Halloween At The Corner Café
Halloween falls on the 31st October each year, and it is a shortened version of Hallows’ Evening, which comes from the Scottish for “Saints Evening”. It is the day before the Christian feast day of All Hallows’ Day on 1st November, also called All Saints Day. For Christians, this is the start of the three days long All Hallowtide, when the faithful dead, saints and martyrs are remembered.
Its roots also lie in pagan harvest festivals, like the Scottish festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on 31st October to 1st November and marked the end of harvest time and the start of the dark period of winter. Samhain also had a connection with the dead and spirits as it was believed the boundaries between this world and the next could be more easily crossed at that time. It is still celebrated by modern pagans.
The Welsh and other Celtic areas of Britain, such as Cornwall and the Isle of Man had similar festivals.
Fire was thought to keep evil spirits at bay, so a bonfire or torches played a big part in the activities at this time.
As has happened with a lot of Christian festivals, the merging of the two festivals may have eased the shift from pagan to Christian faiths among the general population, keeping a date and traditions they were familiar with. The observance of Halloween as a Christian festival moved to North America with the colonists.
In times past, some Christians abstained from meat and ate only vegetarian food on All Hallows’ Eve, which is where the traditional eating of pumpkin, apples and other seasonal fruit and vegetables on this day came from. Before pumpkins became widespread, turnips were carved into Jack O’ Lanterns, which are meant to ward off evil spirits.
Apple bobbing also known as bobbing for apples, is a game often played at Halloween. It is played by filling a tub or a large basin with water and putting apples in the water. The apples float on the water, and players then try to catch one with their teeth. Use of arms is not allowed, and they are often tied behind the back to prevent cheating. It is a popular game among children.
In Scotland, this may be called "dooking" (Scottish for ducking). In northern England, the game is often called apple ducking or duck-apple. In Wales, it is known as "Twco Fale" (Apple Ducking). In Ireland, it is known as "Snap Apple", and in Newfoundland and Labrador, "Snap Apple Night" is another name for Halloween.
Trick or treating may seem like a modern event, but you can trace its roots back to Celtic Britain and Ireland in the 9th century.
From the medieval period, the Christian custom of “souling” took place in England, with people in costume going from parish to parish begging the rich for soul cakes. This practice stopped in the 1930s.
In Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, a similar activity known as “guising” took place, where people dressed in costumes and went from house to house begging for food. It was thought that if the householders donated, they could expect good luck for the next year, but if not, misfortune would occur!!
These two traditions inspired the rise of the modern practices of costume parties and trick and treating on Halloween.
These days, pets can also join in with a whole range of pet Halloween costumes to choose from!
The Corner Cafe trick or treat gang
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