PUMPKINS
- 27/10/2004 <--Prev : Next-->
The ubiquitous pumpkin has taken on a new meaning in the last few weeks
prior to Halloween in the USA. Halloween is not a big thing in Africa
but it is becoming a spectacular experience in the States.
Halloween, known as the "Nightmare before Christmas" by some is another
excellent money spinner along with Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter,
Christmas, Superbowl Day and all the other holidays in the USA.
Behind the name... Halloween, or the Hallow E'en as they call it in
Ireland , means All Hallows Eve, or the night before the 'All Hallows',
also called 'All Hallowmas', or 'All Saints', or 'All Souls' Day,
observed on November 1 but Halloween is celebrated on October 31.
On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the
long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished. The
Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak
forest (oak trees were considered sacred). The Druids would light new
fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around
the the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness
would begin.
When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their
fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking
fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil
spirits.
The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences,
Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black
cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and
skulls from All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day.
Spooky, kooky, creepy, and fun! Halloween is the time of Ghosts,
Goblins, Gravestones and Graveyards. Of Spooks and Spirits and
silly-fun tricks. Of Witches and Warlocks and Scary Black Cats. And
Candy Corn, Jelly Apples, Pumpkins and Bats.
Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America's Halloween
celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the
country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving
that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know
why or when the jack o'lantern tradition began.
And the shops just love Halloween...cos they make plenty of money out
of the festival trust me.
The shops are filled with Halloween regalia, everything from chocolates
to clothing is suddenly orange and black. Paraphernalia for homes and
gardens are on sale everywhere. Restaurants, shops, homes and gardens
are decorated with cobwebs, witches, skeletons, black cats, ghosts and
of course pumpkins !!
Carved pumpkins with glowing friendly eyes, plastic pumpkins, real
pumpkins, scarecrows and ghouls. Halloween speciality shops open just
for the Halloween season, haunted houses of horror open their doors to
terror loving folk just for a couple of weeks at the end of October.
Its fun for the little ones though because they go "trick or treating"
on Halloween eve, they all dress up in fancy dress, ghosts, witches,
aliens, and fairies, and with their plastic pumpkin buckets, quite
safely go from door to door where benign moms and dads have a whole
stash of candy to distribute.
