It’s all hallows inside
Image by Dja12345 from Pixabay
Some things have creamy fillings. Others, like Chocolate Easter Bunnies are hollow inside. Why are we talking about candy? A modern adaptation of a longstanding Christian holiday. For today is Halloween. To some, it’s about deception and treats. But, to people who really know, It’s all hallows inside. That’s because, even the name Halloween is a variation on the actual day in Question. The true day is all Hallows’ eve. November 1st is All Saints day (AKA All hallows). This is the day that Christians commemorate the “hallowed” figures of church lore. November 2 is all souls day, when the souls of the departed are recognized. So, why the big hub bub on Halloween? Marketing.
The three day observation is simply an exercise in what People should do on a regular basis: remember, recognize and respect the efforts of exceptional people and those who are no longer with us. But, thanks to Superstition and fear mongering, Halloween is now a caricature of itself. what was once a set of solemn rituals and an attempt to connect with the departed became an exercise in paranoia and fear of the afterlife. Over the centuries, the theatrics and paranoia supplanted an attempt to connect the physical and metaphysical worlds. And, the commercialization of an entire season ensued.
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How did people know It’s all hallows inside?
Halloween, as we know it today, is a hybrid holiday drawing on different cultural influences. The name comes from Celtic festival of the dead: Samhain. But, it now has shades of the French Danse macabre and Mexican Dia de los muertos. In addition, the spring celebration of Walpurgisnacht sneaks in with a fear of witches. But, Halloween and all hallows day are not supposed to be about fear. The original exercise was an attempt to commune with the dead. But, certain precautions are necessary when attempting this, so the paranoia part took over.
Ancient Celts and Druids believed that the veil between our world and the world of the departed is thinnest on this day. So, they would try to communicate with loved ones at this time. Unfortunately, when the veil is thin, other entities may also cross over. And, a fear of being visited by people whom one had wronged or other malevolent beings set in. This is why we have costumes. people would not want their deceased enemies to recognize them, so they donned disguises. Costumes were also brought into story telling for the festivities.
When the Romans took over, they incorporated Celtic traditions into their own celebrations of the time. And, when people started coming to America, they brought Halloween traditions with them. One tradition involved Soul cakes. It became customary for poor people to visit wealthier neighbors and offer prayers for the deceased. The wealthier people would give them the “soul cakes” in exchange. This is the precursor to Trick or treating.
America makes it our own
Halloween found limited success during the Colonial period of the US. Many puritans and protestants found it too scandalous, so it was more of a southern celebration. But, over the years that changed. Indigenous people shared some of their customs concerning the dead. And, with mass immigration, especially of Irish and Scottish people, Halloween became a mainstay by the end of the 19th century. Then, in the 20th century, its popularity soared as people saw a way to make it a family event, which leads to community building and “merchandising”.
Then came Hollywood. While films and ghost stories aren’t strictly an American thing, Hollywood made the stories bigger than life. They found ways to exploit peoples’ fears, everything from Dracula to the Werewolf to alien invasions and ghost stories. After the real life horror of the World wars subsided, American advertisers wanted to keep fear alive. So, the campy horror films of the 50’s and 60’s took off. They were supplanted by darker grittier movies in the 70’s, culminating in a new genre: the slasher film. Texas Chainsaw massacre set us down a road of films like the Friday the 13th and Halloween series’s. These, and their successors are about violence for violence sake. Newer films and TV shows take advantage of the lore laid out by these films and modern film-making technology to create some truly horrific imagery and scenarios.
What can we say? Fear sells. And, that’s what Halloween has become. It’s more about the fear than the connection to the departed. There’s nothing Hallow about it. In fact, you could say it’s all hallows inside (except the content is all hollow).
Can’t escape it
Beyond film, there are theme parks, haunted houses, and myriad songs about things related to the horror aspect of the day. One of my favorite is Roky Erickson’s Night of the Vampire. Then there are the death metal bands who not only sound, but dress and act the part of a horror film soundtrack. Rob Zombie has a whole multimedia industry around his name, doing music, film, and traveling shows all dedicated to the horror genre.
Then there are myriad other people celebrating genres within genres like goth, slasher, Monster movies, supernatural, body horror, and more. Americans spend about 10 to 12 billion dollars each year around Halloween on Halloween themed things and candy. Of course, the fear factor doesn’t just function for that one month. It’s a year round industry. But, it peaks at this time. The city of Salem Massachusetts sees over a million people every year in October. Why because some of our forefathers killed and repressed people they thought were witches there in the 1690’s. Ironically, the trials happened in Salem village which is a part of the city of Danvers. The city of Salem itself isn’t even where this took place. But, they still call it the witch city.
Thanks to all of this “entertainment”, tourism, and every marketer, you can’t escape Halloween. Even going to the market or a restaurant, there is some sort of Halloween theme.
