BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
Linz_1987 wrote:
I agree!
I agree!
Halloween's Coming
- Thread starter Carolyn
- Start date
Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:
Elf Mommy wrote:
OH wow Youlive near there ??!!!! that Corn Maze has beenfeatured on Discovery and The Travel Channel . Iwould so love to go there and rtravel throughit , LOl though Im not sure who would be morescared lol .Orion wants to be the Grim Reaper
Bethany is still wavering between Barbie or a Princess....she's SUCH a girl!!! hehe
I'm going as a Mom
As for the holiday itself:
I adore Halloween, but I married someone who is not very "into" theholidays. The understanding just isn't there when I want to drape"cobwebs" all over the house and hang spooky spiders. As the years goby I will add more and more to my holiday tomfoolery. I'd probably do alot more if I wasn't working, as well...
JimD
Well-Known Member
Linz_1987 wrote:
Mine is on October 29th.
So is your birthday on the 28th or 29th?
Mine is on October 29th.
Snuggys Mom
Well-Known Member
gypsy wrote:
http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/site_list.html
Looks like there are some near you!
Laura
Gypsy, they have those mazes all over now:
http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/site_list.html
Looks like there are some near you!
Laura
[align=center] [/align]
I can tell that when you're not mixing up a special "dinner", you'rechecking out those Haunted shows on the Travel Channel.
[align=center]
[/align]
[align=left]DaisyNBuster, [/align]
[align=left]Yes, we celebrate Halloween in America on October 31st as well.[/align]
[align=left]When I was of trick-or-treating age, my best friend thatI've known since Kindergarten and still get together with, hersiblings,and another family of 4 boys would all go to eachother's neighborhoods to trick-or-treat. It was excellentbecause the developments were all safe, didn't have to worry aboutsomeone kidnapping you. We'd all go out as a big group, and we wouldClean Up with candy. When it was all done, we'd dump our bagof candy on the floor when we got home so that the mothers could gothrough it and throw out anything that wasn'twrapped. Who can forget watching "It's The GreatPumpkin, Charlie Brown"?[/align]
[align=center]
[/align]
[align=left]As time went on and we became "toobig" fortrick-or-treating, that's when we'd load up our pockets with soap, eggsand shaving cream. We bombed each other's neighborhood"gangs" of kids more than we did people's cars or houses. Oneyear, we got wind that they were going to try to bomb our house and weall took to the trees and bushes and bombarded them withwaterballoons. It was great! I hit one kid squarein the face as he was running towards my brother. It wasfreezing cold, and someone had the flashlight on his face when I saw myballoon hit him.[/align]
[align=left]:laugh:That group never bothered usagain. The high-fives we gave each other when theyall ran away was excellent. Next year, it wastheother neighborhood gang we took on. That was ablast too! As I said, it was more about bombingeach other's groups when they didn't expect it more thananything. Almost like Capture the Flag. (Do youknow that game?)[/align]
[align=center]
[/align]
[align=left]Now I love Halloween for the great shows that come on theweek before about hauntings, the decorations that people put up intheir yards, and watching the little ones dress up seeing how excitedthey get. Kids seem to plan so far in advance as to what theywant to be. My niece and nephew are already asking mysister-in-law and brother how many weekends areleft. [/align]
[align=left] [/align]
[align=left]
AndI still watch, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!"[/align]
[align=left][/align]
[align=left]-Carolyn[/align]
I can tell that when you're not mixing up a special "dinner", you'rechecking out those Haunted shows on the Travel Channel.
