Next weekend we will again celebrate a well-known event by the main population on earth: Hallowen. Except that, there are numerous people who forget this event is closely follow by two another events which are importants for some of us: All Saints’ Day and All Souls. This three commemorations follow tirelessly each other which each has its own meaning but really close with other. It will be a good thing to take a look at it.
Halloween
Even it is very famous all around the world, it’s mostly celebrated in english speakers’ country as USA, Canada, Irlande, United Kingdom and Australia. If it’s celebrated in other states, enthusiasm for it is way lower than the countries listed previously. Back to it’s origin, mainy agreed to say its from in celtique culture which was kind of New Eve to them. Indeed, they celebrated the climate change, Samain, but they also believed that it was within this night that the boundary between the hereafter and the world of living opened and deads walked along us. It’s seems that even the witches were out this night. So, it was usual that children were wearing shabby clothes as spirits, hollowed up turnip with candle as lantern, knock on the door asking for treat and if you give them something you avoid bad luck.
The story about this strange lantern-vegetable, it seems like its from a old legend: the one about Jack with the lantern, also called Jack O’Lantern. Its told that it was a man drunkard and lazzy who defied the Devil. When he died, neither heaven nor hell wants him. He was condamn to wander without end in the dark with a hollowed turnip with candle as light. The day when he died and we can see him is the October 31th.
Since, it was imported in USA while the migrations and took place. Halloween culture grown up and became the big feast that we know today with on thousand and one cultural assimilation, mostly in movies specifically horror movies. I didn’t understand yet the transformation as the original name Samain to Halloween. Because, Halloween is a shortly name for « All Hallows Eve ». Do you know anything about it?
All Saints’ Day
It’s quite ironic that Halloween was the short name for « All Hallows Eve » since we celebrate « All Saints’Day » the day after, called Toussaint in French. Mostly popular by the catholic population, its celebrated the November 1st but its most well-known in France since it’s a public holyday in French calendar.
All Saints’ Day has some roots from the orthodoxe part of christianism’s name day in area as grec, perse,… It’s to honor the martyrs and is usually celebrated nearly after Whit around May. Before Rome was Christian, a temple was build: the Pantheon. Inside this, all gods without his own temple was honored even the ones unknown. In 605, Pope Boniface gained the Pantheon, emptied it with all idoles and called it after Saint Mary of martyrs where was honored martyrs known and unknown. The day to celebrate this was transfer from May to the November 1st. It was for fight against the pagan feast, Halloween. However, it was the official date of All Saint’s Day in 835 by Pope Gregoire IV and this occasion is to celebrate saints and martyrs known and unknown.
All Souls
It’s in the same spirit that was born the day of the dead, also called All Souls. Don’t compare to the All Saints’Day. This one take place the November 2nd and the commemoration is for honor and pray to all the souls, mostly the ones in our family. It’s around this date that families go to the graves to clean them, pray, bring some fresh flowers and meet members of the family. This day is more fun in the communities from Mexico called « El dia de los muertos ». « Coco » is a Disney cartoon that show a pretty good exemple for showing this mexican culture. Even if the date are the same, the concept is a mix between the christianism vision and the commemoration to the Azthec goddess Mictecacihualt. It will be surely facsinating to talk about this goddess but it will never end.
It’s good to know that many cultures share this need to honor the dead even if it’s not at the same time like China, « Qing Ming »; Japon, « O-Bong » or Sicile. Like this, we can consider that death is not an illness which is tabou. It’s a part of life that make every moment precious. Honor the dead, thank them for what they did as living people and pray for them to wacth over us are important things to do. Because they are a part of us and if we can accept that, how can we completely accept ourselves?
Chapeau Rouge et Livres en bottes 