What’s with the scare tactics?
It’s Halloween, and the scary movies and ghost stories are all over. But, what’s with the scare tactics? Halloween isn’t supposed to be scary. But, for centuries, people have made up stories to make it so. And, now, the scary aspect is the predominant feature of the day. In reality, it’s a hybrid Christian, Celtic, and Pagan celebration. You may be aware that its corresponds with a change in seasons. While it’s not the official change from summer to fall, AKA Equinox, it began in The temperate zones of the Anglo Saxon region, around the 10th century (although it has roots in ancient Roman Paganism too). Anyone who lives in areas that experience snowy winters knows that when October turns to November, temperatures drop. This brings on the first frosts that kill off plants or send them into dormancy, meaning the end of the harvest season.
Thus, Halloween or Samhain (The Celtic name) really celebrates the end of harvest and beginning of the “dark” winter months. Many of the traditions of Halloween stem from a combination of Christian and Celtic mythology created over the years around the holidays. Halloween, in the Christian church, literally, means all hallows eve, since November 1 is “All Hallows” or All saint’s day. And, November 2 is all souls day. It marks a commemoration of all those whom have passed before. This is where the ghost stories come in. Although, it’s supposed to be a happy thing, celebrating the departed souls, some people feared retribution from departed souls they wronged in their lifetime. All hallows eve aims to allow souls stuck on Earth to pass on to the next realm. Originally, people helped guide the departed. But, the fear factor supplanted the charitable aspects of the day.
Table of Contents
How can we separate what’s with the scare tactics?
This scare factor on Halloween is a cumulative phenomenon. And, it picked up on aspects of multiple religious myths. As mentioned above, the Christian celebration is a kind of memorial service for the departed. According to some, the departed souls wander the Earth until they can ascend. Supposedly, the day before all Saints and all souls day is their last chance to leave. This is where many rituals and traditions start. Early Christians carved out turnips and put candles in them as a makeshift lantern to help guide the departed. They would set up tables to make offerings to the departed and welcome them into their homes for one last visit before passing into the next level of existence.
While Christians lay claim to this tradition, Celts and pagans before them had similar beliefs. In fact, Samhain centers around a theory that the veil between realms is thinnest on this day. And, spirits can pass through with ease. There are Neolithic passage tombs where the departed are buried in stone tombs with openings that correspond with sunrises in the same way Stonehenge does. They would visit these tombs and perform other pagan rituals to summon the dead. This isn’t done to destroy the world or create fear and chaos. It’s intended to allow one to communicate with their lost love ones. Unfortunately, suspicious minds create an alternate reality, and people expect the worst from their neighbors. So, What’s with the scare tactics? It’s actually misplaced paranoia and a misunderstanding of someone else’s beliefs.
Mummers, guisers and soulers
“Mummers” and guisers, represent the association of costumes with the holiday. People known as Mummers would act out plays in costumes. Guisers, specifically donned costumes to hide their identity from would be vengeful spirits. While mummers are more street performers, guisers would go from house to house seeking treats, sort of like more scary carolers of Christmas time. Guisers are a specifically Halloween thing. Mummers, don’t necessarily come out on the day. They are more interested in other religious holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Mother’s day. Of course, some were grifters, so perhaps that’s where trick or treat comes from. When guisers show up at your door, you don’t know if they are there for your entertainment or to pick your pockets and steal your stuff.
Another variation on this theme are soulers. The tradition of making “soul cakes” as alms to the poor spread around Halloween. And, poor people, especially, children, would go door to door to collect the hybrid cake/biscuits. So, all you kids who want the latest and greatest candy bar, cool your jets. Most modern trick or treaters don’t need the candy they get. It’s not alms. It’s indulgence.
In addition to costumes, these groups may represent the early incarnations of Halloween storytelling. Although Mummers and the like acted out plays that usually involved slaying dragons, modern storytellers focus on the scary aspects of stories. While scary stories can get the adrenaline flowing, one has to wonder why this is necessary. Just turn on the news. Look at the mass shootings, hurricanes, tornadoes, and Earthquakes. Or, try following politics. There’s enough scary drama in the real world. So, What’s with the scare tactics?
Danse macabre
The Celts and Early Christians saw Halloween as a way to connect with departed loved ones. It wasn’t a scary thing. The intention was to soothe the pain left by the loss. To this day, people seek out mediums and soothsayers to contact the dead. It’s a happy act. Of course, puritanical and evangelical preachers had to ruin the joy. It’s a known fact that (as the flaming lips sang in “do you realize”) we all will die. But, to coerce churchgoers to keep going to Church, the powers that be developed fire and brimstone rhetoric. Instead of creating comfort in the afterlife, this created perpetual fear. According to doctrine, we are all born with original sin, so we aren’t going to “the good place” unless we follow their ways. And, any slight, knocks you off the path.
