Halloween

All Hallows Eve

 The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were abroad: ghosts, fairies, and demons--all part of the dark and dread.

Virtually all present Halloween traditions can be traced to the ancient Celtic day of the dead. Halloween is a holiday of many mysterious customs, but each one has a history, or at least a story behind it. The wearing of costumes, for instance, and roaming from door to door demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved. To this day, witches, ghosts, and skeleton figures of the dead are among the favorite disguises.

here in Australia we do not celebrate Hallows Eve, it is the wrong time of year for us, spring not autumn. to most of us we associate it with America even tho it originated in Ireland & England. today its all about dressing up, decorating, having fun & not to forget the sweet stuff. for me i like the dressing up & setting the table.

the tree i purchased a few years ago & this is the first time it has been out of its box.

i always have something for any of the kids who do come to our door & this year it was biscuits [skulls, skeletons, bats & witches hats]

the round disk has a moon on it & when it is lit up with a candle it looks great.

i do like the bat in my hair, i think ill be leaving that out of the box so i can wear it again

a little bit scary, no not really, its mostly just every day for me :o) now that is scary