Halloween a journey to a pagan ritual - by andré

transcript

HalloweenThe American Holiday

HalloweenContents

A Journey to a Pagan RitualIntroduction

Etymology

Pagan OriginsSamhain – the Celtic origins of Halloween

The Celtics

The Celtic Religion

The Celtic Calendar

HalloweenContents

IntroductionFrom Pagan Ritual to Party Night

Church against PaganismCatholic Church condemns Halloween

Halloween comes to AmericaHalloween in America

A social ProblemOctober 31th “no order day”

HalloweenContents

Halloween PracticesTrick or treat

Jack O’ Lantern

The costumes

The end of innocencepoisoned candies

looking for a safety Halloween

Halloween at Home

Halloween goes to Hollywood

HalloweenContents

Final notes

Researches

HalloweenHalloween

A Journey to a pagan ritual

Introduction• Halloween is a typical American Holyday. Form many reasons.

• A British folkloric feast that found in American commercialism its biggest expression.

• Despite of being associated with witchcraft for many religious groups, the most of society tolerates it as a cultural element of the North American people.

• Even with the religious intolerance about it, it keeps on becoming more and more popular around the world.

• It’s turned nowadays the second most profitable holyday for business in USA. Only Christmas overcomes it.

• I hope you enjoy the journey

Etymology

The word “Halloween” derives from “All Hallow Even”, or the eve of All Saints' Day.(November 1st)

Etymology

All Hallows even

Etymology

All Hallows even

Hallow even

Etymology

All Hallows even

Hallow even

Hallow’en

Etymology

All Hallows even

Hallow even

Hallow’en

Halloween

A typical Halloween celebration in Europe in 19th century

Pagan Origins

Pomona Goddess of the seeds and fruits.

• Although its Christian etymology. Halloween is usually thought to have pagan origins.

• Some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, goddess of fruits and seeds

Samhain – the Celtic origins of Halloween

Nevertheless there is a typical idea that links Halloween with the Celtic festival of “Samhain” (Pronounced Sow – in)

The Celtics

• The Celtic people were the ancient inhabitants of Europe.

The Celtics

• The Celtic people were the ancient inhabitants of Europe.

• During the first century b.C. they were divided in several groups spread through all the European Continent, from Romania to Iberian Peninsula and to the North until the British islands.

The Celtic Religion

• Despite of being divided into a lot of different groups of people, they were linked by their language and religion.

The Celtic Religion

• Like the most of the ancient peoples, the Celtic religion was based into a great worship about a vast sum of gods and goddesses.

The Celtic Religion

• The Celtic mythology is as rich as the Greek.

The Celtic Religion

• But, on the contrary of the Greeks, the Celtic rites were absolutely linked to the earth.

The Celtic Religion

• But, on the contrary of the Greeks, the Celtic rites were absolutely linked to the earth.

• They had no religious temples. The rites were done in the woods.

Samhain•was the most important festival of the Celtic calendar.

•In ancient Celtic language Samhain means “Summer’s end”

Samhain•For the Celtic people, this festival represented the end of the annual cycle and the beginning of another one

•In other words, it was the “end of the year” in the ancient Celtic Calendar.

•On this day the doors of the world of the dead are open, and the bad spirits are able to come back.

•This creed revels the supernatural element on Celtic Sanhaim.

•On this day the doors of the world of the dead are open, and the bad spirits are able to come back.

•This creed revels the supernatural element on Celtic Sanhaim.

•Element that survives till nowadays on modern Halloween

The Celtic Calendar

• Like the most of the ancient civilizations, the Celtic calendar was based on the cycle of the Sun.

The Celtic Calendar

• They had 4 great festivals that were linked to the seasons’ changing.

The Celtic Calendar

• They had 4 great festivals that were linked to the seasons’ changing.

• And other 4 festivals witch were directly linked to the summer and winter solstices and the spring and fall equinoxes.

