THE HALLOWEEN GRID

'All Hallow's Eve' or 'Samhain', the transition from autumn to winter.

Wicca festival of the eve of 'Samhain', translates from the Gaelic as the 'End of the Summer', and the 'Coming of Darkness' / winter.

The Celtic Brigid (1 February) and Columcille (7 June) were joint protectors of cattle and it was the practice at this time to ask for protection during the periods of Samhain, Imbolc to Beltane:

In England Halloween was, and still is by some, celebrated by dressing up in disguises, practicising divination, ducking for apples and making candlelit turnip-lanterns. Today, it is a night for fun and games with a variation being formed in America.

This night was seen as one of enchantment when people were expected to protect themselves from evil forces. On this day any journey had to be completed before sunset and the best protection for a traveller was to carry was a piece of bread crossed with salt (holy bread sprinkled with salt), because salt was believed to be a witch repellent.

The believed magical properties of the Rowan tree were also called upon again fashioned into the shape of a cross and carried in the hand or attached to the bridle of a riders horse. This is today a tradition that is still remembered by some in Somerset (South West England). It was also believed amongst village communities that no door should be left ajar on this night as a supernatural being could enter and would then stay in the household for life. People were not the only thing that needed to have protection at this time of year as a lighted candle left burning all night in a stable was believed to protect any livestock.

In various traditions Hallowe'en is often believed to be the meeting time of spirits/ghosts of the dead and that this is their last chance to meet before the winter closes in. It is also an important night in some witchcraft calendars and so perhaps this explains why it is said to be the most haunted night of the year.

In communities of old it was a night when it was believed that psychic and imaginative people could see ghosts walking the earth. It was a night when many superstitions were practised even more than usual as this was a time when evil spirits/forces needed to be kept away and good fortune brought into everyones life.

Traditionally the most obvious people to be associated with this night are witches, warlocks and wizards. Our ancestors are known to have constantly practiced rituals or superstitions to protect themselves from what they believed these types of people could do. During the 31st October and the 1st November superstitions were practiced far more than today as this was believed to be the day when evil was strongest and so man would need more protection.

An old UK farming tradition in rural communities focused on the lighting of bonfires as fire was believed to be a great deterent against evil. Just like Mid-summer Eve the community would meet around the fire carrying torches and chanting, a ritual which was believed to repell evil and call upon good spirits to help join the combat against evil protecting their fields and families through the long winter.

Up until the nineteenth century in Lancashire (UK) people used to practice what was called 'Lating' or 'Ligting the Witch'. Groups would meet together on the moors and, with lighted candles, walk around the hills between the witching hour, 11pm to midnight. If the candles burned steadily it was seen as an indication that the people would be safe for the season. If a candle blew out (believed to blown out by witches) then this was seen to be a bad omen.

An old belief in Ireland (UK) reveals that if you heard footsteps behind you in the dark on this night you should not turn to look as it was believed that the footsteps belonged to one of the dead who were following you. If you did turn to face them you would soon join them.

The festival of Hallowe'en later took a firm hold in North America with slight alterations being made to some of the festivities. Pumpkins replaced the turnip-laterns and crowds of begging hopeful children would often disguise themselves as witches and go 'Trick or Treating'.

In more recent years it has become a day of party games and fun especially amongst the young, particularly in America where 'Trick or Treating' as it is still commonly known is practiced. Children dress up in fancy dress costumes that represent either horror or fun characters and in small groups travel on foot door-to-door where upon they knock the door. When it is opened they chant "Trick or Treat". The occupier of the house then has a choice; give them a 'Treat' (sweets, cookies/biscuits, fruit, toffee apples etc.), or send them away, where upon the children play a 'Trick' such as sprinkling flour outside the front door, soaping windows or leaving gates open.

In America there are two old love superstitions for young ladies. 1/The young lady should go to a local spring of water at night carrying a lantern. She is then to peer into the water and according to superstition she will see the face of her husband to be.

2/ If the young lady does not like the idea of wandering around in the dark then alternatively she can wait until daylight. She must place a broken egg in a glass when she arrives at the spring. She must then pour some of the fresh water into the glass with the egg. After some time according to superstition she will then see the face of her future husband in the mixture along with any faces of children the couple may have.

Staying with the topic of love then, in England a lady was believed to be able to see her future husband in the candle light reflection of a mirror. She should then throw an apple peel over her shoulder. The initial that it formed when it landed was said to be that of her true loves initial.

Another popular Hallowe'en game was to place a row of hazel nuts along the edge of a hot fire grate. Each nut was then assigned a name. The following rhyme should be spoken by the lady who had assigned the names.

If a lady wished to dream of her future husband on Hallowe'en then she could also place her shoes in the shape of a 'T'. The 'T' was believed to be a very potent talisman with connections with the Scandinavian God, 'Thor', the 'T' representing his war hammer. Once she had placed the shoes on the floor she would then have said,