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Have you ever noticed the beauty of the dark? When there’s a little dim sunlight left far behind the sky forms the hues of reddish gray as if slowly the huge sea is swallowing the sun away.
The sky gets darker every moment followed by twinkling little stars gazing on the huge horizon, waiting for everything to slow down, calm down.
So that they can shine brighter with the breeze making everybody look at them with a peaceful smile and twinkling eyes dwelling into the speechless beauty of the DARK.
I have always been a huge admirer of evenings. For me, evening represents togetherness when every living creature returns to its family after a long tiring day.
That immense sense of security while cuddling with near and dear ones makes evening the most awaited time of the day.
And what if this togetherness turns into a huge party? Kids and adults all high with energies, A killing ambiance decorated with effigies of witches and vampires, everybody dressed in scary costumes and longing for fun scaring each other.
The environment smelled of fresh cakes, muffins, pumpkin loaves, soups, cream tarts, freshly brewed wine, and a mouth-watering main course. Isn’t all this sounding familiar?
Oh yes, it's time to welcome winter, it's time to celebrate HALLOWEEN…
Halloween celebrated on October 31, is a holiday rich in pagan and religious heritage, now embraced for its vibrant secular traditions.
Halloween has transformed into a largely nonreligious festivity in Europe and North America. People of all ages revel in the fun of costume parties, don spooky and imaginative attire, carve intricate designs into pumpkins, and light up jack-o'-lanterns.
The night is alive with the thrill of trick-or-treating, where children go door-to-door collecting candy, embodying the playful spirit of this autumn celebration.
When and how Halloween came into existence
The origin of Halloween was traced around 100 A.D. approximately 2000 years back in Ireland. Practically speaking, we can consider Ireland the motherland of Halloween.
Its root lies within the primitive Celtic festival known as Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), held on the 1st of November according to the modern calendar.
The evening before i.e. 31st of October was known as All Hallows Eve, which later became Halloween.
Ancient Halloween was marked by two prominent features: the lighting of bonfires and the widespread belief that this night was when ghosts and witches roamed freely.
Around November 1, the Druids celebrated their grand autumn festival, kindling fires to honor the Sun-god and express gratitude for the bountiful harvest.
This ritualistic illumination and the mystical ambiance of Halloween night laid the foundation for the rich traditions we continue to celebrate today.
Pope Gregory III proclaimed November 1 as All Saints' Day, a time dedicated to honoring all saints. Over the period, this holy day blended with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, merging its customs and traditions into observance.
This fusion of rituals contributed to the rich tapestry of celebrations that eventually evolved into modern Halloween.
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Tradition food served on Halloween
Halloween is celebrated for its delightful array of savory dishes crafted with love and tradition. The pumpkin spice loaf and hearty pumpkin soup are among the favorites, offering warmth and flavor to the autumn night.
A time-honored Halloween dish is colcannon, a rich blend of mashed potatoes and cabbage, traditionally made with pickled cream.
Sweet treats like muffins, cupcakes, and caramel-coated apples are beloved by many, adding a sugary twist to the festivities.
This holiday is a time for indulging in home-cooked meals, sharing these comforting dishes with family and friends, and savoring the culinary joy of Halloween.
Every millennial remembers the taste of the caramel apples their granny cooked them, no childhood is complete without it.
Traditions can only be preserved by valuing them in the present. Rituals are important. They are worth practicing. It is like living good old memories till eternity.
The Rituals of Halloween
Besides all parties and fun, there is a traditional value for the rituals connected to Halloween which is believed and followed even today. Be it for fun or belief, the outcome is always a happy present.
There is a ritual, where the host hides a ring in the main course ( mashed potatoes or Colcannon) while serving it to their guests. Whoever finds that ring is to be assumed to get married in the following year.
Another ritual is quite a competitive one. The guests are allowed to find a burr on a chestnut hunt and the first one to find is considered to be the lucky one to get married soon.
It was assumed that if a young woman ate a sugary portion prepared of hazelnuts, nutmeg, and walnuts before she slept on Halloween night she would perhaps dream of her future husband.
(I fail to understand why marriages were considered as the most happiest event in the ancent times)
Conclusion
Well, be it any festival, tradition, or ritual, the true motive behind the whole process is bringing people together. Bonding families and neighbors. Remember the forgotten ones.
Did you ever think that if these traditions weren’t there, we would have forgotten the traditional recipes that make our oldies nostalgic, which bring the heartiest smiles on their bare faces that existed there long ago?
we would have skipped seeing our neighbors, we would have postponed parties and get-togethers.
Just because of these traditions we feel committed to the rituals and perform them with all our hearts and pass on the values to our children believing that someday they too will follow the chain and pass it on.
Someday, when we wave goodbye to this world, behind us will be our irresistible recipes cooked by our now grown-up toddlers, licking their fingers and remembering us, discussing our deeds and misdeeds, and hysterically laughing.
That moment, right from above, twinkling between those bright shining stars, floating with the cool breeze, we will feel proud of these traditions and wish our family sees many more happy years of Halloween.
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