Celts, Ghosts, Saints, and Stories: A Halloween Post

I was talking with a friend recently who asked me about the origins of Halloween. She is from China, and has been in the U.S. for five years. She and I were both under the impression that Halloween is a uniquely American holiday.

Apparently not.

According to History.com, Halloween actually began in Ireland. Ireland? Yep. Its origins are believed to be the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), where bonfires were lit and costumes worn to ward off ghosts.

The Celts’ new year began on November 1. They believed that on the night before, the boundary between the living and the dead became fluid, and ghosts could return to earth and cause trouble for the living.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day, or All-hallowmas (from Middle English alholowmesse); the preceding day became known as All Hallow’s Eve, later Halloween. The influence of Christianity had spread through the Celtic Lands, and the church-sanctioned holiday of All Saints’ Day supplanted the festivities of Samhain.

Today, Halloween is celebrated in communities throughout the U.S., Canada, and Ireland. Trick-or-treating and parties, costumes and treats are all part of the festivities. Interestingly, similar traditions can be found elsewhere. The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, celebrated in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, is a three-day festival honoring the dead, who are believed to return to their homes on October 31. Families visit gravesites on November 2 to picnic and remember those lost.

England celebrates Guy Fawkes Day on November 5. Bonfires are lit, effigies burned, and fireworks set off. It is noteworthy that many cultures around the world have rituals at this time of year, when the days grow shorter and we prepare ourselves for the long, dark winter.

The more we read and learn about traditions, stories, and people from other lands, both in times past and modern day, the more we are able to see the common humanity we all share. All across the globe, people gather to celebrate, connect, and tell stories to help us understand, and to enrich, this thing we call life. 

We tell stories. We listen to stories. It helps us understand who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be.

This is why I find it so vital to read to and with my children. Not just to build vocabulary and early literacy. Not just to give them a jumpstart at school. Not just to help them get to know the traditions and beliefs of children across the world. But to give them stories. In stories, we can find ourselves, lose ourselves, and remake the world.

To further explore Celtic heritage, click here and here. For ghost stories, click here.

Operation Barefoot Five

There are five in my family now. I still don’t quite have that down. My youngest was born seven months ago, and still, at times, I have to correct myself when I remember we are four no more. Things are busy, with a baby, one child in pre-school, and one in second grade. Amid all the hectic running around that is life in the year 2013, I try to make a point to occasionally slow down. If you don’t, you miss things that matter. Reading is one of the things that matter. Time with our children matters.

This blog will be a place where I plan to share information on early literacy, the joy of reading, Barefoot Books reviews and product highlights, and, occasionally, thoughts on the topic of Living Barefoot. More on that in a bit.

I decided the join Barefoot Books because 1) their books are beautiful; they speak to my soul and to my inner little girl, 2) they are a fun, green-minded company that supports values I appreciate, like global citizenship and caring for the Earth, and 3) they have this idea that captivates me: Living Barefoot.

What image forms in your mind when you hear the words Live Barefoot?

I picture bare toes dug into sand, waves lapping to and fro. A salty tang in the air.

I picture a little boy skipping stones into the glassy river.

I picture a young girl running through a meadow awash with purple coneflower. Her hair lifts in the warm wind. She spins, her face alight with joy.

I think of tire swings. Tree forts. Splashing in puddles.

Joy. Freedom. An untethered spirit.

I want myself, and my family o’ five, to try and Live Barefoot more often. What does that mean to me? It means I want to remember to:

1) Be present in the moment, this one right here and now

2) Say “yes” more often, even when it’s easier to say “no”

3) Take time to connect with nature

4) Be joyful

So that’s the goal. I know life will get in the way. Some days my patience will wear paper thin with my littles. Some days I will find myself shouting despite my best intentions. Some days I will be too tired after a half-dozen wake-ups in the night with the baby to take the whole gang to the park or go for the long walk we all need. But at least I’ll try and, more often than not, I plan to succeed. To cast off my shoes and Live Barefoot.

Do you make it a point to slow down daily and take note of the beauty around you? To watch the leaves as they saunter to the ground this fall? How do you reconnect with your childlike wonder? With nature? What are your favorite ways of Living Barefoot?

And so it begins: Operation Barefoot Five.