[align=center]
[align=left]DaisyNBuster, [/align]
[align=left]Yes, we celebrate Halloween in America on October 31st as well.[/align]
[align=left]When I was of trick-or-treating age, my best friend thatI've known since Kindergarten and still get together with, hersiblings,and another family of 4 boys would all go to eachother's neighborhoods to trick-or-treat. It was excellentbecause the developments were all safe, didn't have to worry aboutsomeone kidnapping you. We'd all go out as a big group, and we wouldClean Up with candy. When it was all done, we'd dump our bagof candy on the floor when we got home so that the mothers could gothrough it and throw out anything that wasn'twrapped. Who can forget watching "It's The GreatPumpkin, Charlie Brown"?[/align]
[align=center]
[align=left]As time went on and we became "toobig" fortrick-or-treating, that's when we'd load up our pockets with soap, eggsand shaving cream. We bombed each other's neighborhood"gangs" of kids more than we did people's cars or houses. Oneyear, we got wind that they were going to try to bomb our house and weall took to the trees and bushes and bombarded them withwaterballoons. It was great! I hit one kid squarein the face as he was running towards my brother. It wasfreezing cold, and someone had the flashlight on his face when I saw myballoon hit him.[/align]
[align=left]:laugh:That group never bothered usagain. The high-fives we gave each other when theyall ran away was excellent. Next year, it wastheother neighborhood gang we took on. That was ablast too! As I said, it was more about bombingeach other's groups when they didn't expect it more thananything. Almost like Capture the Flag. (Do youknow that game?)[/align]
[align=center]
[align=left]Now I love Halloween for the great shows that come on theweek before about hauntings, the decorations that people put up intheir yards, and watching the little ones dress up seeing how excitedthey get. Kids seem to plan so far in advance as to what theywant to be. My niece and nephew are already asking mysister-in-law and brother how many weekends areleft. [/align]
[align=left] [/align]
[align=left]
[align=left][/align]
[align=left]-Carolyn[/align]
Stephanie
Well-Known Member
Can you believe that last year was the firstyear my husband watched "Great Pumpkin"??? I nearly had a heart attackwhen he told me he had never seen it. Personally, I cannot fathom goingthrough childhood without certain cartoon staples around the holidays,and that ranks right up there in the top three.
Seriously, I still can't believe it. I'm not sure if they just didn'tair it where he grew up (right outside of Toronto), or his mom didn'tput it on for him when he was a kid. Poor guy. Being deprived likethat. Jeez.
And Carolyn, I can't wait to take my daughter out trick or treating. WeCleaned Up as kids too. We used to take pillow cases with us, becauseit held more candy. LOL
Seriously, I still can't believe it. I'm not sure if they just didn'tair it where he grew up (right outside of Toronto), or his mom didn'tput it on for him when he was a kid. Poor guy. Being deprived likethat. Jeez.
And Carolyn, I can't wait to take my daughter out trick or treating. WeCleaned Up as kids too. We used to take pillow cases with us, becauseit held more candy. LOL
Elf Mommy
Well-Known Member
Interesting Halloween Stuff
1. Where does Halloween come from?
Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancientCeltic fire festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced "sow-in",with "sow" rhyming with cow.
2. What does "Samhain" mean?
The Irish English dictionary published by the Irish Texts Societydefines the word as follows: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of thedead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest andthe initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during whichtroops (esp. the Fiann) were quartered. Faeries were imagined asparticularly active at this season. From it the half year is reckoned.also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess).(1) The Scottish GaelisDictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Soula. Sam Fuin= end of summer."(2) Contrary to the information published by manyorganizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence toindicate that Samhain was a deity. The Celtic Gods of the dead wereGwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish didnot have a "lord of death" as such.
3. Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts?
The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural people.The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time ofyear when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattlewere brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the peoplewere gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts.
4. What does it have to do with a festival of the dead?
The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land ofeternal youth and happiness called Tir nan Og. They did not have theconcept of heaven and hell that the Christian church later brought intothe land. The dead were sometimes believed to be dwelling with theFairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds or sidhe (pron. "shee")that dotted the Irish and Scottish countryside. Samhain was the newyear to the Celts. In the Celtic belief system, turning points, such asthe time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore, orthe turning of one year into the next were seen as magickal times. Theturning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was thetime when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest, and theliving could communicate with their beloved dead in Tir nan Og.
5. What about the aspects of "evil" that we associate with the night today?
The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system. Thefairies, however, were often considered hostile and dangerous to humansbecause they were seen as being resentful of men taking over theirlands. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans into becominglost in the fairy mounds, where they would be trapped forever. Afterthe coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folksaw the fairies as those angels who had sided neither with God or withLucifer in their dispute, and thus, were condemned to walk the earthuntil judgment day.(3) In addition to the fairies, many humans wereabroad on this night, causing mischief. since this night belongedneither to one year or the other, Celtic folk believed that chaosreigned and the people would engage in "horseplay and practicaljokes".(4) This served also as a final outlet for high spirits beforethe gloom of winter set in.
