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halloween party
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The origins of Halloween are ancient and date back to a 2000 year old Celtic festival. They celebrated the New Year on November 1, the end of summer and the beginning of a dark cold winter. But they believed that on October 31 the last day of the year, the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred as ghosts returned to earth to cause trouble and damage crops. |
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To the Celts, Halloween was known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in). By the Middle Ages, the church was trying to replace the Celtic festival of the Dead, with a day that honored the saints. This new celebration was called all-hallowmas and the evening that preceeded it, all-hallowseve, or Halloween. |
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If you feel the need to get away for Halloween you might want to put Darmstadt, Germany on your must see list. There is a castle in the town that was once inhabited by theologian and physician Johann Conrad Dippel. The legend goes that Dippel tried to construct a new human being out of the body parts of prisoners he kept locked up in the castle dungeon. When Mary Shelley visited the Castle in 1816, she was inspired to write Frankenstein. |
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An early Christian tradition was placing a platter of soul cakes outside the front door on all hallowseve. The purpose was twofold. They were given to beggars who went from house to house on Halloween. They promised to say a prayer for one of the family's departed in return for a cake. One cake for one soul. They were also used as a reward for bands of entertainers called mummers who made their merry rounds at Halloween. Either way, this is believed to be the basis for the modern practice of trick or treat. |
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In Ireland it is tradition to serve barnbrack, a Halloween fruit cake with the powers of prophecy. Each member of the family gets a slice of the cake. Baked in each cake is a small piece of a rag, a coin and a ring. If you get the rag then your financial future is in doubt. You could be reduced to rags. A prosperous year is ahead if you get the coin. And getting the ring? Then certain romance, or continued marital bliss is in your future. |
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Most of the symbolism surrounding today's Halloween is inspired by the classic Hollywood horror films, like Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster. One of the most enduring however, is the black cat. Even in ancient folklore black cats were associated with witchcraft and evil. During the witch hunts of the Middle Ages, black cats were also hunted down and burned. Today we see them mostly as a silly superstitions. |
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Another tradition that has survived is colcannon for dinner, a simple meal of boiled potatoes, cabbage and onions. As a treat, clean coins are wrapped in baking paper and placed in the potatoes for the children to find and keep. |
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Witches being closely associated with Halloween is a very modern idea. During the early Christian era, witches were seen as the cohorts of the devil often depicted in his embrace, or flying through the sky on a broom or goat. But what is more frightening than the witch, itself, is how they were hunted down during the Middles Ages. Now, the most well known witch is the green faced creature from the Wizard of Oz. |
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the mix: |
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This is fun for the whole family. We even set up a table close to the front door. That way all of the trick or treaters can get a glimpse of all of the guests at out spooky dinner. |
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