Had a nice weekend. Sat. Nails and Pedi then lunch at an Irish Pub and then a bit of the ole shopping. Sun back to the museum where I volunteer.
Pictures today are still the out of the way parts of London, and quotes are noted.
but first my favorite Halloween or any other day show:
Green ceramic bowl on pedestal with leaf scallops $6.99
“The only fully developed cult of the cat existed in Egypt and lasted over two thousand years.” Patricia Dale-Green
SHAKE THE DROUGHTLANDER BLUES BY
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KEEPING UP ON ALL THE NEW characters and their alter-egos: http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/outlander-season-three-casts-cesar-domboy-lauren-lyle/
“The Elizabethan statue made the conjuration of evil spirits and killing by WitchCraft a capital offense. Hugh McLachlan & J.K. Swales.
Kahula Decorative Bottle Jade Green Ceramic Aztec God (262679385560) $7.99
IN our modern day and age Samhain (Halloween) is all over the board, some see it as Satanist, while others as just a fun time to dress in everything from a rag doll to a zombie. It is associated with Ireland and England–a local pub has a celebration with Irish music and Scottish bag pipes to celebrate the day.
All Saint’s Day and all Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) were introduced (or maybe we should say re-) in the 7th century on Nov. 1st (with Halloween, the eve on the 31st) to honor saints of the Church of Rome. It was to be a time of somber prayer and quiet contemplation. Beliefs moved on, changed, reformed with persons like Calvin and Luther and many, many more protesting and demanding and eventually getting changed and so we moved on and forgot again.
In the new world we had a surplus of people who were not (obviously) happy with the status quo in the old one. Things were shaped and re-shaped depending on the colony one was in and the background of the people within it.
“Druids would not know this night and witches would in wonder gaze to see the festive costumed souls that dash about the night in play.” David G Narrah
There was Mischief Night with bon fires and local fall festivals. Out houses were turned over and other rather childish and usually harmless practices evolved.
By Victorian times Halloween had caught on with most of the American upper class. Carving pumpkins and the Orange and black fall décor came into being like a lot of our customs for other celebrations during this period of time.
Of course nothing in America can go very long without being picked up by merchants and developers. Soon their products and ads introduced the fervor to those of us not of the upper classes.
“Witches hats and harvest moon. Ghosts that dance to haunted tune. Apples, goodies, food galore. Halloween has this and more.
Old Post Card
Unfortunately as in any major movement not everything was good–some mischief nights resulted in real damage, harm and even death.
In the 90’s Halloween came under fire from some Protestant Sects who took up where previously pope’s had made the effort. It was discouraged, forbidden even called Satanic.
More recently the Holiday has been embraced by some as innocent fun while some organizations have decided to forgo any mention of it in an effort not turn away customers, or upset employees who has strong beliefs against it’s pagan past.
“The ghost she conjured howled then,
To match the winds that moaned outside.
Her witches crossed the moon on brooms,
Above the clouds they’d ride.”
Today some of our local churches have huge sales of pumpkins in October for carving or pies there’s no restrictions on the use.
Most US cities have Trick-or-Treat (where kids go house to house asking for candy from the inhabitants) though in some areas this has been restricted or discouraged either for the safety of the children going out in the dark, or the fear of the residents to open their doors to stranger knocking.
Many cities have developed alternatives: like stores at the local malls passing out to costumed children on specific nights. There are also community events at local parks or halls and church events. One of our local small town museums has tours about the down town where you visit different story tellers who tell tales of Halloween and even zombies wandering about drooling and doing what ever it is Zombies do when they’re not eating brains or loosing body parts.
“Come with me All Hallow’s night
We’ll frighten everyone in sight
Such pranks for once are justified
And fun and frolic amplified.
Anonymous
Of course there are still costumes, parties and all manner of events–from Zombie walks to locally sponsored haunted houses and scary mazes set on road sides, church properties and the like.
On a more commercial set-ups are events like Universal Amusement park that goes for the horror aspect of the Holliday here in Central Florida. Halloween Horror Nights while Disney goes for more cute and cuddly aspect as one might expect (though when you think of the Holliday it was never originally considered a cute and cuddly period of time).
One Halloween or in the vicinity of that day, is FANASY FEST in Key West in which you have a week of escalating activities, costume contests, some of which have prizes that are in the thousands and we’re talking dollars not pumpkins. The whole thing hits a peak on Saturday night with a parade where the local stores and organization go out to create floats that are amazing. Oh and did I mention all the lovely ladies running about town in nothing but bikini bottoms and painted boobs—and they’re everywhere and range from perky to droopy and all manner of in between. Finally the action winds down on Sunday with kids events and a pet custom party. This year’s theme is Political Voodoo and Ballot Box Barbarians.
Check it out–but if you’re going leave all your inhibition at home in Kansas. http://www.fantasyfest.com/
On Halloween the thing you must do
Is pretend that nothing
can frighten you.
Post Card
Costumes and masks (which have continued from sources such as the Celts and the Day of the Dead in Mexico) are now big business. Stores carry everything from ghosts to angels and all manner of thing in between for all ages from babes to grandmothers.
Candy comes in mini-sizes to put in grasping children’s bags and don’t forget the special themed items like peanut butter filled chocolate skulls–even Dunkin Donuts have themed items to meet the demand.
And heavens don’t forget the décor items from front yard graves to front porch scary and entire house with pictures that change from historical to hysterical to creature that scream and move about. It’s 20th century commercialize, but it is a holiday that has survived over a thousand years or more….so maybe there is something to the thin space between earth and the underworld (not our hell, but not some place the average person would normally visit–except maybe on Halloween).
BEAN EARTHEN WARE POT $6.99
“Just a little Witch on high
She’ll tell you that
Your love is nigh
Your fortune on Holloween when told
My secret when the witch unfold.
Post Card
(tower of London)
I miss you most each Samhain
When the boundary turns to Sheer
I wait until the vale is parted
At the ending of the year.
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Musical Wind-up Clown with Porcelain Head, Feet & Hands (262679386734) $15.99
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