6. What about "trick or treat"?
During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would imitatethe fairies and go from house to house begging for treats. Failure tosupply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visitedon the owner of the house. Since the fairies were abroad on this night,an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the stepsof the house, so the homeowner could gain the blessings of the "goodfolk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave outa "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed.(5) The folks who wereabroad in the night imitating the fairies would some- times carryturnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our modernJack-o-lantern.
7. Was this also a religious festival?
Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. Their greatlegends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place aroundthe time of Samhain. many of the great battles and legends of kings andheroes center on this night. Many of the legends concern the promotionof fertility of the earth and the insurance of the continuance of thelives of the people through the dark winter season.
8. How was the religious festival observed?
Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin, in hisbook, "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland" states, "There iscomparitively little trace of the religion of the Druids nowdiscoverable, save in the folklore of the peasantry, and the referencesrelative to it that occur in ancient and authentic Irish manuscriptsare, as far as present appearances go, meagre and insufficient tosupport anything like a sound theory for full development of theancient religion."(6) The Druids were the priests of the Celticpeoples. They passed on their teachings by oral tradition instead ofcommitting them to writing, so when they perished, most of theirreligious teachings were lost. We DO know that this festival wascharacterized as one of the four great "Fire Festivals" of the Celts.Legends tell us that on this night, all the hearth fires in Irelandwere extinguished, and then re-lit from the central fire of the Druidsat Tlachtga, 12 miles from the royal hill of Tara. This fire waskindled from "need fire" which had been generated by the friction ofrubbing two sticks together as opposed to more conventional methodscommon in those days.(7) The extinguishing of the fires symbolized the"dark half" of the year, and the re-kindling from the Druidic fires wassymbolic of the returning life hoped for, and brought about through theministrations of the priesthood.
9. What about sacrifices?
Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the timeto "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired forbreeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of thesewould have been done in a ritualistic manner for the use of thepriesthood.
10. Were humans sacrificed?
Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about half believingthat it took place and half doubting its veracity. Caesar and Tacituscertainly tell tales of the human sacrifices of the Celts, but NoraChadwick points out in her book "The Celts" that "it is not withoutinterest that the Romans themselves had abolished human sacrifices notlong before Caesar's time, and references to the practice among variousbarbarian peoples have certain overtones of self-righteousness. Thereis little direct archaeological evidence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."(8) Indeed, there is little reference to this practice in Celticliterature either. The only surviving story echoes the story of theMinotaur in Greek legend. The Fomorians, a race of evil giants said toinhabit portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan,or "people of the Goddess Danu",demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of thecorn, milk, and first born children of the Fir Bolg, or humaninhabitants of Ireland. The De Danaan ended this practice in the secondbattle of Moy Tura, which incidentally took place on Samhain.
11. What other practices were associated with this season?
Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated withSamhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with marriage,weather, and the coming fortunes for the year. These were performed viasuch methods as ducking for apples, and apple peeling. Ducking forapples was a marriage divination. The first person to bite an applewould be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was adivination tosee how long your life would be. The longer the unbrokenapple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.(9) In Scotland,people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiringfor the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the nightwas said to be destined to die during the coming year.
12. How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America?
When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people,modern day descendents of the Celts, immigrated to America, bringingwith them their folk practices, which are the remnants of the Celticfestival observances.
13. We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also view it as such?
Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests: Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first harvest,when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks. The FallEquinox was the "true harvest". This was when the bulk of the cropswould be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of the year.Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this date wasconsidered blasted by the fairies, or "pu'ka", and unfit for humanconsumption.
14. Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance?
Yes. many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druids andWiccans observe this day as a religious festival. They view it as amemorial day for their dead friends, similar to the national holiday ofMemorial Day in May. It is still a night to practice various forms ofdivination concerning future events. Also, it is considered a time towrap up old projects, take stock of ones life, and initiate newprojects for the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, itis a good time to do studying on research projects and also a goot timeto begin hand work such as sewing, leather working, woodworking, etc.for Yule gifts later in the year.
