31/10/2022
Happy Halloween everyone! 🎃
Please remember there is no class tonight. We will be back to normal next Monday.
Enjoy the long weekend Hustlers!
Contrary to popular belief, Halloween is not a modern invention. It originates from the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow ain) which begins at sunset on the 31st October, marking the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter. This night marked the time when the realms of the living and the dead are at their closest and became known to the Scots as ‘All Hallows Eve’
The Christian church declared the 1st of November as All Saints Day, eventually eclipsing the pagan festival. However, in Scotland, the tradition of ‘All Hallow’s Eve’ survived. With dangerous spirits roaming the country it was important to light fires to keep them away and if you needed to travel then having a portable fire that doubled as a scary face would help protect you. Hence the need for a lantern. Traditionally, this was made from a neep, Tumshie or turnip. If you’ve ever taken the time to painstakingly carve a turnip then you will understand why the pumpkin has now become so popular.
In order to protect your children from the spirits, they were best dressed up in a disguise so they blended in with them. The children would travel door to door wearing old clothes and masks and would perform a trick, sing a song or recite a poem for a reward of fruit and nuts. Many homes would have parlour games for the children to play on their visits. ‘Dookin for apples’, or eating treacle covered pancakes from a string held above your head. The tradition of dressing up and going door to door was known as ‘guising’ with the children often chanting rhymes at the door.
"The sky is blue, the grass is green. Have you anything for my halloween?"
No “Trick or Treating” here!
Storytelling was also a great Halloween pastime, where families would gather round the fire and share spooky tales such as ‘The story of Sawny Bean’, ‘Tam o’Shanter’ or;
A Night of Terror with “The Grey Paw.”
(Read the full story @ Ross & Cromarty Heritage page)
