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Show Tooele Transcript, Thursday, October 21, 1982 Friday Night Fun League Team Halloween Still Casts Its Spell by Ink Mendelsohn Smithsonian News Service If faith can move mountains, belief did a pretty fair job on one country road in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1959. Rather than build a road as planned, construction workers went on strike because the proposed route would have destroyed a fragile fairy palace in its path. Even a positive environmental impact report - had there been such a thing -could not have paved the way for this particular road. Older country folk in Ireland still strongly believed in fairies just as their Celtic ancestors worshipped spirits of the forests and streams centuries before them. The county commissioners, not wishing to disturb either the fairies or the folk who believed in them, rerouted the road. Many of our contemporary holiday celebrations are rooted in just such a rich soil or older beliefs. In America today, -- Halloween the practice of the Dmid religion as well and banished or killed many of the priests. Roman festivals, like the November harvest festival honoring Pomona, goddess of fruit, blended with Samhain. Apples and nuts, not human lieings, were offered to Pomona. Nevertheless, many Druid customs lived on for hundreds of years, until Christianity became a force in that corner of the world - and even lieyond. Christianity gave Halloween its name, if not its customs. In 835, Pope Gregory IV established the first day of November in the Christian calendar as All Saints Day, or Allhallows. The festival honors all of the Christian saints and martyrs, known and unknown. Oct. 31 is Allhal-low- s Even (Eve), shortened to Halloween. It was likely no accident that the very day chosen to honor Christian saints was the Druid Samhain. Old gods and beliefs are not willingly surrendered. The Christian church adopted the policy of incorporating what it considered harmless pagan folkways in an effort to win over the folk. New branches were thus grafted onto the old Druid oak. In the Middle Ages, however, church trick or treat. More than 2,000 years ago, in what is now France and the British Isles, it was a matter of life and death. For the Celtic people of Caul and Britain, the night of Oct. 31 was one of thanksgiving, and, at the same time, one of terror. Firsthand descriptions of the Celts come from Julias Caesar who wrote an especially vivid account of the Druids of opposition to practices Gaul - the Celtic priests who were the stiffened. In response, witchcraft and Saguardiaos of worship and the arbiters of tanic cults spread throughout Europe in human sacrifice. Celtic worship centered defiance of the church. On Halloween, around the chief Druid god, Baal, whose especially, the witches and warlocks visible emblem was.the sun. gathered in eerie rites at sabbaths to The festival of Samhain (Saveen) or mock the festival of All Saints. The figure of the witch is as old as the summer's end, which fell on Nov. 1, the Celtic New Years Day, rejoiced in Bible, which tells the story of King Saul Baals harvest gifts but also mourned the seeking the advice of the Witch of Endor suns fading flowers. Soon the sun woidd alxmt the outcome of his impending batbe weakened by his enemies and the tle with the Philistines. The witch called the prophet Samuel from the dead for powers of darkness would prevail in up his prediction. Angered at being sumtheir season. Life was a constant state of flux for moned by a forbidden practice, Samuel these early peoples, Jack Santino, a predicted that Saul would lose the battle Smithsonian Institution folklorist, ob- and his life. Samuel was right. Witches - old wise women sought serves. Omens that foretold the future were their attempt to bring order to the after for charms, herbs and fortune tellwere an accepted part of Creek world. ing Omens sometimes took gruesome and Roman society. In the Middle Ages, shapes. On Oct. 31, the last night of the as Christianity struggled to eliminate old year, it is said, Saman, the lord of witchcraft and satanic cults, witches death, gathered the souls of all those were held to be an evil force that must who had died the past year and decreed Ire erased. Long after witchcraft had any significant impact in Europe, witchcraft what form they would take in the comtheir ing year. Bonfires, which were literally persecutions continued, reaching 16th in the and 17th centuries. height hills. the Animals and bonefires, lighted