15. Does this involve human or animal sacrifice?
Absolutely NOT! Hollywood to the contrary, blood sacrifice is notpracticed by modern day followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may besome people who THINK they are practicing Wicca by performing bloodsacrifices, but this is NOT condoned by reputable practitioners of themodern day NeoPagan religions.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) Rev. Patrick Dineen, "An Irish English Dictionary" (Dublin, 1927), p. 937
(2) Malcolm MacLennan, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language" (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279
(3) W.G. Wood-Martin,"Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland" (Port Washington, 1902), p. 5.
(4) Kevin Danaher,"The Year in Ireland", (Cork,1972), p. 214
(5) Alwyn & Brinley Rees,"Celtic Heritage" (New York,1961), p. 90
(6) Wood-Martin, p. 249
(7) Rees & Rees, p. 90
(8) Nora Chadwick, "The Celts" (Harmondsworth,1982), p. 151
(9) Madeleine Pelner Cosman, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals," (New York, 1981), p. 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bord, Janet & Colin, "The Secret Country", London: Paladin Books, 1978
Chadwick, Nora, "The Celts", Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1982
Coglan, Ronan, "A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", Dublin,1979
Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981
Danaher, Kevin, "The Year in Ireland", Cork: The Mercier Press, 1972
Dineen, Rev. Patrick S.,M.A, "An Irish English Dictionary", Dublin: The Irish texts Society, 1927
MacCana, Proinsias, "Celtic Mythology", London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1970
MacLennan, Malcolm, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of theGaelic Language", Aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University Press, 1979
MacNeill, Maire', "The Festival of Lughnasa", Dublin: Comhairle Bhealoideas Eireann,1982
Powell, T.G., E., "The Celts", New York: Thanes & Hudson,1980Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, "Celtic Heritage, Ancient Traditions inIreland and Wales", New York: Thanes & Hudson, 1961
Sharkey, John, "Celtic Mysteries", New York: Thanes and Hudson, 1975
Spence, Lewis, "British Fairy Origins", Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1946
Squire, Charles, "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", New York: Newcastle Publishing Co, Inc. 1975
Toulson, Shirley, "The Winter Solstice", London: Jill Norman & Hobhouse, Ltd, 1981
Wood-Martin, W.G., "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vols I & II, Port Washington: Kennikat Press, 1902 (c)
copywrite 1988, Rowan Moonstone P O Box 21058 OKC. OK 73120
1. Where does Halloween come from?
Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancientCeltic fire festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced "sow-in",with "sow" rhyming with cow.
2. What does "Samhain" mean?
The Irish English dictionary published by the Irish Texts Societydefines the word as follows: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of thedead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest andthe initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during whichtroops (esp. the Fiann) were quartered. Faeries were imagined asparticularly active at this season. From it the half year is reckoned.also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess).(1) The Scottish GaelisDictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Soula. Sam Fuin= end of summer."(2) Contrary to the information published by manyorganizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence toindicate that Samhain was a deity. The Celtic Gods of the dead wereGwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish didnot have a "lord of death" as such.
3. Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts?
The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural people.The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time ofyear when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattlewere brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the peoplewere gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts.
4. What does it have to do with a festival of the dead?
The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land ofeternal youth and happiness called Tir nan Og. They did not have theconcept of heaven and hell that the Christian church later brought intothe land. The dead were sometimes believed to be dwelling with theFairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds or sidhe (pron. "shee")that dotted the Irish and Scottish countryside. Samhain was the newyear to the Celts. In the Celtic belief system, turning points, such asthe time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore, orthe turning of one year into the next were seen as magickal times. Theturning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was thetime when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest, and theliving could communicate with their beloved dead in Tir nan Og.
