Halloween

In Australia, we either embrace Halloween or really can’t stand it because it has become so commercial and often referred to as an “American holiday”.

Did you know that Halloween only started in America in the early 1900’s when there was an influx of immigrants from overseas?

So where did it originate and what is the actual relevance of Halloween for us and why for Pete’s sake would we be encouraging you to purchase Black Obsidian crystal at this time of the year?

Origins

Halloweens origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, The United Kingdom and Northern France, celebrated their new year on the 1st of November.

This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts and the dead returned to earth.

In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

Click here for more online information History of Halloween

Christian influence

Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (also known as All Saints' or Hallowmas) on 1 November and All Souls' Day on 2 November, thus giving the holiday on 31 October the full name of All Hallows' Eve (meaning the evening before All Hallows' Day).

The word "Halloween" comes from All Hallows' Eve and means "hallowed evening." Hundreds of years ago, people dressed up as saints and went door-to-door, which is the origin of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating. Believing that on that day, the souls of the dead returned to their homes, people dressed in costumes and lit bonfires to ward off spirits.

Costumes

The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry.

On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.

On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.

Why do people love Halloween so much?

Halloween has survived because it allows us to engage with our fear — our fear of death, of the dark of winter (in the northern hemisphere), of the unknown — in the same space that encourages wild joy. 

It transforms the things that we dread the most into a celebration where we can embrace of the things we don't understand.

Why we encourage you to have Black Obsidian Crystal 

Black Obsidian Crystal provides us with psychic protection and is great to have around you throughout this season and at any time you feel you need some extra protection.

Love, light, joy, 

Jennifer