In Rememberance of Those Who have Passed

Many people do not understand the significance of Halloween and celebrate it blindly as a reason to wear costumes and get candy. Before the 1600's it was not even celebrated.

The Halloween we all know includes costumes, candy, parties, fun, games, and carving of pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns. Really all of these elements we have come to know and follow as customs stem from other cultures.

Traditionally the carving of pumpkins came from Scotland and Ireland. There they carved Turnips.
Immigrants discovered that the carving of pumpkins was easier because they were easier to obtain.
The Jack-O-Lantern carries a very heavy significance that most don't even think or know about.
These carved turnips (now pumpkins) actually symbolize the remembrance of souls that are stuck in purgatory.

Trick-or-treating also holds a very significant meaning and dates back to the middle ages. On November 1st the poor people would go door to door begging for food in return for praying for the dead on November 2nd, which is, in the Catholic Faith, "All Souls Day". It is a day that the Catholics pray for those who have passed on in an attempt to help admit the souls in purgatory to Heaven.

The dressing up in costumes for Halloween comes from a traditions in Ireland and Scotland known as "guisng" where children would dress up and go door to door with carved out turnips and be rewarded with coins, cake, or other goodies.If they didn't receive anything good they would "trick" or pull a prank on the owner of that particular home. The first instance of "guising" in North America was reported in 1911. It caught on quick and was soon re-named trick-or-treating.

In Mexico they celebrate "Dias los Muertos" also known as "Day of the Dead" which ties in very closely into the Catholic Holiday "All Saints Day" (November 1st), and "All Souls Day" (November 2nd) Mexicans tie these two holidays around the time of when the Aztec;s would hold a festival in honor of the goddess Mictecacihuati, who is the goddess of the underworld, whose job is to watch over the bones of the dead. that is where skeletons and skulls tie into the holiday. Over the a period of time skeletons and skulls filtered into the Halloween traditions in North America. On November 1st the Mexicans make alters and decorate them with sugar skulls, favorite foods and beverages of the deceased, as well as objects that they favored in life. On November 2nd they pray for their lost friends and family members.

In Spain and other parts of the world they hold festivals and parades on November 2nd and at the end of the day gather in cemeteries to pray for the dead. With the Pagan religion Halloween ties in very closely to their fall traditions and festivities.

So next time you think about Halloween with all its treats, costumes, skeletons, skulls, Jack-O-Lanterns, and candy please remember that it is all for the souls of those those who have passed on. Whether trapped between an earthly existence or an other worldly one, whether they have gone to heaven or some better place, and for the souls who didn't make to a better place at all and are in the equivalent of hell. It is tradition to pray for all the souls. I'm not asking you to pray, I'm not asking you to observe the Halloween holiday. I am simply asking you to remember your loved ones and people you knew who are no longer with us.