As the clocks go back and the nights draw in; remembrance of the dead feature in many celebrations across the world. From Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night in North America and England, to Dias de Los Muertos in Mexico and Cheung Yeung in China.
The idea of honouring the dead has ancient roots, the Celts believed that Samhain – which is a fire festival marking the end of the harvest, was when the boundaries between the worlds are at their weakest and the dead spirits could return to earth.
Christians celebrate All Hallow’s day sometimes known as All Saints Day or All Soul’s Day where every soul that has not achieved sainthood is prayed for and remembered.
Halloween celebrated on the 31st October is the last night that evil spirits have their last fling; before good spirits arrive on the 1st Nov to chase them away.
Los Muertos in Mexicohas catholic origins mixed in with traditions from the Aztec World. Children are remembered on the 1st Nov and Adults on the 2nd. The days have a carnival atmosphere and are joyful occasions. People visit cemeteries and honour their loved ones by decorating their graves and spending time with them eating, drinking, saying prayers, lighting candles and incense and leaving sacred marigolds.
Cheung Yueng is an Autumn festival held by the Chinese, it is one of three festivals throughout the year that honour the dead. This festival has its origins tied up with the 3rd century Han Dynasty. The story goes that a fortune teller advised a man named Woon King to take his family to a high place for the entire day of the ninth moon. When Woon returned to his village he discovered that everything had died. The legend is honoured now in the first week of November to visit family graves and pay respect to their ancestors and those that have passed away.
Bonfires being lit in order to chase away evil spirits is well documented especially in farming communities and so it is not a big leap to understand why bonfires were lit to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. The day celebrates the failure of the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ attempted by Guy Fawkes and his pro-catholic conspirators trying to provoke a revolution by blowing up the houses of parliament; destroy the government and assassinate King James I. Today of course ‘The Guy’ is burnt in effigy to represent the overcoming of evil.
Of course nowadays we are more likely to associate Halloween with Trick or Treating; where children dress up in costume and go door to door with the questions “trick or treat” in the hope that they will be given money or sweets. If the homeowner chooses trick then in theory the children will perform some sort of mischief. Guy Fawkes Night for most of us now marks the beginning of fire works that will run all the way until New Year.
If you are joining in this year with Halloween or Bonfire Night then just think you are helping to honour those that are no longer with us and are warding off evil spirits!
Tweet