Halloween, Pt.2 ~ Hubble, bubble...

First day back at work went pretty much as expected. Ho, hum!

:- )

Too many pumpkins and not enough witches this year so hopefully you'll be able to see this old hag staring into the fire where her brew is boiling...

The origins of Halloween link it to the Celtic festival of Samhain, derived from the old Irish meaning "summers end" and was an important date in the calendars of medieval Scotland and Ireland. It was a time to take stock and prepare for the cold winter months ahead. Halloween is also thought to be heavily influenced by the Christian holy day of All Hallows Day, which falls on the 1st November. The word Halloween comes from a 16th century Scottish variant of All-Hallows-Even, the night before All Hallows Day.

Where other than Scotland would the tradition of guising (or nipping round the houses for freebie) begin. The practice of children dressing up and begging door-to-door for treats during the holidays dates back to the Middle Ages and trick-or-treating closely resembles the medieval practice of souling, where poor folk would go door to door receiving gifts of food in return for their prayers for the dead.

Traditionally carved out of turnip, the jack-o-lantern is one of the most recognisable symbols of Halloween. It wasn't until the mass immigration of Irish and Scottish families to America in the mid-19th century that the festival became widespread in North America, but the use of the larger and easier worked pumpkin used in their celebrations has now become commonplace the world over.