Naturally, this causes panic. And, allegories of Life after death proliferated. In France, they started a tradition known as the danse macabre. It is an art form (known as a memento mori) designed to remind people that they will all die. And, it reinforced the fear that if you don’t live a perfect life, you will have a horrible afterlife. Of course, the rules for what constitutes a good life change by whim of the powers that be, and the slightest transgression, such as an impure thought, dooms people. Dating back to the 1400’s it serves as a reminder of what’s with the scare tactics. Compare it to modern political theory, it smacks of authoritarian rule. The ruling class keep their subjects in line, not by providing for them, but by striking fear into them, that if they go against doctrine, they will suffer unendurable consequences.
What’s with the scare tactics? Take back the day
Think of Samhain or Halloween as a time to reconnect with the dearly departed. The Mexican tradition of el Día de los Muertos actually does this. It celebrates life by embracing death. Unfortunately, a lack of knowledge and acceptance of death and any possible afterlife, and centuries of conditioning created a culture of fear. So, even this joyous celebration makes people uncomfortable. It all stems from a lack of understanding. When we see a skeleton, the immediate reaction is: “CREEPY”… get away. But, what if we saw it as a reminder of our fragility. If you got a diagnosis that you would die in a year, would you curl up in a ball and cry yourself to death? Chances are, you would embrace what little life you have left. You would go out and try to squeeze as much out of life as you possibly can.
Well, in the scheme of time, our actual lives are like that. We don’t know how long we will be here. But, we do know it’s temporary. Whether it’s 100 years, 60 years, or 60 days, We have a relatively short amount of time. The earth itself is billions of years old. And, humans have only been here for around 2 million, with our current version of Homo sapiens only dating back around 200,000 years. So, we are the tiniest fraction of a tiny fraction of our own history, let alone the history of the universe. If there is an afterlife, that should give us hope that our fleeting existence here will continue in another form. This should be a cause for celebration, not depression and fear. Instead of paralyzing fear, let’s find inspiration in the message of the day: It will all be gone, embrace what we have.
For the Souls of the departed
While El Dia de los Muertos is a well known celebration, the concept of food for the departed cuts across cultural and geographic boundaries. It’s a tradition in Portuguese, Spanish, and even Chinese Culture. And, the Celts did it too. They put a plate out for the departed on Halloween. I have gone to US Navy graduations where they have an empty table with several icons dedicated to the brave souls who are no longer with us. So, it’s not some cultish thing. Sometimes it’s an offering to the dead, or the sharing of a meal in honor of the departed. You can do this any time. But, for most, it’s usually done once a year, on a birthday or death day. But, Halloween, all saints or all souls day works as well.
Think of it like a version of New year’s day. In fact, Samhain is just that: the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Getting back to history, this is as good a day as any to start the year. It marks the end of harvest, and, the beginning of the austere months. It mirrors life in a way. We start with dependence on the pre-planning of storing food and supplies for the winter, then the year flourishes after the thaw, bursting with life, until the life cycle slips into dormancy when autumn returns. It’s really an agrarian calendar. And, it’s a perfect time to take stock in what transpired in the previous year, and, what to expect in the coming year. We can honor what we’ve lost, and what is yet to come. So, instead of scariness, let’s toast the souls of Auld Lang Syne.
Should Auld acquaintance be forgot
To that end, we bring you some food for the souls of the dead. And, what is more appropriate than the earlier mentioned “soul cakes”? In addition to serving as alms to the poor, Celts and Celtic Christians used to put these on a table, much like the one at the naval Graduations, to offer to the departed when called forth from beyond the veil on Samhain or Halloween. They are a simple cake marked much like hot cross buns with a cross cut into the top. Otherwise, they are, pretty much, a biscuit.
We add dried fruit to ours. And, you can play with them too. You start with a basic dough. But, feel free to add your own touches. Heck, you could even break from the religious overtone, skip the cross in top, and fill them with fruit purees, chocolate or other delicacies. You could even cut back on the sugar and make them more savory to serve as a base for some hors d’oeuvres or part of a meal with a stew. No matter what way you make them, please take today to remember the departed with humor, happiness and reverence instead of fear. Just ask yourself, what’s with the scare tactics?
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.