5. What about the aspects of "evil" that we associate with the night today?
The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system. Thefairies, however, were often considered hostile and dangerous to humansbecause they were seen as being resentful of men taking over theirlands. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans into becominglost in the fairy mounds, where they would be trapped forever. Afterthe coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folksaw the fairies as those angels who had sided neither with God or withLucifer in their dispute, and thus, were condemned to walk the earthuntil judgment day.(3) In addition to the fairies, many humans wereabroad on this night, causing mischief. since this night belongedneither to one year or the other, Celtic folk believed that chaosreigned and the people would engage in "horseplay and practicaljokes".(4) This served also as a final outlet for high spirits beforethe gloom of winter set in.
6. What about "trick or treat"?
During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would imitatethe fairies and go from house to house begging for treats. Failure tosupply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visitedon the owner of the house. Since the fairies were abroad on this night,an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the stepsof the house, so the homeowner could gain the blessings of the "goodfolk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave outa "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed.(5) The folks who wereabroad in the night imitating the fairies would some- times carryturnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our modernJack-o-lantern.
7. Was this also a religious festival?
Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. Their greatlegends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place aroundthe time of Samhain. many of the great battles and legends of kings andheroes center on this night. Many of the legends concern the promotionof fertility of the earth and the insurance of the continuance of thelives of the people through the dark winter season.
8. How was the religious festival observed?
Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin, in hisbook, "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland" states, "There iscomparitively little trace of the religion of the Druids nowdiscoverable, save in the folklore of the peasantry, and the referencesrelative to it that occur in ancient and authentic Irish manuscriptsare, as far as present appearances go, meagre and insufficient tosupport anything like a sound theory for full development of theancient religion."(6) The Druids were the priests of the Celticpeoples. They passed on their teachings by oral tradition instead ofcommitting them to writing, so when they perished, most of theirreligious teachings were lost. We DO know that this festival wascharacterized as one of the four great "Fire Festivals" of the Celts.Legends tell us that on this night, all the hearth fires in Irelandwere extinguished, and then re-lit from the central fire of the Druidsat Tlachtga, 12 miles from the royal hill of Tara. This fire waskindled from "need fire" which had been generated by the friction ofrubbing two sticks together as opposed to more conventional methodscommon in those days.(7) The extinguishing of the fires symbolized the"dark half" of the year, and the re-kindling from the Druidic fires wassymbolic of the returning life hoped for, and brought about through theministrations of the priesthood.
9. What about sacrifices?
Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the timeto "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired forbreeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of thesewould have been done in a ritualistic manner for the use of thepriesthood.
10. Were humans sacrificed?
Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about half believingthat it took place and half doubting its veracity. Caesar and Tacituscertainly tell tales of the human sacrifices of the Celts, but NoraChadwick points out in her book "The Celts" that "it is not withoutinterest that the Romans themselves had abolished human sacrifices notlong before Caesar's time, and references to the practice among variousbarbarian peoples have certain overtones of self-righteousness. Thereis little direct archaeological evidence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."(8) Indeed, there is little reference to this practice in Celticliterature either. The only surviving story echoes the story of theMinotaur in Greek legend. The Fomorians, a race of evil giants said toinhabit portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan,or "people of the Goddess Danu",demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of thecorn, milk, and first born children of the Fir Bolg, or humaninhabitants of Ireland. The De Danaan ended this practice in the secondbattle of Moy Tura, which incidentally took place on Samhain.
11. What other practices were associated with this season?
Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated withSamhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with marriage,weather, and the coming fortunes for the year. These were performed viasuch methods as ducking for apples, and apple peeling. Ducking forapples was a marriage divination. The first person to bite an applewould be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was adivination tosee how long your life would be. The longer the unbrokenapple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.(9) In Scotland,people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiringfor the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the nightwas said to be destined to die during the coming year.
12. How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America?
When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people,modern day descendents of the Celts, immigrated to America, bringingwith them their folk practices, which are the remnants of the Celticfestival observances.
13. We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also view it as such?
Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests: Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first harvest,when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks. The FallEquinox was the "true harvest". This was when the bulk of the cropswould be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of the year.Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this date wasconsidered blasted by the fairies, or "pu'ka", and unfit for humanconsumption.
14. Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance?
