It is suggested that the mummers and guisers "personify the old spirits of the winter, who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune". Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated the Aos Sí, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf. It was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter.įrom at least the 16th century, the festival included mumming and guising, which involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It was seen as a liminal time, when the spirits or fairies (the Aos Sí), and the souls of the dead, could more easily come into our world. After the Christianization of Ireland in the 5th century, some of these customs may have been retained in the Christian observance of All Hallows' Eve in that region-which continued to be called Samhain/ Calan Gaeaf-blending the traditions of their ancestors with Christian ones. The festival is believed to have pre-Christian roots. It was called Samhain in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, and Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. The practice may have originated in a Celtic festival, held on 31 October to mark the beginning of winter. The wearing of costumes at Halloween may come from the belief that supernatural beings, or the souls of the dead, roamed the earth at this time. Halloween costumes have tended to be worn mainly by young people, but since the mid-20th century they have been increasingly worn by adults also.Īn early 20th-century Irish Halloween mask (a "rhymer" or a "vizor") displayed at the Museum of Country Life. However, by the 1930s costumes based on characters in mass media such as film, literature, and radio were popular. Halloween costumes are traditionally based on frightening supernatural or folkloric beings. The Christian tradition of acknowledging the danse macabre is also suggested as the origin of dressing up on Halloween Dressing up is not strictly restricted to Halloween among Christians, with similar practices being observed on holidays like Christmas. It has been suggested that the custom comes from the Celtic festivals of Samhain and Calan Gaeaf, or from the practise of " souling" during the Christian observance of Allhallowtide. There are many references to the custom during the 18th and 19th centuries in the Celtic countries of Scotland, Ireland, Mann and Wales. An early reference to wearing costumes at Halloween comes from Scotland in 1585, but they may pre-date this. Halloween costumes are costumes worn on Halloween, a festival which falls on October 31. Facial make-up as masquerade is popular on Halloween, often referring to horror archetypes or various characters from movies or TV shows
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |