Halloween

[Biggles]

It is called Samhain It is the beginning and end of the Celtic (and other Northern European Shaman based belief system) wheel of Sabbats.

It is, in effect, New Year. As it is a time of change, it was believed that this world and the spirit world were at their closest and that old friends could visit. The purpose of the scary masks and symbols was to frighten off evil, or simply lost spirits, and only to let those welcome through. It was adopted by the Church (who it must be said has a genius of adapting existing rituals and incorportating them into its calendar) and called it All Saints day - keeping the essential idea of remembering the dead.

As this is primarily a Northern hemisphere thing, it was also a period to take stock, slaughter live stock selected to provide food through the long winter months and basically batten down the hatches. Yule on the 21st of December, by contrast, was a celebration that the sun was unconquered and that Spring and a new harvest was on the way.

Samhain was very popular in Europe until probably the 18th century. It remained an annual event in rural Scotland (I recall in the early 60s making lanterns out of large turnips - pumpkins, it has to be said, are much easier to carve) and other less mainstream places and it has been re-introduced more broadly via the USA where early settlers took it and kept it alive.

In some ways the US for all its modernity is a bit like an ark for old European customs where settlers held on to old ways as a vestige of their culture whilst the original source moved on. An interesting example of cross re-fertilisation (if such a thing exists).

[Skweeky]

aren't you mixing up two things?

I'm not sure about this, but I thought it was just about the battle between King Winter and King Summer, lost by King Summer....

We should ask Rat Faced about this, he knows a lot about it

[hobbes]

Biggles,

Pumpkin pie is probably a lot better than turnip pie, I would imagine.





Can't forget carmel dipped apples covered with roasted peanuts. There is a nice contrast between the sour crunch of the apple and the chewy sweetness of the caramel.


Snny, lighten up! How much does a bag of Snickers cost? Besides, it was the only time of year my mother could legitimize buying candy. She would seriously overbuy and then act shocked when only a small portion was handed out to trick-or -treaters. Trooper that she was, she would be sure to consume the extra candy.

Anyway, as for a costume, just get some plastic fangs and a tube of fake blood and you have a 2 dollar holiday.

[noname12]

Nevermind, kinda destroys the spirit of halloween

[Infested Cats]

Extreme Pumpkins.com
<span style='font-size:16pt;line-height:100%'>Pumpkin carving is reborn.</span>

[TheDave]

i blew mine up.

[hobbes]

Have you ever seen a haunted house?
You know the kind I mean. That old dark house that usually lives at the end of some dimly lit street.
The owners haven&#39;t been seen for years, no one really knows why.
The windows are broken and boarded, the shutters hang loose on their hinges.
The trees have grown wild, and branches brush against the side of the weathering house, making strange noises in the night.
A high vine covered fence surrounds the property. Is it there to keep somebody out, or is it there to keep some THING inside.
It&#39;s a house that people avoid walking past at night, as strange lights have been seen both in the attic windows and in the graveyard at the side of the house.

Our story begins here, in this mysterious manor.

One night, not too long ago, two teenagers were walking home, on a date. The wind began to blow and lightening broke through the sky. Thunder rolled across the heavans and changed this pleasant evening into night to be remembered.
It began to rain.

[sArA]

The electricity streaked the sky, with an intensity that burned its light onto the retina leaving zig zag traces in its wake.

One particularly bright burst illuminated the chimneys and turrets of the old Hammond house. The sense of foreboding was palpable, but Jimmy and Sarah were cold and wet and vulnerable in the open. "Come on Jimmy" said Sarah, "You don&#39;t believe all those stories do you?". "I am cold and fed up, we could just shelter in the porchway, we dont have to go in".

Jimmy was uncomfortable with the idea having heard of strange lights appearing in the windows of the abandoned house, and eerie cries heard in the dead of night. Everyone said that the Hammond house was haunted. Jimmy did&#39;nt believe in ghosts but could&#39;nt help but wonder if there was something sinister, darker and more evil than a mere shadow of a former resident.

However, not wanting to appear scared in front of his new date.....he agreed. They unclasped the old gate which squeeked on ancient and unoiled hinges, and began cautiously to walk up the grass and weed covered path.........

[Biggles]

Skweeky

I think you are thinking of Litha (or, more commonly, the summer solstice), the battle between the Oak and Holly kings (holly representing winter). It is at this point that the sun has reached its peak and the days once again shorten.

As these were fire festivals it is most appropriate that the pumpkin (or veg of your choice) should have a candle in it.

Turnip pie sounds pretty gross. We ate it with haggis and potato. I suspect that may sound pretty gross to some but if it is what you are used to - well it is just as good as a feast.

[Twist3r]

this year i hope to bring my g/f to the texas chainsaw masacure remake if its in theateres by then if its not then i guess we can watch a diffrent movie