Let's learn about Halloween...
We love to make seasonal beaded jewellery projects, especially Halloween themed one! We found it so interesting to go back in time to learn more about the history of spooky season.
Over 2000 years ago...
Halloween, a festival celebrated on the 31st of October, has a rich history throughout the world blending ancient traditions, cultural practices and religion. The origins of Halloween date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounce sow-in) meaning summer’s end, the Celts marked the end of the harvest season on this day and the beginning of winter, a time they associated with death.
Protection from malevolent spirits
They believed that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was blurred and that spirits could pass through this veil and return to Earth. To ward off these spirits, large bonfires were built, and the Celts would don costumes of animal skins and heads meant to disguise them from any evil spirits. They would also leave offerings of food to appease these wandering souls and carve faces into turnips, potatoes and other root vegetables and place candles inside. These lanterns were supposed to guide the wandering souls back to the afterlife and protect them from malevolent spirits.
Feralia and Pomona
Two Roman festivals were combined with Samhain, Feralia and Pomona. Taking place in late October, Feralia commemorated the passing of the dead while the festival of Pomona was a day to celebrate the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, it is believed that this celebration is what led to the tradition of bobbing for apples.
As Christianity spread, Samhain was eventually incorporated into Christian practices. November the 1st was designated All Saint’s Day or All Hallows’ Day by Pope Boniface IV in the 7th century, this day was set aside to honour all saints and martyrs. The day before became know as All Hallows’ Eve which eventually was shortened to Halloween. By the 9th century Christianity had spread to the Celtic lands where it supplanted many older pagan rituals.
Souling and guising...
The practices of souling and guising became popular in the Middle Ages in Europe. Souling involved poor people visiting the homes of wealthier people to receive soul cakes in exchange for praying for the souls of the families lost ones. Guising was the art of dressing in costume and performing tricks or reciting verse in exchange for food or money. The precursor to modern day trick or treating.
A man named Stingy Jack...
Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the traditions of Halloween to the United States in the 19th century, there they found the tradition of carving potatoes and turnips could be made much easier by using pumpkins, a fruit native to North America. The larger size and near hollow inside making the perfect Jack o’lantern. The name Jack o’lantern stems from an old Irish legend about a man named Stingy Jack. According to the legend, Jack was a mischievous man who tricked the Devil several times, when Jack eventually died the Devil barred him from entering heaven or hell, condemning him to roam the lands for all eternity with only the light inside his hollowed out turnip head to light the way. He became known as Jack of the Lantern eventually shortened to Jack o’lantern.
Trick or Treat?
The popularity of Halloween spread and evolved into a community centered holiday by the 20th century. The return of immigrants from the United States to the UK bought Halloween back to the island along with many of the American traditions that had been developed. Many parades and parties would be hosted primarily for the enjoyment of children. By the 1950’s the traditions centered around trick or treating, costume parties, pumpkin carving and decorations to create the perfect haunted house.
The Colours of Halloween
The Colours of Halloween
Have you ever wondered why we always think of certain colours when it comes to Halloween. You’re inevitably thinking of orange, green, purple and of course black right now. Just take a look at our Halloween bead mixes to see how well the colours work and how it immediately feels spooky. So why these colours?
Oranges
Orange is probably the colour most associated with Halloween, representing Autumn and the harvest but probably the most iconic association is with Pumpkins. Who doesn’t love a traipse through a field to find the perfect pumpkin to carve! Orange symbolizes warmth and light, think of the traditional bonfires lit to celebrate Samhain.
Green
Green makes you think of monsters and bubbling cauldrons, warty witch faces and vials of poison. All perfect for a season associated with the spooky and supernatural.
Purple
Purple is a colour typically associated with magic, mystery and the supernatural. You can’t have Halloween without a little magic and mystery. A colour normally associated with Royalty it is also used to show power and what is a witch without her magical powers. As Halloween became more commercialised purple was used more and more to add a good contrast to the orange and green. And let’s face it who doesn’t love a good splash of purple in anything!
Black....
And lastly the most obvious colour black, symbolising darkness, death and the unknown, harking back to the traditional elements of Samhain regarding the veil and life after death. Traditionally associated with mourning, a time when we think of those we’ve lost. And let’s be honest, black costumes really do look the spookiest and the best at Halloween.
So if you are looking to create the perfect Halloween themed jewellery, maybe some stretchy bracelets with spooky words or one of our fright-tastic polymer mixes, then keep these colours in mind to really evoke the spirit of Halloween.
