It's the night of Samhain (the Celtic New Year) and there was a time when every community had a bonfire to celebrate the world of the living and the world of the dead coming thinner, allowing spirits and other supernatural entities to pass between the worlds to socialise as humans. The days of the bonfires tonight in Scotland have long gone and now we associate them with Guy Fawkes night.
In Celtic lore it is the time of the year when ancestors and other departed souls were especially honoured. I remember my great-granny used to set an extra place at the table for her dearly departed husband who was killed in the first world war and she lovingly prepared a menu of his favourite dishes. I was really small in those days and thought it quite spooky, but the rest of the family seemed to take it in their stride.
I must have been four or five before I was allowed out with my older brother and other friends to go guising. The original idea was to dress up as spirits of the dead but options have widened over the years and for some strange reason, once the celebration took hold in America we now celebrate it more in their style than our own which is centuries old.
Fully equipped with turnip lanterns, we'd tramp round the neighbours, every child having learned a poem, song or story and the adults patiently waited until each of us had performed before distributing sweeties, fruit or a biscuit each. In the 50s nobody gave money to guisers, it was quite unheard of then.
I didn't like dookin' for apples but I did enjoy when my Dad hung, on very long strings, treacle (that's the black stuff) scones from the top of the living room door and we had to do our best to finish one, with our hands clasped behind our backs. The winner received a prize, but more importantly, they were allowed to use the bathroom first to clean off the sticky mess.
It's quite a sad reflection on society that children seldom wander round the doors here these days - too unsafe I was told this week by a young mother.
Although the celebration style has radically changed, it's still recognised as part of our culture so let's not lose it. But why we've to call guising that awful name of 'trick or treat' beat me.
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9 comments:
Oh Subrosa – you have brought back so many happy memories.
We must have had a very similar childhood.
Days before we kids would search through the field looking for the largest neep. It was then back to the kitchen to carve it out, usually with a blunt spoon. For days after it was mashed neep with everything.
We hung the treacle scones from the ‘pulley’, it took two sheets one for the floor and the other to protect each of us as we ate our scone. Mother was there at our side applying liberal amounts of fresh treacle just to make sure everyone got fully clarted.
Dookin’ for apples was either done by kneeling on the floor and tipping your head into the galvanised bath, or for the softies and the girls they could kneel on the back of a chair and drop a fork hoping to spear an apple.
Happy, happy memories.
Fully agree with you - Lord save us from the Americanised dreadful ‘trick or treat’.
Your memories of Hallowe'en past are very similar to my own. Making a lantern out of a "neep"/"tumchie" - no pumpkins in those days - having to entertain to get the "treat" - in my area it was always a piece of fruit with some nuts - never candy or money.
Trick or treat actually stems from the original Celtic practice. In mythological times the people petitioned the God Lugh to rid the world of demons who were running havoc in those days. Lugh agreed and banished them - much to the discomfiture of said demons.
They were distraught and pestered Lugh to be allowed to return to earth. Lugh had sworn that he would never allow them back at any time, but their pestering was having an effect. However, he faced a dilemma - how could he go back on his word?
The solution was to create a day out of time between the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. For that one uncounted day they were allowed back.
Now in Celtic society hospitality was considered an obligation. To refuse hospitality was a grave offense that required swift retribution. So the demons went from house to house demanding hospitality and were free to chastise those who refused. Trick or Treat:0(
Wasn't it murder hollowing a turnip John? I was lucky because I remember my Dad helped me around the 3rd evening's howking.
Our pulley was over the bath and it was decided it was too dangerous to have us stand in that so the open living room door, with wads of newspaper underneath, was the scene.
I didn't like dookin because there was alway some stupid lad who'd stick your head in the water and you had to go to bed with wet hair which, by morning, was still damp and so was your pillow.
It's beyond me why this trick and treating caught on. Did we think we were being modern? It's such a stupid name for guising, which I think was named after Mary of Guise.
Scunnert, surely they didn't have trick or treat in Glasgow in your day? I thought it was much younger than that.
Aye it's a fascinating history Hallowe'en isn't it. The first day of the old winter too.
I think the Celtic habit of hospitality is still around with the older generation. It just doesn't 'feel right' if someone doesn't at least have a cup of tea and a biscuit when they visit me, even although it's just for a short time.
No Subrosa - "no trick or treat" it was:
The sky is blue
The grass is green
Wull ye gie me mah Hallowe'en?
I'm glad to hear that hospitality continues - at least in your house.
Cheers
Although I think I am a bit younger thatn you Rosie,(sic), my memories are similiar. I never hollowed out a turnip from memory but I do remember dooking for apples. Money was never mentioned or expected.
I was hoping I got a guiser tonight because I had some apples that I bought weeks ago that are going a bit soft. However no-one appeared. Little bastards!
SR,
Wonderful memories and howkin oot a neep took hours, my bairns laughed at me and told me to go and get a pumpkin a few years ago!
Well I did the pumpkin last night and will make Pumpkin soup today, I recall dookin, treacle strings and eating things hidden in a tray of sherbert!
Happy Days - now it's November!
Rainin here!
CD
I never hollowed turnips until I had my own DL. Think I had more blisters than I can ever remember! And I must have used every knife/implement in the house to find something to make it easier. Never found one but it's important children are happy.
Took me a couple of days CD, but my hands aren't that big or strong I don't suppose.
Forgot about the sherbert, but we didn't have that in the 50s. Sweetie rationing was on until I was around 6 I think ('52) and the first thing I ever bought in a shop was horehound. The sweetie shop had great chunks of the stuff and the wifey used to smash it up with a wee hammer. Then you sooked all day.
Awfy wet here too.
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