Do your teeth hurt yet? All these sweets abound gearing up to the big night. Halloween is all about candy, at least to any kid that dresses up and goes out trick or treating! Oh, I do love Candy corn!!
That aside, All Hallows Eve is a little more meaningful than running around, ringing doorbells for treats. This special day has many names including All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Dia de Los Muertos, Samhain and Halloween. This festive day is celebrated across the globe, all honoring the same thing…THE DEAD!
The Celtics New Year have the pagan celebration called Samhain (pronounced SOW WEEN) with roaring bonfires, costumes, sweets and dancing. Sounds like a lot of fun to me! Samhain was transformed into All Hallows eve or All Saints Day by the Christians. It is believed that the veil between heaven and earth is the thinnest this time of year, making it easier to communicate with the other side at this time. That’s right, honoring and communicating with our departed loved ones can happen very easily at this time.
There must be something to this day, as it has been celebrated throughout the ages… around the world! Coincidentally, half way around the world from Celtic, Ireland the Mexicans are also celebrating the same thing with Dia De Los Muertos. This is a time when you see beautifully painted faces of skulls and bright, beautiful flowers. These festivities include family and friends as they gather to make special treats and honor their departed loved ones.
Italy has Ognissanto, translates to ‘every Saint’ to commemorate with All Saints’ Day. The Italians go to mass to remember, pray and honor their saints and departed loved ones by lighting a candle and of course, children are given candy.
In Guatemala, they have Festival de Barriletes Gigantes. A colourful tradition where they fly big, colourful kites over the cemetery as a way to communicate with the dead. Many South American countries have their own traditions for the event. In Costa Rica, kites fly over cemeteries as well. Costa Ricans are also known for making large, colourful masks for this event.
In the Philippines, we see children dressed in white sheets for Pangangaluwa. These little tots in their sheets represent souls or ghosts locked in purgatory as they go door to door singing and asking for prayers. Children are given treats as an offering.
There is a common theme with all of these festivities, they all are Celebrating the Dead!
You can do this as well… it’s easy. One way you you can do this is to make an alter with photos or keepsakes of your precious departed souls, give an offering of flowers or other items of importance to you or that remind you of them. You may light a candle or incense, say a prayer and send up love. Along with creating an alter, I always drink a spicy hot chocolate that never fails to give me dreams and an altered experience with my dear ones on the other side! Works every time and I love their visits. Please leave comments, I’d love to hear your stories of All Hallows Eve!!
Happy Halloween!
Today I will take a moment and light a candle in honor of my departed loved ones and dance with their spirit to remember their memory.