Happy Haloween

[jimmy]

Happy Halloween!!! Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Goblins(whatever they are), and all manner of scary things........Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!

[StarLab]

Yep, might as well mention it...Hallow's Eve's here, even if it's just for a night, but all the little kids are a-scamperin' around my 'hood, so Happy Halloween! :lol:

[Chook]

Hey you guys ..... we've all seen the hollowed-out pumpkin-heads, with candles inside, masks etc. etc. ...;

but what is the origin of the celebration? And is it only practiced in the USA? :huh:

[jimmy]

What????? You don't have Halloween in Australia? You poor unfortunates. No Trick or Treats, candy, etc.
It comes from the Catholic " All Soul's Day " which is the day before "All Saint's Day". That's about all I know, except it sure is fun< :)

[Chook]

Hey Jimmy - there are enough "Pumpkin-Heads" in politics, here, without celebrating them.

It seems that the word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church, as you implied.

It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.

Why you would want to honour Saints in such an inappropriate way beats me.

Anyway - now we all know.

As I recall there are only about 10% Catholics in Australia, maybe that's why this celebration never took off here in Australia.

[damienpaul]

here in Alice Springs there were many horrors in costume (my students) so i went for a walk and they thought i was a horror in disguise!!! I'm not, I am not in disguise :P

[jimmy]

Hey Chook, do you have Mardi Gras? That's translated as "Fat Tuesday", and it's the day before lent starts. Mardi Gras is a crazy event, anything goes: people dress in crazy outfits and throw things(presents:usually necklasses, trinkets, etc.) from decorated floats going down the streets of the cities and towns. They call it carnival in Brazil and other countries, but it's a crazy time, then the next day we give up something we like as pennance for 40 days....it's crazy I know, but it's tradition! If this topic has drifted onto the realm of "Religiion" rather than tradition, I'm sure a friendly Moderator will steer us in the right direction. :lol:
P.S. My nephew dressed as a Pumpken head for Haloween, it was Great!!!!!!

[Chook]

Hey Jimmy:
(The Mods are going to cane me for this, I know!!! ... but)

we DO have a Mardi Gras Festival down here in Sydney - but it's celebrating Poofs and Lesos - if not the biggest in the world, then it's one of the biggest. The Queers come from all over the world and I think it's allowed because it brings millions of dollars into the country.

I must admit - it's VERY arty, and all that, but I wouldn't like my kids being involved.

Takes ALL kinds! :unsure:

[jimmy]

Ha Chook, funny! I bet Faulkner comes down from Greenland(Pinkland) for this fest. :lol: :lol: :lol:




Just joking: refer to Rogue's Gallery for details.

[damienpaul]

now thats a name not mentioned for a while..... I wonder what the ol' bean bag is doing now?

[suntrack2]

hi damien,
your comedy is embrassing and coool. in really alternative theo..


sunil

[damienpaul]

thank you sunil :) but I have to be careful, as difference is not tolerated by some, even though they ought to know that they will never change the differences

[Dave Mitsky]

Originally posted by Chook@Nov 5 2004, 06:58 PM
Hey Jimmy - there are enough "Pumpkin-Heads" in politics, here, without celebrating them.

It seems that the word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church, as you implied.

It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.

Why you would want to honour Saints in such an inappropriate way beats me.

Anyway - now we all know.

As I recall there are only about 10% Catholics in Australia, maybe that's why this celebration never took off here in Australia.
Halloween is a cross-quarter day so it has some astronomical significance.

http://www.whyy.org/tv12/franklinfacts/oct3100ff.html

http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/~gibson/cal/

Dave Mitsky

[Chook]

Thanks for all that info David - VERY interesting. :)