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Halloween, The Beginning of the Holy Days

By Robin DuMolin

Halloween means hallows' eve or evening, the eve of All Hallows, or All Saints. On the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Episcopal calendars it is noted as a day in memory of the holy ones of all days whose names are known only to God. The custom of holding a festival at Harvest time goes back over two thousand years. October 31st used to be the last day on the old pagan calendar. It served three purposes in one; acknowledging the end of summer, welcoming winter, and remembering the dead. The Irish built huge bonfires on hilltops for a warm welcome for visiting spirits on that night and to encourage the diminishing sun to return.

The tradition of going trick or treating was initiated by the Irish hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go from house to house asking for food donations for the village Halloween festivities. They did this in the name of Muck Olla (ancient god of Irish clergy). Prosperity was promised to cheerful givers and threats made to stingy givers. It was also the custom for English children to dress in each other's clothes (boys wearing girls clothes and vice versa) and masks to go begging from door to door for "soul cakes". Cats became associated with evil and Halloween because the Druids used to consider cats sacred, because they claimed cats had once been humans who had been changed into cats as punishment for evil deeds.

With jack-o-lanterns it is not so much the pumpkin that is important but the candle inside of it. The candle flame represents the element of fire, but also the white light of pure spirit. Spirits, ghosts and fairies often appear as sparks of white light. In Japan, on a day equivalent to our Halloween, paper lanterns are hung at garden gates to welcome home the spirits of the departed. In Egypt candles are lit in cemeteries to guide the spirits of the departed back from the City of Osiris. In Ireland candles are lit in cottage windows to welcome home the ghosts of the dead.

Nuts are associated with the fall season and with Halloween. They symbolize the male principle of resurrection and rebirth. Of all nuts the hazelnut is most associated with Halloween, witchcraft and magic. The magic of the wood from the hazel tree was such that the staffs of the early Celtic Bishops were made of hazel. The hazelnut symbolizes occult wisdom.

The purpose of wearing a mask in most primitive religious tradition is to make a spiritual connection with the spirit or nature spirit represented by that mask. Of all masks or costumes associated with Halloween, the witch is one of the most popular. The Halloween witch is really linked to some of the earliest aspects of religion, with every item of her clothing having symbolic meaning. The tall pointed hat was said to be worn in the middle ages by a monk who discovered that tall, cone shaped, hats worn by wizards increased mental activity. The dunce cap was really invented to help children, not humiliate them. The witch realized she could strengthen her own energies by wearing this type of hat. The flared brim of the hat would send out energy to do her will in any direction. The long and warted nose usually protrudes underneath the hat. It is believed that earlobes and the tip of the nose continue to grow throughout life, so a long nose demonstrated a great age and the wisdom that comes with it. The wart on the nose is there because witches were also healers and were very skillful in healing warts. The black clothing a witch wears doesn't represent the power of darkness, but the moon in its waning phase. The cauldron she uses is symbolic of the Celtic myth of the Cauldron of Cerridwen, the grail of Arthurian legend. The broomstick, or "fairies horse", as called sometimes in Ireland symbolizes the maiden phase of life to the mother phase of life.

The symbolism behind Halloween is vast. Halloween originally was designed as a time for healing, a time to say good-bye to departed loved one and to prepare for winter. With this in mind it can be a very enriching holiday rather than just a time to dress up and party.

Sources: The Book of Festival Holidays, by Marguerite Ickis. Customs and Holidays Around the World, by Lavina Dobler and Rev. Howard Harper. Ancient Ways, by Pauline Campanelli.