Halloween was not always a happy time. In the 1800s, as a lot of people emigrated to the U.S., the holidays and traditions of different cultures merged. October 31, or the night before had other names. Some called it Devil's or Hell Night, to others it was Mischief Night. Other countries have different Fall festivals to honor the deceased. The Festival of the Dead is one of the most important happenings in both Palermo and the rest of Sicily. In Mexico they celebrate El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. Although celebrated in all Catholic countries as All Saints' and All Souls' Days, no other country has embraced the festival of The Day of the Dead to the extent that the Mexicans have. The celebration begins on the evening of October 31, so the name Los Dias de los Muertos is also often used. This festival is considered by many to be the most important holiday of the year in Mexico.
The name "Halloween" began as "All Hallows Eve." This became "All Hallow E'en," then to "Hallowe'en," or Halloween. It was the evening before All Hallows Day that was later called All Saints' Day. All Saints' Day, a feast for all martyrs and saints, was celebrated on November 1st for the first time during the 8th century, but customs were different concerning its celebration. This date was officially recognized for all Catholic churches in 837 by Pope Gregory IV.
Starting in the 10th century, this feast was the eve of All Souls' Day, which soon came to outdo it. Taking place on November 2, All Souls' Day was a day of prayer for the dead The observances began the previous evening with prayers and the ringing of church bells. When England moved from Catholicism to Protestantism, the All Souls' Day bell-ringing was banned and no official services were allowed. Individuals and groups continued to find ways of observing the day; reports dating to the 16th century refer to people praying in the fields by the light of torches or bonfires.
The modern celebrations of Halloween are more recent than one may expect. The holiday had a revival in North America between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, probably through an arrival of Irish immigrants. They brought with them traditions that shared features of the Celtic and Christian holidays. Jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating in costume both became Halloween fixtures in North America, and have since been exported back to Europe.
People had been carving gourds or pumpkins and using them as lanterns long before this practice was associated with Halloween. The name "Jack-o'-lantern" has changed in meaning several times. It was first regarded as a nickname for a night watchman, dating back to the late 1600s. Around the same time, it was used as another name for a “will-o'-the-wisp”. It began to be used for pumpkin lanterns sometime in the 19th century. Possibly, the name went from the night watchman (a man holding a lantern) to the lantern itself. An Irish legend tells of a miserly man named Jack who, while alive, tricked the Devil into agreeing not to take him into Hell. Upon his death, St. Peter wouldn't let Jack into Heaven, because he had been too mean and wicked. The Devil wouldn't let him into Hell because of the deal they'd made. Jack was fated to roam between Heaven and Hell with his lantern, looking for a place to rest and never finding one.
Everything you need to know about carving pumpkins http://www.southernliving.com/southern/gardens/how_to/article/0,28012,1839120,00.html
The Dark Side by George Spelvin
“On a midnight dark and dreary…” by Rasmussen T. Finsdale
“Well, ain't he just the tom-cat's kitten?”
Ill-tempered/Temper tantrum,
“She’s havin’ a bad spell.”
or
“He’s throwin’ a hissy fit.”
To a perpetual dreamer,
“If wishes were horses, then beggars could ride."
Parent to a misbehaving child,
“Cut me a switch!"
(A child has no good options left at that point. “Should I get a wimpy, little switch…that’s no good…what about a big ol’ honkin’ one….well, that’s no good either.”)
or
“What do you think your punishment should be?”
(There’s just no good answer.)
Be quiet,
“Hush”
or
"Hush your mouth"
or
"SHHHHHHH!"
(only Yankees say, "Shut Up!')
To someone that’s clumsy,
“Your mama shoulda named you Grace"
About someone having a tantrum,
"Well, he's got the same britches to get glad in!"
“I don’t care”,
"It's no skin off my nose [no sweat off my pits]”
About a pathetic person,
“Well, God love her. . . somebody's got to.”
Final,
“That’s all she wrote.”
Interior cold,
“Damn! It’s cold enough to hang meat in here!"
Extreme heat,
"It's hotter than a Billy goat in a pepper patch."
A long time,
“I’ll bet it’s been a month of Sundays."
Isn’t it obvious?,
'Well, is a frog's ass water-tight?'
or
“Is the Pope Catholic?”
or
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
Determined,
“I’ll do it even if it harelips the Pope!”
USADEEPSOUTH
Archive
July
August
September
October 5
October 14
October 21
Links
Blue Mud books home
Woodrow World
History--Help Me!
