When we think of Halloween there are a myriad of images that come to mind. Witches coursing across a full moon on a broomstick; vampires looking for a throaty feast and pumpkins carved with caricatures that either scare or bring a smile to your face. There're Werewolves, ghouls and goblins that lurk in shadows just beyond the light. All topped off with the ancient practice of dressing in costume and painting our faces. So, how did the aristocratic cat become involved in such pagan ritual? I'm sure if you asked her, she would deny any responsibility for a willing association.
Cats have been associated with myth since they first came in from the cold to live with people around 5000 years ago. The mystery of their exquisite senses, such as their eyes, exceptional hunting instincts,
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In the 1800's, immigrants from U.K. came to the U.S. and brought their Halloween traditions with them. Germans brought their witchcraft stories and Haitian and Africans brought the voodoo beliefs about black cats, fire and witchcraft. The holiday was gradually made into a non-religious holiday in the U.S. by the late 19th century.
Today Halloween has evolved from the souls of the dead visiting homes to "Trick-or-Treaters" dressing in costumes as ghosts, witches, black cats and demons and pleading for candy... or an evil prank may be played on the non-sharing victim.
Some Black Cat Superstitions:
• Depending where you come from, a black cat crossing your path can mean good luck... or bad luck.
• There is a Medieval belief that black cats are witches in disguise, or witch familiars, creatures that aid in witchcraft.
• Fishermen's wives would keep black cats to protect their husbands while at sea.
• When a sailor walked on the pier, a cat going ahead of him was good luck. If the cat crossed his path, his luck would be bad.
• Cats were kept on ships for good
Cats entered the New World on the Mayflower. A new breed called the American Shorthair was created. This tame cat would have been distinguishable from the wild cats by their color patterns, hair length, and size. The tame cat could help hunt for birds and rodents because they are hardy, tough, and athletic. It is also likely that the tame cat bred with the wild cats, so new breeds that had the characteristics of the wild ones entered the domestic stock. Cats were not always liked though. There were many superstitions about cats, which made people afraid of them. The cat became known as an indispensable pet for all the genuine witches. The black cat also became known as one of the symbols of Satan. These superstitions may have started because nightly, silent expeditions of feral cats, or their weird cries and shining eyes in the dark. So, cats have not always been accepted as a domestic pet.
First is the history of Halloween all according to a 2017 article from LiveScience by Benjamin Radford. Around 2,000 years ago in the United Kingdom Ireland, and the northern part of France the people called the Celts started this holiday. They called it Samhain back then instead of Halloween. November 1st marked their new year which resulted in them celebrating on October 31st. The New Year brought wintertime which to them meant death. On the night before winter which was October 31st, they believe that the spirits of the Dead came back. They wore costumes, put on bonfires, burned crops and sacrificed animals. When the Romans
Purpose: To inform the audience of how Halloween started and transformed to what it is now.
The fear of Halloween can stem from a dislike or fear of the holiday's history. The root word of samhainophobia is Samhain, which is a Celtic word meaning summer’s end. They celebrated Samhain with huge bonfires where crops and animals were sacrificed. The Celts believed that on Samhain the veil between the land of the living and dead was thin, which allowed for ghost, spirits, and the devil himself to pass through to the land of the living. It was also believed the Druids-the Celts priest-could predict the future on Samhain. The Celts wore costumes both as disguises and for performing the sacrifices at the bonfires. Eventually Rome conquered the
Transition: Halloween was not recognized as a holiday in the US until the late 19th century
Halloween is believed to come from Celtic rituals. The Celts lived over 2000 years ago, and were found in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France. The Celts celebrated
In recent years, this holiday has been gaining more and more attention in the US. However, the growth in popularity hasn’t necessarily led to a growth in understanding of the holiday. Some people still associate it with the incredibly commercialized Halloween, but it is much more meaningful than that for those that celebrate it.
Halloween is not only one of the most popular holidays, but is also one of the oldest, and can be dated back to about 2,000 years ago. It is also known to have started
Halloween is a night that children can dress and act like something they are not and allows them to travel around town receiving candy. Halloween allows the elderly a time to interact with children and gives people a break from normality. Even though the popularity of Hallowing is slimming,
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31st, or All Hallows Eve. It is a night of candy and fun for us, but started as a Scottish-Irish festival “[...] or two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead (called Samhain), whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year” (Bacon). The day after Halloween became “[...] a feast in honor of all the saints (All Hallows) was fixed on November 1, and in the 11th century November 2 was specified as All
In early American history, Halloween was not celebrated due to the strong Christian heritage. Initially, it was practiced only in small Irish population, until thousands of Irish migrated to American soil and brought their tradition with them. Some regard Halloween as an Irish holiday with history in the Celtic festival. Traditional Halloween symbols we often see such as witches, fairies, pumpkins, black cats masks, batman, parties and pranks appeared in United States during the late 1800's. In 1848, millions of Irish emigrants poured into America as a result of the potato famine.
Halloween was a day to celebrate the deceased, followed by a time to pray for them. B. Halloween also comes from the sacred Celtic festival, Samhain. 1. On the eve of Samhain, the Celts believed the dead, both ghosts and demons, were allowed to roam free.
Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated on the 31st of October across the globe. The holiday originated ancient Celtic. Celts lived 2000 years ago in the areas which are now Ireland, Northern France, and the United Kingdom. They had a similar celebration called Samhain. Samhain was celebrated on the 1st of November rather than the 31st of October. Throughout the centuries Halloween traditions have changed drastically. To see what a difference Halloween is now to back in time we must examine what traditions and celebrations were done, secondly how we celebrate the famously known holiday and finally what people have against the celebrations and traditions to this day.
Halloween costumes at this time also reflected people's interest in other cultures. Scottish and Irish immigrants in the U.S. during the 18th and 19th centuries brought their Halloween folklore and traditions with them, which mixed in with the folklore, traditions and superstitions of other immigrants from Germany, Haiti and the Netherlands (“The History”).
Furthermore, there are many traditional rituals and superstitions associated with Halloween. Since the ancient Celts thought the nonliving roamed the earth, they created costumes out of animal pelts to ward off evil spirits. Fortunetelling and the utilization of large bonfires for sacrifices and purification were also early customs. After the Christianization of the holiday to commemorate saints and martyrs, the same festivities, bonfires, and guising remained, but October 31st was renamed All-Hallows Eve. This inevitably turned into Halloween. Similar to European traditions, America’s Halloween has also evolved throughout the years. Halloween’s recognition was originally restricted in colonial America due to its non-Christian beliefs and practices, and it was practiced at a more local level. According to an online source, “The first celebrations included ‘play parties,’ public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead and tell each other’s fortunes, dance, and sing” (“History of Halloween”). Festivities were akin to European traditions, but also included ghost stories and pranking. Beginning in the twentieth century, Halloween