Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Halloween, Saci and other myths
I've chosen the topic supersticion to teach one group of students this month and working with this theme I've read a lot about the origin of Halloween and all supersticions related to it. After that one question came to my mind: Do americans really know the sources of Halloween? I mean the real meaning? I know that is difficult to me as a brazilian to understand this festival, and the reason for this celebration. As Saci Perere is difficult to compare with Halloween because Saci is a character of a myth and Halloween is a festival. But I don't know the real source of Saci, I just have a brief concept of what is it but is not part of my beliefs. So it is really difficult to me see brazilians celebrating something that is so far from our culture as Halloween.
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I think most Americans probably don't know the origin of Halloween, but I try to teach this is my classes. I love this holiday because of its Celtic orgins. Apparently it started in Ireland several thousand years ago when the Celts believed that one day a year the dead came back to life. This was always around harvest time - October. They would build bonfires and dress and wear scary clothes to frighten the ghosts away. When the Catholics came to Ireland in the 8th century, Pope Gregory decided to start All Saints Day on Nov 1, so the evening before became "All Hallows Eve" and eventually "Halloween". When the Irish came to the U.S. in great numbers during the potato famine of the 1840s they brought this tradition with them and it stuck. Instead of large bonfires they used pumpkins and turnips for lighting. There are many ideas about where trick or treating came from, but this evolved after the holiday started in the America. Now it is one of the most lucrative (money-making) holidays for businesses. This may be one of the main reasons they have tried to export it to other countries as well. It used to be very low-key and now it is really commercial with all kinds of costume ideas and decorations for the house, plus all the candy families buy to pass out to the kids. But it's a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I did not know the origin of Halloween. Ever since I was probably 4 years old, I only saw it as the day we got candy, lots and lots of candy. Also I saw it as the day we got to dress up in costumes of my favorite characters, or animals, or anything ! And, carving pumpkins with my dad. Now, like 11 years later, I know there is actual meaning behind the costumes, the pumpkins and trick or treating.
ReplyDelete-jenna