Harvard historian George Lyman human lieings usually criminals and wrote in 1928 that, in calculating were burned alive as prisoners of war sacrifices to Baal and the now ascendant the number of people who died as a reevil spirits. From their appearance in sult of these persecutions on the contindeath, the priests saw omens foretelling ent from thel4th to the 17th centuries, . . half a million is thought to be a mothe future. derate estimate. Other estimates have Did their omens foretell the Druid deranged from 1 to 9 million. There were mise? Caesar conquered Gaul and Britain and made it part of the Roman Em- thousands of other victims in England, Scotland and America. pire, and sulrsequent Roman rulers outThe first execution for witchcraft in lawed human sacrifice and cut down (Vie New England was not, as might be be- Druids sacred oak groves. They forbade is lieved, in Salem, Mass., but in Hartford, Conn., where Alse Young was hanged on May 26, 1647. From the first settlement to the end of the 17th Century, 34 people died as a result of the witchcraft persecutions in New England. The Salem witchcraft trials began in February 1692 and ended in Januray 1693, having claimed 22 lives. More than 4(H) others, including John Alden of Bosson of the Priscilla and ton, John Alden of Plymouth, were accused but survived the ordeal. In the end, a trial judge, a group of jurymen and one of the accused recanted. A short and unhappy chapter in American history was near its close. If the Puritans brought an abiding belief in witchcraft to America, they didnt bring Halloween. The Puritans rejected church holidays such as Allhallows and would have branded the boisterous antics of the folk holiday as the work of the Devil. However, other English colonists kept old world Halloween customs like apple ducking and telling ghost stories. Halloween lecame a nationally observed holiday in America only after the great Irish and Scottish immigration in the mid-19t- h century. These newcomers brought their Halloween celebration as a bonus - a Halloween treat. Americans learned to play games of divination with the apples and nuts of Pomonas festival. Halloween party-goer- s bobbed for apples to find out if love were true, tossed apple peelings over their shoulders to read in their shapes the initials of future husbands and placed seeds on their palms to tell fortunes. Couples carefully watched blazing nuts in the fire; if a pair of nuts burned to ashes together, a couple could expect a happy life, but if they -- standings: Lucky Ones Long Shots Visitors ween parties. Halloween is no longer just for kids, olklorist Santino says. In some urban areas, Halloween is becoming very much an adult holiday. crackled or flew aprt, quarrels and separation were in the offing. After 2,000 years, people were still looking for omens in the fire. The Irish and Scottish brought a bagful of Halloween tricks as well 15 Halloween gets bigger and bigger each year, even in the recession, KenShow-altsington, Md., costumer Genevieve It the on costs, average, $50 says. to rent a costume for a night, but by close of business on Halloween, Im cleaned out of Cleopatras, Judy Garlands, Southern belles, riverboat gam- some of them the shadowy survivals of Druid rites. In the late 1800s, Halloween pranks reached new highs goblins and evil spirits were blamed for buggies on the roofs, front gates In the tree-top- s and overturned outhouses and new lows, as teachers found snakes instead of apples in their desk drawers. At the turn of the century, young people built bonfires, rank doorbells repeatedly, threw unmentionable objects in front halls and flour in peoples faces. Inevitably, civic conscience reared its righteous head. Communities all over America started to organize Halloween. By the 1930s Halloween had become a regular safe and sane epidemic. Los Angeles, naturally, offered dramatic events at its playgrounds. Chicagos municipal playground regulations required directors to provide games, costumes and a big bonfire. With barely an autumn leaf in sight, Miami Beach presented its an- er - - blers and Roman soldiers. artist Washington, D.C., make-uDiana Binder has more customers each e Hallown who want makeup jolss such as The Kitten," The Daisy, The Double The Star, The Panda, Face, and the Tutti Fruitti. Each job takes almut an hour and a half. It may not le so profitable," Binder says, "but I enjoy it because its fun, and there arent that many things that are fun anymore. For children and adults alike, Halloween today is