Every time Halloween comes around, there are so many things I look forward too. The month of October is never long enough, and Halloween always tends to end too soon in my opinion. Fortunately, Halloween isn't the only holiday catering to those with darker hearts. Day of The Dead, The Eve of Saint George's Day, Guy Fawkes Night, and Walpurgisnacht are some other interesting holidays to celebrate (which I will briefly describe).
Day of the Dead is a Catholic Holiday celebrated in Mexico on the first of November. This night is all about remembering your ancestors. Families visit cemeteries, bringing food and drink along with them. Graves are often decorated with flowers. The families even dedicate an alter to the deceased loved ones. Common foods are sugar skulls and coffins, and sweet rolls called "pan de muerto," and even candied pumpkin. In some parts of Mexico, some of the children even dress up and ask for candy, like trick-or-treating.
The Eve of Saint George's Day: "Do you know what day it is?" I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again: "Oh, yes! I know that, I know that! but do you know what day it is?" On my saying that I did not understand, she went on: "It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?" " You might remember this quote if you've ever read Dracula. On the Eve of Saint George's Day, when Johnathan Harker was heading to the dreaded Borgo Pass, He was given this warning by one of the villagers. In Romanian folklore, it is believed that this is the night when the witches are afoot. These witches gather in groups of twelve to fight over fertile land and control over rain. They believe that the witches steal cow's milk and crops, so farmers often watch over their livestock the whole night without falling asleep. People say that you can even hear the witches' singing their eerie songs. If you fall asleep this night, it's believed you will be tired for the rest of the year. As a tradition, people plant a tree this night. If it grows, then it is a gift from Saint George.
Guy Fawkes Night: Whenever I think about Guy Fawkes night, my mind always wanders to V for Vendetta. This is one of my favorite movies in which the antihero wears a Guy Fawkes mask.
Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic. Since he was upset with the government not representing Catholics, he and a group of other men planned to assassinate King James I (by igniting massive amounts of gunpowder underneath parliament) in what's called The Gunpowder Plot. His intent was to restore Catholocism in the throne. Needless to say, this was a failed attempt. Guy Fawkes night celebrates the plot's failure by burning figures of Guy Fawkes upon bonfires and setting off fireworks.
This Holiday is very similar to Halloween, and it is celebrated on April 30 or May 1 (Half Halloween). It's a Germanic holiday with pagan origin. Traditionally, it is believed that the veil between our world and the spirit world is thin. Germanic Folklore tells of sorcerers and witches all meeting up on this night, traditionally on Brocken Mountain. When the pagans converted, the holiday blended with Christian tradition, and the name of the holiday became Walpurgisnacht after Saint Walpurga. The original purpose of the holiday was to welcome Spring, but that purpose changed into driving out evil spirits
Traditional activities include song and dance, drinking, and bonfires. It's also not uncommon for young people to play pranks (like minor vandalism and hiding possessions).
Have you ever been in Ireland during halloween? It's just nice to see everybody in costumes walking on the streets :) here in brazil its not veeeery common, sometimes in some dance clubs there are some halloween based parties but, nah, its not the same :) And I wish to go to dia de los muertos, here we just have dia de finados, and people go and leave flowers on their relatives tombs. just that... Anyways, nice blog :)
I've been working in The Writing Studio at Georgia State today, when a worried student came in for some assistance. She was assigned to write an obituary for her Journalism class. This obituary was to be written about the professor of her course. I'd never heard of anyone assigning something like this (probably because it's morbid), but it's very practical to learn for Journalism. From there, I had an idea. I thought what a good tag/challenge it would be for fellow bloggers to write an obituary about themselves. (not to mention a bit of morbid fun) So, Here's the rules: Link back to whoever tagged you. Put these rules in your tag. Write an obituary about yourself (it can be as funny or as serious as you like). Write about a paragraph or two (or more if necessary) in length. You may tag up to 10 people, and be sure to link to them. Have fun, because creative writing is one of the greatest joys in life! My Obituary: Katie, age 18, perished on Septembe...
In recent news, I was appalled to find that my favorite source to buy clothing has developed a bad reputation for paying disabled workers under minimum wage. According to NBC News, Some disabled workers in Pennsylvania were payed as low as 22 cents per hour in 2011. Thanks to a legal loophole, this is not technically a violation of any labor standard. Source Goodwill Industries is a company that prides itself on providing opportunities to " enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work." One of the main reasons why I had always shopped at Goodwill, besides the variety of clothing at bargain prices, is that I believed each purchase would help serve my community. Goodwill claims to treat workers with respect and dignity while achieving high ethical standards. In reality, I found Goodwill i...
Lamentation of Christ is a beautiful painting and a noteworthy example of foreshortening. One of the perks of living in a family that celebrates Easter is food. In fact, since no member of my household actually attends church, Easter really is mostly about the food traditions. It was a lonely holiday this year with just my mother and I at home (come to think of it, Christmas was terribly lonely too!), but that did not stop us from making ungodly amounts of food. I thought I'd share one of my favorite holiday dishes. It was passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and my mother to me. It's called "Heavenly Hash." No, not that kind of hash... Ingredients: 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple 29 oz. can of mandarin oranges 12 oz. jar of maraschino cherries 7 oz. bag of sweetened coconut 1 3/4 bags of 10 oz. "fun marshmallows" 8 oz. sour cream Simply drain the fruit, cut the cherries in half, and put them in a large bowl. Add the coconut to t...
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Have you ever been in Ireland during halloween? It's just nice to see everybody in costumes walking on the streets :)
ReplyDeletehere in brazil its not veeeery common, sometimes in some dance clubs there are some halloween based parties but, nah, its not the same :)
And I wish to go to dia de los muertos, here we just have dia de finados, and people go and leave flowers on their relatives tombs. just that...
Anyways, nice blog :)
I've never been to Ireland at all, but I'd like to go. Thanks, by the way. :)
DeleteYay Ministry! :D
ReplyDeleteThose look like some awesome holidays, I particularly like Walpurgisnacht and St. George. :)
:) I'd love to have a half Halloween/Walpurgisnacht party on day. I forget every year though. :/
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