The Spirit of All Hallow's Eve by wizardofaus |  |
FLAUNTED WOODS - Halloween comes but once a year, a fact that most candy salesmen
are happy for. However, amidst the candy and the paintbrushes and the costumes,
the historical purpose for having created such an event is usually lost in the
clutter. In Neopia, Halloween is symbolised by the Haunted Woods - a spooky
place filled with monsters and freakish nightmare creations. But why is Halloween
such an important day to those who don't happen to be strange and unnatural
beasts?
The celebration of a day when the worlds of the living and of the spirit meet
are common to many ancient cultures. However, the celebration of October 31st
originated with the Celts, who considered it the New Year's Eve of their calendar.
The celebration was known as Samhain, which translates to "Summer's End", and
refers to their original calendar system of two seasons - summer and winter.
In more modern calendar systems, Samhain marks the end of autumn. In both calendars,
Samhain also heralds the beginning of the Celtic New Year.
Like most New Year's Eve celebrations, Samhain marked a time to reflect upon
the past, and look forward to the future. The Celts believed that Samhain marked
the one day of the year when spirits could return to the world, and celebrate
with the living, as the boundary between the two worlds was at its weakest.
To this effect, many families held feasts, complete with table settings for
recently departed ones they wished to welcome back for this one evening, with
lights and merriment to guide the spirits to visit.
However, the living could also venture into the spirit realm, and face terrors
that normally only emerged in the darkest night. In Neopia, Edna the Witch and
Count Von Roo are denizens of the Haunted Woods who normally can be fought only
during the hour of midnight. On Halloween, they can be found and challenged
at any time - terrors too dark to be faced in the light of a normal day.
Due to their view of time, and their beliefs, the Celts also considered Samhain
as the evening best suited for prophecies, oracles, and predictions, as it was
a date outside of time, between one year and the next. The evening when the
mundane world and the spirit world briefly come together was also considered
best suited for looking at any point within the cycle of years. Although you
are likely to receive no such revelations at your Halloween party, it is interesting
to note that last year, the Maraqua plot was officially cancelled, and plans
were made to simply finish Krawk Island and begin on the new world. One year
later, Maraqua remains abandoned, Krawk Island is complete, and Meridell (the
world predicted to come) is mostly complete - and ready for invasion.
Even the jack-o'-lantern - the pumpkin carved to resemble a terrifying face,
with a candle held inside - has its roots in ancient beliefs; it was believed
that this scary lantern would drive off evil spirits and faeries that might
otherwise beset a traveler on Halloween. While this practice is not common in
Neopia, and it is not known whether Jhudora really would be driven off by a
Pumpkin Pie, it still explains why the grinning jack-o'-lantern is featured
prominently on children's treat buckets. (Wouldn't you want your children protected
from evil ghosts and faeries while they're out trick-or-treating?)
As for trick-or-treating itself, adults and children both participated avidly
in these pursuits; while candies and sweetbreads were sufficient for the children,
adults generally preferred a stronger form of treat. Homeowners would give away
these treats as a symbolic gesture of goodwill towards the strange and supernatural,
and thought it gave protection against misfortune for the year to come.
These trick-or-treaters also dressed in costume, regardless of age. While
some people chose to dress in particularly terrifying costumes, to drive off
malign spirits with their very presence, more light-hearted souls chose then,
as they do today, to try on a new look and be something completely other for
a day. This interesting mixture of costumes explains why some Halloween paint
jobs in Neopia result in a truly terrifying creature (such as the Halloween
Lupe), whereas others are simply bizarre and amusing (like the Halloween Wocky.)
In ancient times, these roving mobs of children and adults would even band
together to sing carols. It may be difficult to imagine songs of joy echoing
through the Haunted Woods, but carols were a common holiday delight, and only
in more recent times have been relegated to strictly winter celebrations such
as Christmas. Still, "Old Von Roo Came to Town" would likely not be a big hit
in the Haunted Woods, so perhaps it is fortunate that this particular custom
does not continue today.
The various practices of the festival of Samhain were adopted by the Romans
when they conquered the Celts, and gradually incorporated into the Romans' own
belief system. In the 800s, the Romans chose to focus mostly on the aspect of
spirits past, eliminating most of the other significances of the event from
their official cultural celebrations. The end result was a holiday paying homage
to those 'hallowed' by obedience to their belief structure, from which the term
"All Hallow's Eve" was brought into being. This, in turn, gradually became "Hallow
E'en", which became the term we now call Halloween.
In modern times, the holiday of Halloween is generally taken in two ways by
cultures in and outside of Neopia. Those who prefer to think of Halloween in
its dark and creepy aspect see it as a celebration of witches and werewolves
and vampires, denizens of the Haunted Woods where Neopets fear to tread. More
light-hearted people see it as an opportunity to dress as something unusual
for one night, and be treated with the respect normally only given to such spooky
terrors as the Esophagor and the Brain Tree.
As you prepare your Neopets for their Halloween exploits, selecting costumes
and preparing a basket of treats for visitors who might happen to knock at your
door, hopefully you will bear in mind the true spirit of Halloween...
... To have fun!
Author's Note
Those who do not have a sense of humour or an interest in history may have
found this article completely boring. Please do not Neomail me to tell me this,
as this article was not written for people with no sense of humour or interest
in history. If you want to drop me a line about something else, on the other
hand, my Neomail
box is always open. |
