Ghosts and spirits, witches and magic, demons and strange creatures. Halloween opens the door to these things that many people turn a cheek to out of fear or misunderstanding. It poses the frightening question, what is real and what is possible?
Halloween originated as a way to use "humor and ridicule to confront the power of death." Trick-or-treating originated from the medieval practice of "souling" where the poor would go door to door asking for food in return for prayers for loved ones. Death is confronted and honored through food and gathering in many cultures in different ways, including Mexico's Day of the Dead.
Unfortunately in today's culture it has been skewed to represent an event where many people dress their sexiest in order to find a hot date for the night, completely disregarding the history and meaning of the tradition. But, as times and traditions change, the upside is that Halloween is now a holiday for people to be anything they want to be, especially what may not be appropriate or accepted in daily life.
And for that reason, along with the deep questioning and oddities involved, I love Halloween.
It was recently brought to my attention that the tacky decorations are what may turn so many people away from celebrating this holiday (I cringe because those decorations are corporate advertisement and have almost no true relation or authenticity to the spirit of Halloween's origins). So, obsessed with a life of style and being true to authenticity and tradition, I found some hand crafted Etsy items that would be great, spooky decor for this year's All Hallows' Eve.
Vintage photographs have always intrigued me. I think it's a great thing to adorn a wall with for a Halloween celebration. You couldn't Photoshop them (at the time), and digital cameras did not exist- when that shutter opened it captured whatever was in front of it and that was that. There is something amazing about old photographs that have been found that organically included oddities, deformities, ghosts, and other mysteries that to this day may still have no explanation or parallel.
At summer's end, or Samhain, on October 31st, it was tradition to build large bonfires to ward of bad energies and prepare for harvest feasts. The light and fire of course would attract insects, which in turn would attract their predators (bats) to swarm the air. Not only a strange looking creature of the night, also tied to the theories of vampires, they have been a symbol of Halloween festivities for ages.
Potions of poison, magic, and strange ingredients- apothecary mysteries that hold the juice of life or death. Old apothecary jars are another one of my favorite things. Protected curiosities, due to fragility and poisonous qualities, they are the giant red button that says 'do not push.' With their delicate labels with signs of old age, and their intricately shaped glass blown forms, one sip and you are toying with the hands of death and magic.
Oddities and curiosities are like food for my soul. Nature's creativity has formed so many incredible and strange things, and we match it with our creations of destroyed objects and mysterious items. They are the essence of the soul of Pandora's Box. Creepy and strange and with shades of fleeting mortality, oddities are some of the most intriguing objects and pieces of history in the world.
Spiders are thought to be another creature with connections to the supernatural, often being affiliated with witchcraft. Their web weaving abilities have been said to represent time and fate, two mysteries of human life. Their tendencies to be poisonous also aids itself to be an added fright factor, and it's eight lengthy legs are so thin you'd almost never know if they were right on top of you.
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| There is a history of people killing black cats around Halloween time due to the animal's affiliation with witchcraft. Please be nice to all creatures and keep your pets safe! |
There are many amazing decorations for this celebration that harness the true spirituality and tradition of All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween. If you take the time to look, you will be able to do great justice to this holiday and tap into the true historic element of this beloved holiday.
Here is a link to a few great short explanations of Halloween symbols, so you can choose your celebratory decor wisely.
Happy Halloween everybody!
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