Ah, those days as a child when nothing really mattered – except to have more pounds of chocolate than anyone else. Yes, life was simpler then.
From All Souls Day, to All Saints Day and finally Halloween on October 31st, has progressed (or regressed) into a modern day phenomenon like most holidays with the actual meaning being almost lost along the way.
Halloween developed in the Celtic region a millennium ago with the Christian tradition of souling, where prayers for the dead were traded for a cake that was similar to fruit cake – yea, a lot of jokes come to mind. Later the beginnings of Halloween as we know it with children going door-to-door and saying ‘trick or treat’ evolved in places like Great Britain. Poor children went from home to home asking (or begging, as it were) for food in return for once again souling.
It’s been said the practice here in the United States is a century old, but history doesn’t actually tells us much about trick or treating until the Depression era and mainly in the Western United States. Regardless, kids still are begging for treats today.
Stay safe and hopefully you will have a great evening – we here in wine country will be wet … but were not complaining. Although I’m sure there will be some children none too happy. I leave you with this Celtic saying:
“From ghoulies and ghosties – And long-leggedy beasties – And things that go bump in the night, – Good Lord, deliver us!”
Slainte,
Daryle Hier
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Paso Wine Barrels 