• Date: 7th November

• Sun: 15° Scorpio(♏)

🎃 2000-year-old Celtic tradition 🎃

The origins of Halloween date back to 2000 years. It is inhabited by Ireland, the United Kingdom, Scotland, and the Northern Hemisphere. The name Halloween is derived from a traditional festival called SOW-in, which is inherent in the Celtic language. It is also considered their New Year's Day. That is, on the 1st of November. The first day of November is considered by the Celtic people to be the last day of the summer harvest in Europe and the beginning of the dark winter. It is also believed by the Celtic people to be the time of man's death.

They celebrate the night before the 1st of November and the next day as New Year's Day. In the meantime, they consider time to be the blur between the living world and death. So they are celebrating this show-in festival on October 31st. Also today they believe that the ghost of death will return to earth in addition. It is believed that blessings from other worlds make it easier for Celtic priests to make predictions about the damage to the harvest as well as the dangers that befall them.

These Celtic peoples used to depend on and think in a completely different natural world. This prophecy was also a reason to provide comfort and hope for the long, cold winter season. During this festive season, they set up a large bonfire and dressed in traditional costumes and animal headscarves, and tried to wish each other the best of luck. At the end of the ceremony, they extinguish the flames and return to their homes, and light their fireplaces as usual. By the year 43 CE, the Roman emperor had ruled most of the Celtic lands for about 400 years. Therefore, Roman traditions and customs were embedded in the festival. At the end of October, the Romans commemorated the dead at the first Feralia festival.

Two rituals include those Roman traditions,

1. Passing death
2. Sacrifices to the fruit for goddess Pomona

The apple is also a symbol of the "fruit goddess", a new addition to the Celtic tradition, and it is believed that the result of this was the beginning of the game of apple bobbing.

🎃 Spread of Halloween 🎃

By the 9th century, Christianity had spread to the Celtic Peninsula. As a result, some of the customs of Christianity were incorporated into the Celtic people. In the year 1000 AD, the church proclaimed November 2 as a spiritual day for all in honour of the dead. Even today it is widely acknowledged that the Church sought to replace Celtic festivals with holidays approved by the Church.

The celebration of All Souls' Day is similar to the SOW-in festival. The similarities between them are the large fire pillar, and the traditional costumes, dressed as angels or demons. Before that, the traditional Celtic religion, Samhain-SOW in Night, was known as All-Hallows Eve and later became known as Halloween. After that Halloween spread from country to country with both Christian and Catholic communities.

🎃 Halloween in America 🎃

In the early days, Halloween celebrations were strictly limited in America. The main reason for this was that Protestant beliefs were deeply rooted in America. Only a handful of Halloween celebrations can be seen in Maryland and Southern settlements during that time. One of the main reasons for this was the divergence of European and American cultural beliefs.

Gradually, Americans began to celebrate this Celtic ritual in a way that was unique to their culture. Also, small groups in society began to perform various rituals with their harvest. In addition to these rituals, there are parties, storytelling, music, and dance performances, singing songs, and telling various stories about the dead. As Halloween became more and more absorbed into the Americans, ghosts and occultism became part of the Halloween tradition.

🎃 Jack O’Lantern 🎃

One of the most sought-after decorations for Halloween is the lantern carved on a pumpkin. The traditional Halloween colours are orange and black. It started in Ireland. In the early days, a turnip was used to make lanterns, but now well-ripened pumpkins are used.

According to folklore, the pumpkin lantern got its name Jack from a blacksmith. Being a miser, he tricked the devil into paying his bar bill. The gates of heaven and hell were not opened for him after his death. So the devil threw him on burning coal. It is said that from then on he had to travel around the world with a turnip loaded with charcoal.

🎃 Current Halloween tradition 🎃

At the end of the 19th century, Halloween parties became commonplace not only for adults but for all ages. The trick-or-treat (going from house to house asking for sweets) is arguably the most popular feature of a Halloween celebration today. It is customary to make a red-eyed joke to those who refuse to serve sweets which are popular among young children. It is said that this started as a result of the process of giving food to the poor in memory of relatives who died during the ancient Halloween celebrations. Also on Halloween, they are dressed in a variety of costumes. This is based on ancient Celtic tribal customs. Often used for Halloween are dark costumes and masks that look like ghosts or witches. They also place a food container in front of the door of the house to prevent the dead from entering the house. Now, various media stories and films have been created to motivate people to celebrate Halloween powerfully and even to create religious and social superstitions.

☟︎︎︎ Herbs and Flowers ☟︎︎︎

  • Sage
  • Sandalwood 
  • Sweetgrass
  • Wormwood 
  • Mint
  • Mandrake 
  • Nutmeg 
  • Allspice 
  • Broom
  • Calendula
  • Comos
  • Chrysanthemum 
  • Deadly Nightshade 

☟︎︎︎ Animals ☟︎︎

  • Bat
  • Black cat
  • Owl
  • Raven

☟︎︎︎ Colours ☟︎︎︎

  • Black 
  • Gold
  • Orange 
  • Purple 
  • Silva
  • White 

☟︎︎︎ Altar ☟︎︎︎ 

  • Acorns 
  • Apples
  • Black candle 
  • Brooms
  • Carved pumpkins
  • Cauldron 
  • Fall flowers and leaves 
  • Nuts and berries 
  • Photograph of deceased loved ones
  • Pomegranates

☟︎︎︎ Crystals ☟︎︎︎

  • Aquamarine 
  • Bloodstone
  • Carnelian
  • Obsidium 
  • Onyx
  • Smoky Quartz
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