MONTH DAY FIRE FESTIVALS

EQUINOXES FESTIVALS

Correspondent date on the South hemisphere

JANUARY

FEBRUARY 1st IMBOLC AUGUST 1st

MARCH 21st OSTARA (Spring Equinox)

SEPTEMBER 21st

MAY 1st BELTANE NOVEMBER 1st

JUNE 21st COAMHAIN (Summer Solstice)

DECEMBER 21st

AUGUST 1st LUGHNASADH

FEBRUARY 1st

SEPTEMBER

21st HERFEST (Fall Equinox)

MARCH 21st

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

1st SAMHAIN MAY 1st

DECEMBER

21st YULE (Winter Solstice)

JULY 21st

• Besides to arise in Old Europe, maybe thousands of years before Christ –following some folklorists – Halloween has become a popular modern holiday only when it arrived in America in 19th century

• The Americans found on Halloween parties a real deal for business using its commercial potential they spread the holiday around the world.

Halloween Parade In Japan

Brazilian Children Celebrating Halloween

HalloweenHalloween“From Pagan Ritual to a

Party night.”

Pomona

“From Pagan Ritual to a Party night.”

• According to most of sources, Samhain survived the Christian domination and has been practiced till nowadays on modern Halloween feasts.

“From Pagan Ritual to a Party night.”

• According to most of sources, Samhain survived the Christian domination and has been practiced till nowadays on modern Halloween feasts.

• But How can a pagan ritual turned into a modern celebration with a Christian etymology?

Church against the Paganism

• "How many times the Church has decanted the new wine of Christianity into the old bottles of heathendom.” (Ruth E. Kelly)

• The church created the official calendar and created new terminologies for ancient pagans celebrations.

• Christmas for example, was originally the Roman god of sun’s celebration. (it turned into the celebration of the birth of Christ)

Sol Invictus

Catholic Church condemns Halloween practices

“Halloween is 'dangerous' says the Pope as he slams 'anti-Christian' festival”

The Vatican attempted to put a brake on the growing popularity of Halloween yesterday, branding it anti-Christian and dangerous.

The Vatican spoke out on the eve of tonight's ritual which falls before the significant Catholic holy day of All Saints.

The condemnation follows criticism from Catholic bishops who this week urged parents not to let their children dress up as ghosts and goblins.”

•These words were turned off from a recent news by an European newspaper. The pope told is the present one “Benedict 16”

•It shows that Halloween is still a matter of condemnation for the called new Christian Church

•But not only the Catholic priests condemns Halloween

•The protestants are maybe more radical when they say about this holiday.

Halloween comes to America

HalloweenHalloween

• Before the 19th Century there’s no evidence of Halloween’s celebrations in America.

• North American Puritans didn’t tolerate Halloween.

• It was during the Irish and Scottish migrations in the 19th Century that Halloween started to get popularity in America.

Children celebrate Halloween in the beginning of 20th Century

Halloween Party

People in Costumes

Halloween /1941

Children On Halloween

Halloween in America

• The ancient rites of the small villages in Scotland and Ireland soon were overcome by new elements.

• America’s commercialism as soon as possible turned Halloween into a great business.

• No more an innocent immigrant party

• No more an inner celebration

• Now, Halloween was on the streets in all over North America.

Halloween Parade

"A 12-year-old boy has been shot dead while out trick or treating with

his family in America.”

“His dad and one of his three brothers were also hurt when they were shot at from inside a house in the town of Sumter, in South Carolina on Friday.

They had been on their way home from an organized Halloween event when they decided to go trick or treating while their mum waited in the car.”

A social problem

• The streets celebrations of Halloween have become a real chaos during all the 19th Century.

A social problem

• Every October 31st turned into a red alert day for the police force in each big city in USA and Canada.

A social problem

• Every October 31st turned into a red alert day for the police force in each big city in USA and Canada.

• People really though that on this day, they could overflow. There’s no law during the celebrations.

