal that would last an agonizing short time.  Jack put it
in a turnip he chewed hollow and _eureka_!  A fire hazard was born.

So, I'd guess you should go for demons, hobgoblins, and witches 
costumes.

Terry "Sorry this is a little late, but I just got back from 
          Stonehenge myself" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Carpe Per Diem
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban