Linus firmly believes that on Halloween night the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch and flies all over the world delivering toys to all good children everywhere. –Peanuts creator, Charles Schultz
by Roger Childs
It’s that time again so have your candy [sweets] ready.
We didn’t celebrate this favourite American day when I was a kid, however, with the powerful influence of American culture many Kiwi youngsters now dress up on 31 October and head out “trick or treating” from late afternoon.
Fortunately they don’t get threatening as in Paul Stookey’s Halloween skit: What’s it going to be Pops, the candy or your front window? These days parents often watch from the street while the kids knock on the doors.
The Peanuts fans amont you will know that the patient Linus camping out every year on Halloween night, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to ascend from the patch. Amusing, but all rather strange! Linus’s friends use to tease him because the big vegetable never put in an appearance. However that didn’t stop the lad living in hope and nestling down in the garden on 31 October.
Stepped in history
There are plenty of interesting historical links for Halloween. The Celts in Ireland celebrated the Samhain festival as autumn merged into winter. It is possible that this dates back more than 5000 years!
The traditional colours today have historic links:
- orange for harvest
- black for the death of summer.
There was a superstitious element to it, as it was thought that at this time the souls of the dead would emerge. The Mexicans have a major festival to remember the Day of the Dead. Marauding ghosts were a worry and costumes were worn and fires lit to keep them at bay.
Christian leaders have used many so-called ‘pagan’ celebrations for their own festivals as in the cases of Christmas and Easter. And it was in the eighth century that Pope Gregory III decided that Samhain could be morphed into a time for remembering the Saints, so 1 November became All Saints Day.
The day before was known as All Hallows Eve and so the modern name “Halloween” developed. The Catholic Church also decided that this would also be a good time to remember the dead, so November 2 became All Souls Day.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead
The Christian remembrances also tie in neatly with the traditions of indigenous people in Mexico.
They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on 31 October, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On 2 November, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. Mexican Sugar Skull website
So The Day of the Dead is a major Mexican holiday and, in Wellington on November 2, the Mexican Embassy will have its traditional cocktail party. I’ve been to one and it was great!
Remembering Halloween in style
The festival is remembered around the world and dates back deep into western civilization. Certainly, the Americans go to town and 31 October is a holiday over there. Apparently one quarter of all annual candy sold in the USA is at Halloween time!
New Zealand has now embraced Halloween. Most folk have some treats in the cupboard for the children who will call round tonight in their ghoulish costumes and fancy dress.
Some religious communities and schools take a very dim view of the festival and regard it as pagan, but in fact it was the Christian Church that incorporated the ancient Samhain festival into the mainstream.
So enjoy Halloween, the kids love dressing up and it’s a fun time. Our attitude is that if the kids have taken the trouble to get into costume, they get treats. This may even be the year when Linus’s perseverance is rewarded, so watch for the Great Pumpkin rising from a garden patch somewhere near you.