Pranksters arrested on Halloween

October 31st “No order day”

• The shops were attacked

• Residences were wrecked

• There were necessity of a better police protection in many cities around USA and Canada.

• People afraid of the pranksters tried to defend by themselves and…

• Some fatal cases were related during those celebrations.

• All these violence related on Halloween parades through all North America is the negative element that maintain Halloween with the label of a dangerous holiday.

• But despite of all , it keeps on being practiced in all over the US.

Halloween Practices

HalloweenHalloween

Halloween party in clubs

Those kinds of parties turned very popular in Brazil too, during the last 3 decades.

Halloween Practices

• Most of the modern practices associated to Halloween are very recent.

Halloween Practices

• Some private societies created new forms to have fun on Halloween trying to finish the social problems caused by street celebrations.

Halloween Practices

• Some private societies created new forms to have fun on Halloween trying to finish the social problems caused by street celebrations.

• Those clubs and societies together with some government policies tried to turn Halloween into a children’s holyday.

Charlie BrownEven the cartoons bought the idea of Halloween for children.

Trick or treat

• Children in costumes go out knocking on the Houses' doors asking for donations, usually candies.

Trick or treat

• Children in costumes go out knocking on the Houses' doors asking for donations, usually candies.

• The original connotation of this, told about the person refuse to give the children some candies, so the children caused some bad thing to that person.

Trick or treat

Customized bags for trick-or-treat

Jack O’ Lantern

•Perhaps this is the most characteristic element of Halloween•The pumpkin face.

Jack O’ Lantern

• According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil.

Jack O’ Lantern

Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer.

Turnip Jack O’ Lantern

In Ireland they used carved turnips to do their Jack O’ Lanterns.

Turnips Jacks

In America the turnip turns into pumpkin

Jack O’ Lantern

• The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.

The Costumes

• Nowadays there is a custom that remains the same since the beginning. The costumes.

The Costumes

• Nowadays there is a custom that remains the same since the beginning. The costumes.

• The costumes are the element that makes Halloween so homogenized.

Halloween of 1940

Costumes

Children in costumes - 1970

70’s

Little kids ready for Halloween

A Family holiday

Halloween celebration in London

Adults also play

Costumes

• Sexy costumes are very popular on Halloween adult parties...

• Many folklorists links this tradition to the ancient Celtic custom to wear masks to frighten the bad spirits.

• Cause following the Celtic creed, during the Samhain the bad spirits walked among us. Wearing a mask all these souls will see the living people like one of them.

Paris Hilton in costumes

The end of Innocence

Poisoned Candies

• In 1970s there were some cases with poisoned candies, and even razors in candies or apples.

Poisoned Candies

• This decade was reported the first death attributed to Halloween.

Poisoned Candies

• This decade was reported the first death attributed to Halloween.

• “Involved a five-years- old named Kevin Tolston, who died supposedly eating a heroin-laced candy…” (Nicholas Rogers)

Cookie with a razor inside

Looking for a safety Halloween

• Treat - or-treating survived during the 80s, but in more regulated forms.

• The parents started to participate of the treat –or-treat and don’t avoid candies from unknown people.

• Even important politicians try to pass a positive image on Halloween.

President Obama and Michele giving some candies on Halloween

Halloween at home

Safety Halloween

Worried about their children’s safety some parents started to organized their own Halloween parties.

Some Halloween Receipts

The creativity was the great differential in Halloween parties.

• Phantom shaped candies

•Pumpkin shaped cakes

•Witch nails shaped Snacks

Invitations for Halloween parties:

• Another popular element in Halloween parties were the invitation cards.

• The creativity was again a great differential

Ancient fashioned cards for Halloween

• All those practices makes modern Halloween too distant from that one practiced in ancient Europe.

• And all of them are really too recent that it’s difficult to link it with the ancient European festival.

