Halloween Tidbits
- Irish and Scottish immigrants (combining the features of the Celtic and Christian holidays) brought Halloween to America. They celebrated the event with feasting, divinations, and mischief making.
- People had been carving gourds or pumpkins and using them as lanterns long before this practice was associated with Halloween. In 1850, for example, poet John Greenleaf Whittier mentioned the practice of his boyhood in The Pumpkin.
- In late 18th century America, Halloween was a night for mischief and pranks. Boys would make “tick-tacks,” cutting notches in the ends of a wooden spool and winding string around it. The spool would be placed right up against a window, with a nail serving as an axle. When the string was pulled, it made a loud and rapid “tick-tack” noise.
- The name “Halloween” began as “All Hallows Eve.” This became “All Hallow E’en,” leading to “Hallowe’en,” or Halloween. It was the evening before All Hallows Day, which was later called All Saints’ Day. (In this case, “hallows” meant “saints.”)
- All Saints’ Day, a feast for all martyrs and saints was celebrated on November 1st for the first time during the 8th century, but customs varied regarding its observance. Pope Gregory IV officially established this date for all Catholic churches in 837.
- Taking place on November 2, All Souls’ Day was a day of prayer for the dead. It was believed that the prayers of those still living could comfort dead souls, or elevate them from Purgatory. The observances began the previous evening with prayers and the ringing of church bells.
The Pumpkin: John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
OH, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,
Like that which o’er Nineveh’s prophet once grew,
While he waited to know that his warning was true,
And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain
For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.
On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden
Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden;
And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold
Through orange-leaves shining the broad spheres of gold;
Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North,
On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth,
Where crook-necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines,
And the sun of September melts down on his vines.
Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South come the pilgrim and guest,
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored,
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before,
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?
Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair a broad pumpkin,—our lantern the moon,
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam,
In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!
Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better
E’er smoked from an oven or circled a platter!
Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine,
Brighter eyes never watched o’er its baking, than thine!
And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,
Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,
And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky
Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!
Source: Whittier, John Greenleaf. (1898). The poetical works of John Greenleaf Whittier. W. Garrett Horder, ed. London: Henry Frowde.
Bizarre Halloween Pumpkins
These are truly Spooktacular!
Ingenius
I wish I had thought of that!
Father/Son Day at the Range
Wanda Sikes Speaks
And ITA! She’s always a pip! Luv 2 luv her! Jay Leno asked her how she felt about Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan legalize and tax marijuana. The governor is shooting himself in the foot by pushing two opposing plans: Legalizing and Taxing Marijuana and Put More Californians to Work. Wanda’s response was classic!
“How many pot heads do you know with a ‘to do’ list?” She continues by suggesting if he really wants more Californians to go to work, then he should legalize Cocaine. They’d have 48 hour work days! In the process, less stress would be placed on the environment because crackheads would be running to work, rather than driving!
Wildly hysterical! Thanks for a great laugh, Wanda!
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