The Origins of Halloween

On this 'All Saint's Day' as the Catholic Church has dubbed November 1,09 (a day to celebrate all the Saint's that do not have a specific day of their own), I have thought that it is time to remember how All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween began, and why we celebrate the way we do.

While the United States and Canada use Halloween as a commercial excuse to spend money and make people dress in 'sexy' costumes, places like Ireland still celebrate Halloween in the true spirit of the day. Ireland is still considered the birthplace of Halloween, and it is still celebrated in the true feeling of the day. Instead of running around in skimpy costumes and asking everyone for candy, the Irish still light bonfires all throughout the countrysides, and celebrate the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter.

Halloween is typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain which is derived from old Irish to roughly mean "Summer's End". The Celts believed that the border between this world and the 'otherworld' became thin on Samhain which allowed both harmless and harmful spirits to pass through to the other side. Costumes and masks were worn to allow family spirits enter one's home, while warding off the harmful spirits.

Halloween is derived from All Hallows Even or e'en, which has evolved from old english. In the 800's when this was being celebrated and the tradition began, the Church measured the day as starting at Sunset, so in the past, All Hallows' Even and All Saint's Day were celebrated as one, not as two different and distinct days.

In traditional Celtic Halloween festivals, large turnips were hollowed out, carved with faces and placed in windows to ward off evil spirits. The carving of pumpkins began in North America was associated with harvest time for years, before it was finally associated with Halloween until the mid to late 1800's.

Keep reading and you will find out the main places to go to visit the best places to celebrate Halloween, All Hallows' Even and All Saint's Day.

Time To Reflect

With the passing of another St. Patrick's Day, I found my self looking at different things than I had in the past.  

Whereas North American's celebrate St Patty's day as a day for drinking green beer and wearing green, in Ireland, this is not the case.

They do like a good reason to celebrate, and will have celebrations for the 6 days prior in Dublin, but they won't be seen wearing green any more than any other day.  And they do wear a lot of green on an every day basis!

Instead, they will wear a bunch of irish shamrocks (not four leaf clovers) on the breast of their shirts or jackets to symbolize the teachings of the holy trinity by St. Patrick.  And while he wasn't actually made a saint my the church, St Patrick is one of the most well known saints.

I bring this up due to the shift in my perception of culture and history.  On my last trip over, I discovered that I had more than just ancestry that had come from Ireland - but that I still had family ties.  Ties that I had never realized that I had until about three weeks ago.

And now I feel an unbelievable pull towards Ireland, it's cultures, history and traditions, as I feel like I have finally found something that gives me roots on this wonderful world.  Where will this mean that I go next?  I really have no idea.  Only time will tell.

Happy St. Patrick's Day....

And in tribute to St. Patricks Day, Dublin hosts a six day festival filled with Irish music, green beer for the tourists (real irish folk drink Guiness) and much much more.

But the place that holds a special place in my heart is a little place known as Galway.  It was once a walled city, and while the interior of the main business district is a maze of crooked streets with houses that feel like they are going to fall over into the middle of these crooked streets, it is a true testament to the beauty of an older centre. 

About ten minutes outside of the heart of the city centre, there is a beautiful little 'seaside resort' town called Galway that hosts a great selection of restaurants as well as nooks and crannies that crave to be explored.  This little motorworks was found up the back alley, off of the main through-fare.

There were many little things that made Galway one of my favorite stops.  One of the others is linked to my past, and so will be discussed at a later date and time.  But until then, know that this is definitely one place worth the visit.

Reflections

I've been back in Canada for just over a week, and the itchy feet have begun already.  But instead of wanting to wander where ever they may take me, they are craving a certain destination.  Where, I'm not quite sure, but if it has a pile of Irish blokes with thick irish accents, I think I'll be as close as I could expect to be!

I was chatting to a girlfriend the other day, when it finally dawned on me.  I've been single, and frustratingly enough, I've not necessarily wanted to be.  Just recently, I took my own love life in my own hands and decided to chat to a sweet looking guy who I've been crushing on for quite some time.  (They say that you grow out of crushing, but if anything, it just gets worse when you know it's not supposed to happen ;) )

And after asking him out and getting a yes, I was subjected to the add on - I think I should tell you that I do have a girlfriend, but I'd love to go out for a coffee.  What the hell does a person say to that? 

But in a round about way, it brought home the fact that I don't attract the dear boring Canadian boys, because I don't want to be here.  I crave to be someplace else, and being with someone who finds this dreary humdrum, but beautiful country home would do nothing but drive me mad and fuel mad arguments about why we were still here.

So the feet are itching, and I feel it's time to move someplace that reminds me of home (not Canada unfortunately) so that maybe, just maybe I can join coupledom.  

Maybe.

But that's a big maybe...