• Even the modern Halloween practiced in Europe has the same elements from the American Halloween as the pumpkin face and the trick or treat

• This show us the power of the American commercialism and the Hollywood power as a diffuser of the “American way of life”

HalloweenHalloween

•The film maker John Carpenter once said that “Halloween” was first conceived as a film about a homicidal maniac who kills babysitters.

•But indirectly it created the social image of Halloween as a terror night.

Jamie Lee Curtis

A scene from the original carpenter movie staring Jamie Lee Curtis on the main role.

Michael Myersthe assassin of

baby sitters

This is the classical assassin Michael Myers from the series started by Carpenter in 1978

Hollywood spreads Halloween through the world

• The movie series created by Carpenter popularized Halloween around the world. Even in places where this holiday was not celebrate it became known.

• In Brazil for example, Halloween became as known as in US, nevertheless it is not a holiday yet, Halloween parties were practiced on weekends close to October 31th every year.

• The term Halloween is overcoming the Brazilian “Dia das Bruxas” – Day of the Witches - year after year

Ivitation for halloween party in Rio de Janeiro

Halloween party by College students Guaxupé

Halloween at Wizard school.

• The schools of languages are considered another great spreader of the Halloween in countries like Brazil. This is part of the cultural integration of the learning process.

Brazilian Students playing on Halloween

• But there’s no unanimity about these practices. There are some nationalists politicians endeavored into stop this “foreign party". They dub themselves: “the defenders of the national folklore”.

• One of them created the: “Dia do Saci” (Saci’s day) on October 31th in attempt to stop the Halloween increasing.

• But the most radical words against Halloween still come from religious institutions

• The image that arrives in countries that didn’t use to celebrate Halloween is the wicked and mortal Holliday full of evil and with the assassin Michael Myers as the main character from this night.

• In the USA they keep on celebrating the funny Halloween for kids, on the other hand, the “no order day” for adults goes on.

• But the fantasies of terror movies like “Dracula, werewolves, and Freddy Krueger are barely used for Americans

• They see Halloween as a big fantasy party, they uses politicians, super heroes and all sort of funny costumes.

• A lot of movies after “Halloween” - by Carpenter - used the same element about a Halloween as a horror night.

• For this reason the people from another countries - including Brazil - usually see Halloween as a dark and evil day

• A lot of movies after “Halloween” - by Carpenter - used the same element about a Halloween as a horror night.

• For this reason the people from another countries - including Brazil - usually see Halloween as a dark and evil day

• That’s why in Brazil, we call Halloween “Dia das Bruxas” – Day of the witches.

Michael Dougherty director of “Trick or treat”

Rob Zombie brings Myers

Rob Zombie and the main actors of his film. “Halloween”A version based on the 1978 Horror classical “Halloween” written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill.

BRAZIL U.S.A.

Final notes

• Halloween is a very popular holiday for American people. This is a simple party night. All its original elements doesn’t exist anymore.

• Nobody goes out trying to keep the demons away just wearing masks or fantasies like the ancient Celtics did. So its just a form to have some fun. On the other hand, when a man from a small and isolated village in Europe lights a candle to feel himself protected from the wicked spirits, it’s a matter of good sense to respect him for it. This is what he learned from his ascendants.

• For this same reason we need to respect the religious people who believe Halloween is an evil feast.

• And for this very same reason they must respect the people who like to go out on Halloween night to have some fun.

We wish you a...

Researches

• Books:• ROGERS, Nicholas – From Pagan Ritual to Party Night – 2002

• RUSSO, Steve – Halloween – 2004

• KELLY, Ruth Edna - The Book of Halloween – 1919

• Movies:• CARPENTER, John – Halloween – 1978

• ZOMBBIE, Rob – Halloween part 1 and part 2

• DOUGHERTY, Michael – Trick or treat - 2009

The End.... ?

Conceived by André Stanley

Halloween a journey to a pagan ritual - by andré

Spiritual