[Public] Journal Entry: Amara Aquilla 10/21/2012

[om_magma]

I have done much research on this Halloween holiday but I still cannot understand why people dress up in ridiculous costumes or why candy is involved. Is this some sort of entertainment? I have celebrated harvest festivals back home, but nothing like this.

Please shed some light on this if you would be so kind, classmates.

Comments

[om_elixir]

Short answer is tradition. From what I gather, countries celebrate all different things, but lots celebrate Halloween...or at least variations of it. American tradition has kinda shaped it up to be a commercial thing (like most of our holidays, not gonna lie). It's supposed to be about having fun, that's all!

[om_magma]

Some of the costumes are quite insulting. Julius Caesar would not approve of his likeness being cheapened.

[om_elixir]

Yeaaaah you'd probably be appalled if you knew how bad some of them got. Best thing to do is probably make a costume if you can. Or just look past the ignorant costume companies.

[om_magma]

Will you be making a costume?

[om_shade]

I'm too lazy to find wiki links for you, darling, but the costumes I'm pretty sure were once upon a time used to scare away bad spirits. Or maybe I'm mixing that up with a different holiday. I think by this point everyone jumps at a chance to be something different for an evening. Also, all holidays (except the fasting ones) seem to revolve around food. The candy industry is simply milking it for all it's worth.

[om_magma]

I imagine some students here would enjoy being something different, even if only for a night.

[om_ntw]

Harvest festivals yes

That is like Genosha

Except we have a parade too

[om_magma]

The harvest festival I am most familiar with is one that we had in Nova Roma, celebrating the Goddess Pomona, who is responsible for the harvest. I do not believe anyone here celebrates that.

[om_ntw]

Our harvest has no Goddess, no

Just a combine :)

[om_magma]

I will have to research this further.

[om_quicksilver]

There are eighty reasons for why people used to do it. But the key to understanding American Culture is that we basically just take bits and pieces of Other Cultures and smash them into something marketable and then use the hell out of them.

So my recommendation: don't think about it too hard, girl. Get yourself a costume that looks like fun, come and have a dance, eat some candy, and enjoy the tunes. Alison's gonna sing, then alllll the music and dancing.

[om_magma]

I would not even know where to begin on any of the above.

[om_quicksilver]

I can help with the dancing and the candy. I'm good with both. Find me there. Let's totally dance.

I'll call in the cavalry for the costume. ALISOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

[om_dazzler]

This is Alison Blaire reporting in for a FASHION EMERGENCY!

[om_magma]

That is unnecessary. I do not even like candy.

[om_sunspot]

Do you need to fully understand it menina? I think we all just go along with it, dress up and go have some fun. I look forward to seeing you on the dance floor, I believe you should be suitably impressed by my costume.

[om_magma]

Truthfully, I do not think I will be any good.

[om_sunspot]

There's no way to do it badly, it's not graded. It's just a party, you just go and have fun and I'm sure you will

[om_magma]

I have been told I am not very fun.

[om_touchstone]

There are two mainstream theories on how the concept of costume-wearing developed. Both center around the belief that this time of year provides the optimal time for evil, mischievous, or vengeful spirits to go after those in the land of the living.

The first theory (attributed to the pagan beliefs of Celtic peoples) is that the costumes warded off the dark entities or fairies when they were at their height of power.

The second theory (attributed to the Christian All Souls Day) is that the costumes and masks disguised the living from vengeful spirits of those who had already passed on from this world. All Hallow's Eve was thought to provide one last chance for spirits to gain vengeance on their previous enemies before they were committed into the next life.

These days, it's just a chance for kids to pretend to be something they aren't without looking like they're five again.

[om_magma]

How interesting. I have also read that it has some connection to various Roman harvest festivals, so of course I was intrigued.

[om_touchstone]

When the Romans began to invade Celtic lands, they began to combine the festivals of Feralia and the festival to Pomona with the more pagan celebrations. Some of our Halloween traditions are actually probably derived from Roman culture. Bobbing for apples, for instance, probably grew out of the worship to Pomona.

[om_shade]

Psst. Don't let the enthusiastic kids scare you. The night should be fun, and the room's big enough that if you need to hide from the revelry in a corner I'm sure there will be plenty of corners to hide in.

[om_magma]

I do tend to get a little overwhelmed in large groups. I am still unused to it.

[om_shade]

We have this huge mansion and tons of nooks and corridors. Just grab some air if it gets to be too much. Did they have any big festivities back where you're from? Different themes I'm guessing?