The Most Dangerous Time of the Year!

The Most Dangerous Time of the Year

Boo! Trick or Treat! They are amiliar words for this time of year. Halloween is an exciting time for children who look forward to treats, and a worrysome time for those who are more concerned about the tricks. In the modern western calendar, we mark the changing of the seasons on four dates - the solstices and the equinoxes. Under this system, we observed the beginning of fall at the autumnal equinox in September. These dates are no longer celebrated, they are little more than a marked date on the calendar. But this was not always the way of things, equinoxes and solstices held far more importance, and they were celebrated at different times of the year.

Under some older systems, the seasons began on what are known as "cross-quarter" days - days that represent the crossing from one season to another. Cross-quarter days occur roughly halfway between a solstice and an equinox. The ancient Germanic and Celtic people of Europe considered these cross-quarter days hazardous to the health - especially October 31st -Halloween.

October 31st marked the crossing into winter. The Irish called it Samhain [SAH-win], which means "summer's end."With the easy times of summer gone, winter became the first season of the new year.

As winter drew near, life became difficult and uncertain, if not even dangerous. With cold, dark days, it was harder to grow or find food. If the harvest had not been good, there might not be enough food to last the winter. And the weather itself was a grave threat, too. Enough wood must be gathered to keep the family warm all winter. Also, just as now, many illnesses became prominent in the winter. In a time when there were no antibiotics and other medications, people often died from simple viruses and fevers. If food was scarce, it could make things like a common cold become life threatening. Because of the natural dangers of this time of year, many cultures saw supernatural dangers as well. We might laugh at people coming to such conclusions, but long ago, it was a way of trying to explain things they did not understand.

Halloween was sometimes referred to as the "eve of all saints." It was believed that the dead walked that night and often visited home. This was not always meant as a frightening experience and quite often, candles (very often placed in pumpkins to shield them from the wind) were put out to help the souls find their way home.

Our modern version of Halloween, with its ghosts, goblins and threats of mischief, is the descendant of that terrifying and mystic time in the annual cycle. It announces the "dark side" of the year, when Earth's northern hemisphere turns away from the Sun. Hours of daylight are at a minimum and the nights were long, cold and often hungry.

Things begin to take a turn for the better around the end of the year - at the winter solstice. Although still tethered by winter, the northern hemisphere is heading toward the easier times of spring. The days gradually begin to get longer and there is a cause for celebration.