Connie
Archer is the national bestselling author of three Soup Lover’s Mysteries with
a fourth due out in March. Learn more about Connie and her books at her
website. Today Connie
joins us to talk about one of her favorite holidays.
Halloween has to be one of
my favorite holidays . . . there’s something about the season, the cooler air,
the pumpkins, the red and gold of the trees and the macabre decorations of
witches, skeletons, cobwebs and headstones that delights me. Horror films,
ghost stories, trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples, haunted houses, corn
mazes, and hayrides are just some of the things that mark this season. Costume
stores have cropped up everywhere. In fact, in my neighborhood there’s one
that’s open all year, just in case you have the urge to don some crazy gear for
no good reason at all!
Hallowe’en, a contraction of
Hallows Even or All Hallows Eve, is closely related to the Celtic Samhain (pronounced Sow-in). The Celts of the
British Isles and Northern Europe celebrated this Druidic festival for
thousands of years when the sun reached the fifteenth degree of Scorpio. It was
the end of one year and the beginning of the next. In our century, this
position of the sun actually occurs on November 7th.
At this time, those spirits
must be comforted with offerings of food and drink to ensure the tribe and
their livestock survived the winter. Wearing costumes of animal heads and
skins, the people of the tribe attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. At a deeper
level, these rites were observed in order to make contact with the spirits of
the departed who were considered sources of guidance rather than sources of
dread. Druid priests built bonfires and the community gathered to burn crops as
sacrifices to their deities. At the end of the celebration, they re-lit the
fire of their hearths from the sacred bonfire in the belief that this would
protect them during the coming winter.
Carved Turnip
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Traditional_Irish_halloween_Jack-o%27-lantern.jpg
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Mass immigration from the
British Isles and Europe during the 19th century popularized the
rituals we now know today. Immigrants brought their varied All Hallows Eve
customs and a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. In
Ireland and Scotland, the turnip had traditionally been carved during
Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the pumpkin, which was larger,
softer and much easier to carve.
The American tradition of
trick-or-treating most likely dates back to early All Souls Day rites in
England during which poor citizens would beg for food and be given “soul cakes”
in return for a promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. The soul cakes
to the poor replaced the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming
spirits. This practice, “going a-souling” was eventually done by children who
would visit houses in the neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.
Samhain was a time for
divination, and apples were often used to tell the future. An unmarried girl
would peel an apple in one long strip and cast the peel over her shoulder. The
peel was believed to reveal the initial of her future husband. Another practice
involved cutting an apple into nine pieces while sitting before a mirror in a
room lit by only one candle. Turning away from the mirror, the individual would
eat eight pieces of the apple, ask a question and throw the ninth piece over
his or her shoulder. The mirror would then display an image responding to the
question.
But what is it about this
date – October 31st? The eve of November 1? Or the time period when the
sun reaches the fifteenth degree of Scorpio? It’s not the shortest day of the
year; it’s not actually a time of harvest, yet so many cultures throughout the
centuries acknowledge this night and day as significant.
In Poland, people are told
to pray out loud as they walk through the forests so the souls of the dead
might find comfort. In 19th century rural England, families gathered to burn
straw on a pitchfork while kneeling in a circle to pray for the souls of the
dead until the flames went out. In Spain, special pastries known as the “bones
of the holy” are put on the graves of the churchyard. In Finland, visitors to
cemeteries on All Hallows Eve light votive candles, referred to as the sea of
light. Totenfest or Totensonntag is celebrated in some
Protestant churches on this day. Kalan
Gwav, also known as Allantide, is a pagan Cornish festival traditionally
celebrated on this night. The Mexican Day of the Dead is marked by gathering to
pray for the dead and bringing favorite foods of the departed to their graves. On
the Isle of Man, Hop-tu-Naa, a Celtic
festival, is observed. And in Scandinavian countries, a Norse ceremony called Alfablót involves sacrificing to the
elves, meaning nature spirits or spirits of dead ancestors.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Jack-o%27-Lantern_2003-10-31.jpg
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Samhain or Halloween will be
upon us soon. This is a time to complete the old and prepare for the new in our
lives. Consider the last twelve months. If there are matters unresolved, now is
the time to complete them and begin to look forward to the new year.
And don’t forget your pets. Here’s
a Samhain ritual designed to honor the spirits of both wild and domestic
animals: [http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhainoctober31/ht/Animals_Samhain.htm]
Happy Halloween!
A Roux of Revenge
Snowflake, Vermont, is
known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky
Jamieson’s By the Spoonful. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the
annual Harvest Festival…and murder.
Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this
October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest
Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young
waitress Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking
Janie?
After an unidentified man is found murdered in a
van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are
brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces
with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…
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9 comments:
Connie, Halloween just wouldn't be the same if we were carving turnips, would it?
Hi Paul ~ Actually, I think it would be a lot creepier. Look at that turnip, it kind of reminds me of a mummy!
Snowflake, Vermont sounds like a great place to set a mystery. Best of luck, Connie.
Enjoyed reading the history of Halloween and it's customs. I love your Soup Lovers series. The latest book was terrific. I look forward to reading your next book in this series.
Hi Kathleen ~ Thanks for stopping by today! Snowflake is a wonderful village -- even though the murder rate is a little high. I hope you get to visit soon!
Hi Annette ~ Thank you! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed A Roux of Revenge. I'm excited about the next one in the series -- Ladle to the Grave -- it focuses a lot on Sophie (besides the murders of course)!
Thanks for the post. Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, too!
Hi Angela ~ You're welcome. I love Halloween too!
I enjoyed your soup murders so much. Makes me want to make some soup like Sage lol better soups than murder though. Can't wait for the next one!!!
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