just for fun in spite of its frightening beginnings. Certainly, no one believes in witches, goblins, ghosts or other supernatural creatures anymore. Well, perhaps only in fairies, et tu, E.T.? p full-fac- ' nual Halloween Frolic. dim-out- s. teurs. Today, in spite of new urban dangers, costumed figures are back on city streets in full force but with a difference. In d witches the last few years, the - pint-size- and ghosts have been joined by lots of grown-upMajor thoroughfares of such cities as New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco have swelled with adults staging impromptu Hallo s. Rabbi Harry Epstein, speaking of his internationally known father, Ephraim Epstein, It was not a question of watching what he did. His whole life was dedicated to study and spreading the meaning of Judaism among his people as he Sbught to make them understand the beauty of their heritage. This became a goal 1 set for myself. . . In this kind of work, we are never satisfied with any accomplishment that we may be proud of. TTiere is so much more to le done. 22'4-9'- 4 Mixed Nuts 17-1- 5 . 4T-8R- s 17-1- 5 Pin Seekers Volunteers Shoe Bee Shoes 17-1- 5 16-l16-1- 6 A&R Big Dogs 15-1- 7 Ball Busters 15-1- 7 Moppets Devils Knight Riders 15-114-1- 8 ..' 14-1- 8 lloneynaxmers 14-1- 8 Hi Ballets Phantom Four Sliadow Bulls 13-1- 9 2- 7 19-1- 13-1- 9 13-1- 9 -2 Good Ole Boys High ind series: Ken Edwards 10-2- John Bishop Frank Redding Elaine Quinn Lorri Schmidt Lossalie Phills High ind game: ' . 602 599 588 605 601 598 233 230 227 2 18 225 219 John Bishop Tom Adams Ken Edwards Elaine Quinn Lorri Schmidt Linda Hammond High team series: Phantom Four 2131 22)8 -2 2237 Volunteers During World War II, the Army 4 Reds 2- warned Halloween celebrants off city violated the streets. Revelers might be taken for sabo- 25-24l4-7l- High team game: 847 816 802 Phantom Four Mixed Nuts Knight Riders HELL? Commenting on his "Give em hell, Harry reputation, President Truman said, I never give them hell. I just tell the tnith and they think its hell. -- Kit-tred- PresidentReagan speaks on behalf of Employer Support oftheNational Guard and Reserve. This special little girl, Melodi Jo Brown, celebrat- ed her fourth birthday October 18, 1982. She had two family parties in which she received many nice gifts. She also had a surprise party where many of her friends attended. Melodi is the daughter of Richard and Suzane Brown of Crants-ville- , Bob and Tessie Gillespie of Tooele. She has a sister, Jenifer, 1 year old, brother Tony, 3 months old. She is the granddaughter of Dean and Karlla Hammond, Maurice and Jane Brown, both of Crantsville. Her great grandpa is and a Anderson D. George t grandmother Mr. Jennie Martin, both of great-grea- Tooele. ((fTTlhere are more than -- LL a million men and women serving America in the National ' Guard and Reserve. Theyre a vital part of our . . Stamp collecting is considered to be the worlds most popular hobby. According to the U.S. Postal Service, there are more than 22 million collectors in the United States alone. Ceorge Washington and Benjamin Franklin have appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than any nations defense. other peRons. Duty with the Guard and Reserve is demanding. It .requires members to take time off from their regular jobs and takes them away from their families for military training. Therefore, I extend the thanks of the nation to those of you who support the Guard and Reserve. Without the backing of employers and families, we could not maintain these essential volunteer forces. The security of our nation depends on a strong Guard and Reserve. And, a strong Guard and Reserve depends on us. Join the President in supporting the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve. Protect their future while they protect yours. For information on how you can support the National Guard and Reserve, write Employer Support, Arlington, Virginia 22209. EMPLOYERS SUPPORT THE GUARD & RESERVE A Public SwlCb A Th Ot Tbit NtwtMpcr AdvMnmg Council The Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum in Weston, Mass., a suburb of Boston, is considered to have one of the most complete stamp collections in the United States. Dedicated in 1964, the museum is located on the campus of Regis College. 0VO7E -- THE ISSUES ' A LIMITED TAXATION CONTROLLED SPENDING PROMOTE JOB SECURITY PROTECTING BUSINESS & AGRICULTURE MOTE THE MAN HONEST REPRESENTATION RESPONSIVE TO YOUR CONCERNS REPUBLICAN FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE 'j |