There is good and bad when it’s all hallows inside
So, if you are a fan of Halloween, your in luck. Whether you want lighthearted jocularity (as in the trick in trick or treat) or hardcore horror, there are plenty of options. But, if you just want to celebrate loved ones as the religious holiday suggests, it can be hard to find that solace and solitude amidst the cacophony of witches, vampires, and slashers. So, what do you do? Close your doors and hide? Then, the kids think you’re one of the scary things they’re supposed to avoid or find out if you are a witch or vampire.
The best you can do is try to tune out the noise and focus on yourself and your connection. Whether there is another realm to tap into is unknown. But, if there is, you don’t want to bring negativity to it. That’s what attracts the unwanted spirits. So, clear your mind and get yourself into a safe space. Better yet, just wait until a happier time of year.
In the meantime, enjoy some Halloween cheer with these recipes
Samhain Soul Cakes
Ingredients
- 4 Cup AP Flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 tsp baking Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp Caraway seed
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 8 Oz Unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 Cup Sour Cream
- 2/3 Cup milk
- 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
- 1/2 Cup Dried Figs Diced
- Extra Milk and Sugar for topping cakes
- More flour for rolling out dough
Instructions
- Cream the sugar and butter together until well incorporated
- Add in the vanilla, sour cream and milk, Mix well.
- Mix together the flour and spices. Add to the wet mixture carefully, a bit at a time to keep from spraying everywhere. Then fold in the dried fruits.
- Roll the dough into a ball, dust with flour to prevent sticking and refrigerate 20 minutes to let it firm up.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Lightly flour a surface to roll out the dough. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds. Score the tops in the shape of a cross. lay on a baking sheet with parchment paper and pan spray or wax paper. Brush the tops with some milk.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Then remove from the oven. Brush with more milk, and sprinkle sugar on top. We recommend using a large grain sugar for this part. Return to the oven and bake for another 12 to 14 minutes. The tops should begin to brown. Be careful not to over-bake, or they could become quite dry.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Serve as is or with butter, jam, clotted cream, or whatever your preferred topping. Or, eat on their own.
Autumn Ale Steamed Mussels with Caramelized onion and Hot Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 Lb Mussels, cleaned and beards removed
- 1 Quart Julienne Sweet Onions
- Olive oil for cooking
- 2 Tbsp Fresh garlic, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Chopped fresh Jalapeno, Poblano, or Serrano Peppers
- 12 Oz New England Ale, Preferably something medium body.
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 each Fresh medium lemon
- 2 Oz Unsalted butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Hearth Baked Bread to serve with the mussels
Instructions
- In a large pot, Heat the olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat. Allow it to slowly caramelize. Stir occasionally. It should reach a point where it is sweet, lightly brown, and very soft. About 10 minutes over low to medium heat. You can turn the heat up a bit, but keep a closer eye on it.
- Add in the hot peppers, Thyme, and mussels, and stir. Then add the beer. Cover the pot and allow the mussels to steam in the beer for about a minute. The Mussels will open up. When all the mussels are open, remove them from the pot, into a serving bowl or bowls. Reduce the sauce in the pot by about 20 %. Then, whisk in the butter, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the mussels.
- Serve the mussels immediately. A nice sour dough bread or focaccia goes well and can sop up the extra sauce.
Maple Bourbon Glazed Scallops with Celery Root and Yam Puree and Apple Slaw
Ingredients
- 1.5 # Large Scallops, muscle removed
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Ginger
- 1/2 Cup Bourbon or other type of Whiskey
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
- For Apple Slaw:
- 1 Large Gala Apple
- 1/4 Cup Shaved Red Onion
- 1/4 Cup Julienne Red Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Chives Cut into 1 inch Strips
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil (Neutral)
- For Puree:
- 1 Lb Peeled Yams or sweet Potatoes
- 1 Lb Peeled Celery Root
- 1/4 Lb Butter, unsalted
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- Oil for Cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix Ginger, Herbs, Maple, bourbon, lemon juice, and a little oil, salt and pepper. Marinate the scallops in this mix for about an hour.
- Peel and Cut Celery Root and Yams into 1 inch Pieces. Boil in salted water, in separate pans until soft (They cook at different rates). Drain both well. Place celery root in food processor. Pulse and mix until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Add in the yams, continue processing until smooth and mixed well. Add in honey, butter, salt, and pepper. Place in a pan to reheat when needed.
- Make the slaw: Julienne the vegetables and apples into 1 inch strips. Mix the cider vinegar, dijon, maple, salt and pepper, drizzle in the oil while whisking until the dressing becomes emulsified. Mix all ingredients together. Set aside until needed.
- Heat a little oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Remove the scallops from the marinade. Save the marinade. Sear the scallops about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Add the marinade to the pan and cook another minute or two until the scallops are completely cooked. Remove the scallops and continue reducing the marinade until it becomes a glaze.
- Reheat the yam/celery root mix. Place on a plate. Top with the scallops. Brush or drizzle the glaze over the scallops. Then top with the slaw. Serve immediately.