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10/31: who wants a history lesson pulled from wikipedia.
Greetings. As you all know, today is Halloween.
Since it is, I thought it prudent to discuss some of the history and psychology behind this whimsical holiday.
Long before Halloween became the commercial, capitalistic candy and costume holiday that we know it for, it is widely believed to have roots in ancient pagan festivals such as Samhain.
Samhain was a Gaelic festival held about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice.
It was seen as a liminal time when the veil between here and the otherworld thinned, which I find to be a facet that has prevailed to modern Halloween.
However, speculation that I found on a reliable site [ twitter, she found it on twitter ] suggests that perhaps this idea of liminal space was a Victorian add-on rather than an actual part of Samhain. Consider both points debatable.
Of course, any time a holiday has pagan roots, it of course also has some kind of Christian backstory as well. (See: Christmas, which we can discuss in December.)
Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (or All Saints') on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd. Hence, All Hallows' Eve.
The practice of begging for candy may originate with the English medieval custom of "souling", going from parish to parish begging for soul cakes from the rich in exchange for prayers. Presumably, no soul cakes harbored actual souls.
Dressing in costume or "guising" can be dated back to the late 1800s in Scotland.
Many cultures seem to have customs of revering the dead, with the belief their souls freely roam, around this time of year. And that perhaps they may need to be appeased before returning to their slumber.
In North America, this combo of customs that make modern Halloween appeared in the early 1900s. I believe costumes were a fair bit more gastly then than the cheap plastic and polyester we wear now.
There. That's your history lesson, sourced from the best. [ wikipedia ]
So, trick or treat?
Since it is, I thought it prudent to discuss some of the history and psychology behind this whimsical holiday.
Long before Halloween became the commercial, capitalistic candy and costume holiday that we know it for, it is widely believed to have roots in ancient pagan festivals such as Samhain.
Samhain was a Gaelic festival held about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice.
It was seen as a liminal time when the veil between here and the otherworld thinned, which I find to be a facet that has prevailed to modern Halloween.
However, speculation that I found on a reliable site [ twitter, she found it on twitter ] suggests that perhaps this idea of liminal space was a Victorian add-on rather than an actual part of Samhain. Consider both points debatable.
Of course, any time a holiday has pagan roots, it of course also has some kind of Christian backstory as well. (See: Christmas, which we can discuss in December.)
Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (or All Saints') on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd. Hence, All Hallows' Eve.
The practice of begging for candy may originate with the English medieval custom of "souling", going from parish to parish begging for soul cakes from the rich in exchange for prayers. Presumably, no soul cakes harbored actual souls.
Dressing in costume or "guising" can be dated back to the late 1800s in Scotland.
Many cultures seem to have customs of revering the dead, with the belief their souls freely roam, around this time of year. And that perhaps they may need to be appeased before returning to their slumber.
In North America, this combo of customs that make modern Halloween appeared in the early 1900s. I believe costumes were a fair bit more gastly then than the cheap plastic and polyester we wear now.
There. That's your history lesson, sourced from the best. [ wikipedia ]
So, trick or treat?
no subject
I'm shocked you would think so lowly of me, Dave, that I would do such a thing.
I only get my facts from the most pretentious of pretentious sources.
Thank you.
no subject
like
add some gratuitous french or latin in there
yeah no fucking way am i picking trick with you
no subject
Est-ce mieux?
A wise decision, brother.
no subject
now i have to know
what the fuck would you have done had i been stupid enough to pick trick
no subject
That's a question best left unanswered, I imagine.
I would have at least turned your app purple.
[ and dumped fake blood in his bed or something equally rude ]
no subject
no subject
no subject
if we polled the world
red would totally kick purples pasty lavender ass
no subject
Purple is far more pleasing to the eye than the angry, "I like fast cars vroom vroom I have a small penis" red.
It's the color of royalty, of the mysterious and unknown, of magic and mayhem.
no subject
specifically not my dick size
because i cannot actually defend it to you without going to weird fucking places we need to stay the hell away from
and also
no
i dont think red is an angry color
why do you think red is an angry color rose
thats colorism
no subject
Also: gross.
It's not colorism, it's basic color theory.
Red = anger, purple = majesty.
Do you want me to cite my sources?
no subject
no i do not want your fake sources