� 2001-2006 by Shiloh
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Since we will be doing pumpkins soon I decided a mixture of histories on both the jack-o-lantern and Samhain would be interesting. Both are Celtic--one a tradition and the other a sabbat--and both go back centuries.
Samhain, pronounced sow�en, goes back to before Christ, to the days of druids. In Gaelic it means "summer's end." Like other cultures of ancient times, the Celts saw the shortening days as the beginning of the seasonal cycle. Their days started with night fall and ended at dawn. Samhain was/is their Dec. 31, their New Year's Eve. Thus, their calendar year began with O' Hallow's Day, or their New Year. The Celts were--and are to some degree still--pastoral people. The end of summer meant a change in routine. The cattle were brought down from the hills and summer pastures and families were gathered together inside on long winter nights for storytelling and handemade crafts.
The Celts believed that on Samhain the boundaries confining the dead from the mortal world were so thin, the dead were able to walk among the living. The night before, the human souls who had been trapped in animal bodies were released by the Lord of the Dead to take up their new incarnations. The Celts had a healthy respect for the dead. While fearing tricks and crop damage from the spirits, they also felt the spirits aided the Druids in making predictions for the future. These were a people heavily dependent on the mecurial natural world, and predictions were important in way of comfort and direction in the long winter months.
To celebrate Samhain, the ancient Celts built huge bonfires, where they gathered to sacrifice crops and animals to their deities. The bonfires were sacred and played a big part in cleansing the old year and making way for the new. They wore animal heads and skins as costumes and tried telling each others' fortunes. When it was over, the Celts would go home and light their own hearth fires with torches lit by the sacred bonfire they attended. These home fires were lit in hopes of protection through the coming year.
The colors of Samhain (or Halloween) are orange and black. Orange, to represent the coming or awaiting of the Yule when the Sun god is reborn. Black, to represent the time of darkness after his death.
Today, those who follow the old Celtic tradition (inasmuch as they can, for much time has passed and no one can really say the Old Ways are still practiced purely), and those who don't, can still celebrate Samhain if they so choose. *Here is a list of ideas for a fun Samhain:
I should rephrase that. Insomuch that Halloween remains about spooks, fun and having the scare of your life--or unlife--then Halloween is good. But I can do without the commercialism, thanks.
My favorite tradition (other than watching Halloween movies) is jack-o-lanterns. ‡ It was the Irish who brought the tradition of these unique lanterns over when they immigrated to America. However, they carved turnips instead of pumpkins. Pumpkins weren't used until the Irish discovered they were easier to carve. Legend has it the original "Jack-of-the-Lantern" was named Stingy Jack. He was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.
Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the Pearly Gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on Earth. He was not allowed to enter Heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go, but to wander about forever in the darkness between Heaven and Hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. From that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the Earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern."
On All Hallow's Eve, the Irish hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and to keep Stingy Jack away.
* Source found at The Pagan's Path
‡ Source found at Pumpkin Nook.
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