For those that have been following me for the past few years, you might have noticed my favorite season is Autumn and my favorite holiday is Halloween with Christmas coming in a close second place. There's just something in the air during Autumn that's inspirational for me, perhaps its the morning chill and how it makes me wrap my hands a little tighter around my coffee mug for warmth, whatever the case may be I absolutely love this time of year.
I want to say happy hallows eve to everyone, stay safe, and enjoy the night for spirits! A quick lesson of the brief history of Halloween before I finish this blog post.
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It is a holiday celebrated in many countries throughout the world. For some they celebrate this holiday for 3 days and is meant to be the time we remember the dead and those we've lost. At one point in history this holiday meant that the dead would come back, that the veil between this world and the after world was thin, allowing not only the spirits of those we'd lost, but also evil spirits and entities. To ward off evil spirits they would leave offerings and also dressing up to not be mistaken as one of the living, thus why children and adults alike would dress like demons, devils, or ghosts so that they would blend into any spirits that may be roaming. It was thought as well that any person not in costume would be cursed, tricked, or even taken back to the land of the dead since they would stand out for being one of the living.
Over time, the costumes meant to protect us became what children would dress in and go around asking trick or treating in. Though it's meant to be a night for mischief, some scary things have happened that were not mere myth or legend. There was a report that a woman's body had been mistaken for a Halloween decoration in Ohio. There have also been things floating about on dangerous things that have been found in Halloween candy. Link 1 and Link 2 should be checked out on these things. For more information about the history of the holiday check out History Channel's website.