萬圣節(jié)英語簡介

萬圣節(jié)英語簡介

Theworditself,“Halloween,“actuallyhasitsoriginsintheCatholicChurch.ItcomesfromacontractedcorruptionofAllHallowsEve.November1,“AllHollowsDay“(or“AllSaintsDay“),isaCatholicdayofobservanceinhonorofsaints.But,inthe5thcenturyBC,inCelticIreland,summerofficiallyendedonOctober31.TheholidaywascalledSamhain(sow-en),theCelticNewyear.

Onestorysaysthat,onthatday,thedisembodiedspiritsofallthosewhohaddiedthroughouttheprecedingyearwouldcomebackinsearchoflivingbodiestopossessforthenextyear.Itwasbelievedtobetheironlyhopefortheafterlife.TheCeltsbelievedalllawsofspaceandtimeweresuspendedduringthistime,allowingthespiritworldtointerminglewiththeliving.

Naturally,thestill-livingdidnotwanttobepossessed.SoonthenightofOctober31,villagerswouldextinguishthefiresintheirhomes,tomakethemcoldandundesirable.Theywouldthendressupinallmannerofghoulishcostumesandnoisilyparadedaroundtheneighborhood,beingasdestructiveaspossibleinordertofrightenawayspiritslookingforbodiestopossess.

ProbablyabetterexplanationofwhytheCeltsextinguishedtheirfireswasnottodiscouragespiritpossession,butsothatalltheCeltictribescouldrelighttheirfiresfromacommonsource,theDruidicfirethatwaskeptburningintheMiddleofIreland,atUsinach.

SomeaccountstellofhowtheCeltswouldburnsomeoneatthestakewhowasthoughttohavealreadybeenpossessed,assortofalessontothespirits.OtheraccountsofCeltichistorydebunkthesestoriesasmyth.

TheRomansadoptedtheCelticpracticesastheirown.ButinthefirstcenturyAD,SamhainwasassimilatedintocelebrationsofsomeoftheotherRomantraditionsthattookplaceinOctober,suchastheirdaytohonorPomona,theRomangoddessoffruitandtrees.ThesymbolofPomonaistheapple,whichmightexplaintheoriginofourmoderntraditionofbobbingforapplesonHalloween.

Thethrustofthepracticesalsochangedovertimetobecomemoreritualized.Asbeliefinspiritpossessionwaned,thepracticeofdressinguplikehobgoblins,ghosts,andwitchestookonamoreceremonialrole.

ThecustomofHalloweenwasbroughttoAmericainthe1840”sbyIrishimmigrantsfleeingtheircountry”spotatofamine.Atthattime,thefavoritepranksinNewEnglandincludedtippingoverouthousesandunhingingfencegates.

Thecustomoftrick-or-treatingisthoughttohaveoriginatednotwiththeIrishCelts,butwithaninth-centuryEuropeancustomcalledsouling.OnNovember2,AllSoulsDay,earlyChristianswouldwalkfromvillagetovillagebeggingfor“soulcakes,“madeoutofsquarepiecesofbreadwithcurrants.Themoresoulcakesthebeggarswouldreceive,themoreprayerstheywouldpromisetosayonbehalfofthedeadrelativesofthedonors.Atthetime,itwasbelievedthatthedeadremainedinlimboforatimeafterdeath,andthatprayer,evenbystrangers,couldexpediteasoul”spassagetoheaven.

TheJack-o-lanterncustomprobablycomesfromIrishfolklore.Asthetaleistold,amannamedJack,whowasnotoriousasadrunkardandtrickster,trickedSatanintoclimbingatree.Jackthencarvedanimageofacrossinthetree”strunk,trappingthedevilupthetree.Jackmadeadealwiththedevilthat,ifhewouldnevertempthimagain,hewouldpromisetolethimdownthetree.

Accordingtothefolktale,afterJackdied,hewasdeniedentrancetoHeavenbecauseofhisevilways,buthewasalsodeniedaccesstoHellbecausehehadtrickedthedevil.Instead,thedevilgavehimasingleembertolighthiswaythroughthefrigiddarkness.Theemberwasplacedinsideahollowed-outturniptokeepitglowinglonger.

TheIrishusedturnipsastheir“Jack”slanterns“originally.ButwhentheimmigrantscametoAmerica,theyfoundthatpumpkinswerefarmoreplentifulthanturnips.SotheJack-O-LanterninAmericawasahollowed-outpumpkin,litwithanember.

So,althoughsomecultsmayhaveadoptedHalloweenastheirfavorite“holiday,“thedayitselfdidnotgrowoutofevilpractices.ItgrewoutoftheritualsofCeltsceleb