Yes. many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druids andWiccans observe this day as a religious festival. They view it as amemorial day for their dead friends, similar to the national holiday ofMemorial Day in May. It is still a night to practice various forms ofdivination concerning future events. Also, it is considered a time towrap up old projects, take stock of ones life, and initiate newprojects for the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, itis a good time to do studying on research projects and also a goot timeto begin hand work such as sewing, leather working, woodworking, etc.for Yule gifts later in the year.
15. Does this involve human or animal sacrifice?
Absolutely NOT! Hollywood to the contrary, blood sacrifice is notpracticed by modern day followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may besome people who THINK they are practicing Wicca by performing bloodsacrifices, but this is NOT condoned by reputable practitioners of themodern day NeoPagan religions.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) Rev. Patrick Dineen, "An Irish English Dictionary" (Dublin, 1927), p. 937
(2) Malcolm MacLennan, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language" (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279
(3) W.G. Wood-Martin,"Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland" (Port Washington, 1902), p. 5.
(4) Kevin Danaher,"The Year in Ireland", (Cork,1972), p. 214
(5) Alwyn & Brinley Rees,"Celtic Heritage" (New York,1961), p. 90
(6) Wood-Martin, p. 249
(7) Rees & Rees, p. 90
(8) Nora Chadwick, "The Celts" (Harmondsworth,1982), p. 151
(9) Madeleine Pelner Cosman, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals," (New York, 1981), p. 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bord, Janet & Colin, "The Secret Country", London: Paladin Books, 1978
Chadwick, Nora, "The Celts", Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1982
Coglan, Ronan, "A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", Dublin,1979
Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981
Danaher, Kevin, "The Year in Ireland", Cork: The Mercier Press, 1972
Dineen, Rev. Patrick S.,M.A, "An Irish English Dictionary", Dublin: The Irish texts Society, 1927
MacCana, Proinsias, "Celtic Mythology", London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1970
MacLennan, Malcolm, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of theGaelic Language", Aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University Press, 1979
MacNeill, Maire', "The Festival of Lughnasa", Dublin: Comhairle Bhealoideas Eireann,1982
Powell, T.G., E., "The Celts", New York: Thanes & Hudson,1980Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, "Celtic Heritage, Ancient Traditions inIreland and Wales", New York: Thanes & Hudson, 1961
Sharkey, John, "Celtic Mysteries", New York: Thanes and Hudson, 1975
Spence, Lewis, "British Fairy Origins", Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1946
Squire, Charles, "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", New York: Newcastle Publishing Co, Inc. 1975
Toulson, Shirley, "The Winter Solstice", London: Jill Norman & Hobhouse, Ltd, 1981
Wood-Martin, W.G., "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vols I & II, Port Washington: Kennikat Press, 1902 (c)
copywrite 1988, Rowan Moonstone P O Box 21058 OKC. OK 73120
Stephanie --
Oh! The pillowcases! :rofl:
As the Crosby, Stills and Nash song goes,
:note:"Teach Your Children Well...Their parents' hell...will surely go by...":note:
You teach your family how it's done, Stephanie.
:witch:
* * * * * * *
Excellent synopsis, Elfmommy! :highfive:
-Carolyn
Oh! The pillowcases! :rofl:
As the Crosby, Stills and Nash song goes,
:note:"Teach Your Children Well...Their parents' hell...will surely go by...":note:
You teach your family how it's done, Stephanie.
:witch:
* * * * * * *
Excellent synopsis, Elfmommy! :highfive:
-Carolyn
Stephanie
Well-Known Member
Pillowcase = more candy
More candy = :yes:
We'll be passing out candy this year......of course I'll make sure it's stuff we like too!
More candy = :yes:
We'll be passing out candy this year......of course I'll make sure it's stuff we like too!
Iwuvbunbuns72
Well-Known Member
Last year i made my kitten,lucy and oreo somelittle capes with pumpkins with their name on it. The little kids weremore thrilled in petting the buns instead of receiving their candy. Soim planing on doing that again this year. And im dressing up as Babyfrom house of 1000 corpses/ the devils rejects. Im a big fan of robzombie.
Heres a picture of my kitten when he had his costume on.
