Hallows' Eve

Halloween... All Hallow's Eve... Samhain. The original New Year's eve. where new beginnings were thought to start with planting seeds into the dark earth, where they will germinate throughout the winter, dreaming in the shadows.

In the supermarket aisles, amid the scents of pumpkin spice and gingerbread, the glint of green plastic catches my eye.

A witch's mask, complete with straggly black hair and a wart or two.

It's the time of year when society at large seems to acknowledge magic on some level, albeit a ghoulish, mischievous kind. I've seen such fabulous costumes – amazing creativity and inventiveness.

There really should be good reason to dress up all year round, in my opinion!

Meanwhile, here's something I've copy-and-pasted from Wikipedia, about the origins of Halloween..

Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed. This meant the Aos Sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits. At Samhain, it was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the Aos Sí. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars.

*Definition of 'liminal':
1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process
2. occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold