The Battle of Halloween: Is Samhain losing to selfishness?
In recent years something unsettling is being revealed about the nature of our beloved spooky holiday.
The Hubbub Halloween Clothing and Costumes Survey from 2019 estimates that UK Halloween celebrations generate over two thousand tonnes of plastic waste.
The investigation found 83% of the material in 324 clothing items promoted by online platforms of retailers was made from oil-based plastic.
Polyester is the most common form of this - a glaringly non-biodegradable substance that stays in landfill for hundreds of years - but has become the most widely produced fabric regardless.
The Textile Exchange’s “2023 Materials Market Report”, outlines this growth, in suggesting global production per person has increased from 8.3 kg in 1975 to 14.6 kg in 2022.
Some suggest this could be attributed to the growth of selfishness that pervades contemporary society; wherein personal consumption is valued above all else.
The comparison of traditional and contemporary “Halloween” has made this frighteningly true, by elucidating the movement from communal traditions to self-serving practices (sweet eating, dressing up for aesthetics and the like).
In order to understand this theory, one needs to realise just how different the practice of what we call Halloween today, actually was.
Samhain pronounced “sow-win”, is derived from the Gaelic.
Although, its exact origin is unknown, the most popular translation is “summers end”, “Taking place at the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice”2
It is considered in medieval Ireland to be the meeting of the season of light with the season of darkness.
However, Clement A. Miles alternative suggestion of Samhain to mean “assembly” in “Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan”, may provide a better insight into the celebration's unifying purpose.
Originally, the holiday was undertaken by the whole town to celebrate the end of the pastoral season.
Sacrifices and large bonfires were made to generate good fortune which was seen as critical preparation for the upcoming winter (a season associated with death and hardship).
Unlike contemporary Halloween, whose haunted attractions are merely for show, this tradition was seen as vital to connecting with nature and appreciating the work of the agricultural labourers.
A prime example of how modern Halloween is rooted in individualism, emphasising personal fulfilment in competitive displays over communal bonding.
According to The Encyclopaedia of Britannica this ancient Celtic tradition, was practiced on November the 1st and believed to be the day when “the world of gods is made visible to mankind”; a time where sacrifices and propitiations were “vital” to “counteract the activities of the deities”.
Resultingly, townspeople disguised themselves in scary costumes to avoid harm by confusing and repealing the spirits, a practice now only undertaken for comparably shallow reasons.
This, in addition to the dramatic increase of non-scary costumes, demonstrates how self- centred ideals have contorted the purpose of this holiday: a holistic communal celebration that focuses on a connecting with both the natural and spiritual world.
Furthermore, The Halloween staple of Trick-or- Treating was thought to have originated from the beggars practice of “souling”, an ancient ritual that is far removed from the sweets-led tradition that is undertaken today.
The custom entailed walking from house to house and praying for the souls of the families deceased in return for “soul cakes” (confectionary made from raisins, nutmeg and ginger).
These were given as an act of charity to remember dead relatives; a communally binding tradition that underscores the spiritual essence of the holiday.
The modern version, by contrast, focuses more on getting as many sweets as possible.
Although, it still allows children to get out into the community and enjoy the night, the less personal exchange – knocking and expecting sweets - showcases the shift toward individual indulgence and away from selflessness.
However, not all hope is lost.
There are traces of the reestablishment of the original Halloween, both in customs and values.
For instance, people have begun to purchase their costumes from charity shops and reuse their pumpkins: a more considerate approach to Halloween.
Additionally, Erin Mullally’s article “Samhain” mentions the revival of traditional festivities at the “Hill of Ward, once known as Tlatchga, In County Meath, Ireland” where “some wear robes and masks and carry torches and banners emblazoned with spiritual symbols.”
These examples prove that, although todays Halloween may seem far removed from its ancient roots in Samhain, it’s never too late to raise the spirits of tradition and bring them back to life in your celebrations!
Credits
1. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Samhain". Encyclopaedia Britannica, 20 Jun. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samhain. Accessed 27 October 2024.
2. Samhain, History.com Editors, HISTORY, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain, A&E Television Networks, Last Updated 2024.09.27, Original Published Date 2018.04.08
3. Derrig, Jennifer, “The Pooka in Irish Folklore”, https://www.theirishjewelrycompany.com/blog/post/the-pooka-in-irish-folklore, The Irish Jewellery company, 2017. 08.16
4. Mullally, Erin. “SAMHAIN REVIVAL.” Archaeology, vol. 69, no. 6, 2016, pp. 34–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26348788. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