Heres a picture of my kitten when he had his costume on.
brensbunny
Active Member
Me and my crew still have NO idea whatsoeverwhat we are going to dress up as this year, though youngest, 7.. wantsto be a claw machine :shock:, haven't quite figured how I'm going tomake that one yet, but there is still time. The other's they dont quiteknow, though my oldest,12 says that he has to have a reallly greatcostume as this is the last year that he is allowed to go, city hasstated that if your over the age of 12, you are not to go trick ortreating! This is supposed to cut back on the amounts of egg bashing,and such.
Also make sure you keep a good eye on your black cats(any cats for thatmatter) as they seem to be the popular animals for being abused at thistime of year.
Shadow is really upset with me, because he is not allowed out at all in the month of Oct and a the first week of Nov..
B
Also make sure you keep a good eye on your black cats(any cats for thatmatter) as they seem to be the popular animals for being abused at thistime of year.
Shadow is really upset with me, because he is not allowed out at all in the month of Oct and a the first week of Nov..
B
Elf Mommy ! Thank You somuch for Posting on the traditionsof Halloween . and how it came tobe and and its Origins . (collective sigh of relief here ) . So manyassociate it incorrectly . the posting was veryinformative and right to the point . ThankYou again .
OK This Cat needs to come Live with ME!
What a beautiful face he has .
OK This Cat needs to come Live with ME!
What a beautiful face he has .
Linz_1987
Well-Known Member
My birthday is on the 28th October. Its my18th! Cant wait! Im goin out wiv my family and boyfriend for amealto a really poshrestaurant. And then after thatIm goin on a pub crawl with my boyfriend to get totally hammered! lol
Cant wait! Im goin out wiv my family and boyfriend for amealto a really poshrestaurant. And then after thatIm goin on a pub crawl with my boyfriend to get totally hammered! lol
Linz_1987
Well-Known Member
I bet rescue centres and petshops have to becarefull about seling black cats this time of year, cos many peoplemight want a black cat just for halloween and then dump it somewhere orsomething Really sad. I know the pet shop near usdoesnt sell black kittents this time of year cos of this.Bless them! Black cats are just the coolest all year round!
Really sad. I know the pet shop near usdoesnt sell black kittents this time of year cos of this.Bless them! Black cats are just the coolest all year round!brensbunny
Active Member
Gypsy,
You cant have him...lol
We are attached to him too much.
Shadow, we adopted from the no kill shelter last June, poor boy hadbeen there for 1 yr 2 mths waiting for a home, I think people passedhim by because of his age.. he is 10 yrs old now.
You cant have him...lol
We are attached to him too much.
Shadow, we adopted from the no kill shelter last June, poor boy hadbeen there for 1 yr 2 mths waiting for a home, I think people passedhim by because of his age.. he is 10 yrs old now.
Bren. I am so glad Youadopted him , he is beautiful , and howanyone regardless of his age couldhave walked by him and not takenhim home is amazing , especially where his eyescapture your attention right off the bat ! Obviously ifhe had been there for a year hewas just waiting for You tocome find him. He certainly is a beautiful cat!
Stephanie
Well-Known Member
He is beautiful! I love his eyes. Also, just love the black cats. They always have the coolest personalities.
carrots
Well-Known Member
:witch:Hiya i love Halloween, why? because my birthday is the day before! yey!
JimD
Well-Known Member
***boo***
We hardly do anything for Halloween....except fot the graveyardin the front yard....and the coffins....and the manaquins all dressedup....and the fog machine....and the scary music....and dressing up allin black and hiding in the bushes to scare the kids....and handing outbags and bags of candy.....nope not much at all!!
We judge how well we do by how many bags of candy we give out.Last year I think we gave out 8 jumbo bags and then we ran out. Weended up sending my kids out just to trick-or-treat for more candy tohand out to the other kids :shock:
We hardly do anything for Halloween....except fot the graveyardin the front yard....and the coffins....and the manaquins all dressedup....and the fog machine....and the scary music....and dressing up allin black and hiding in the bushes to scare the kids....and handing outbags and bags of candy.....nope not much at all!!
We judge how well we do by how many bags of candy we give out.Last year I think we gave out 8 jumbo bags and then we ran out. Weended up sending my kids out just to trick-or-treat for more candy tohand out to the other kids :shock:
