Monday, October 31, 2005

The Spirit Of Halloween

Rooted in pagan traditions, it was actually the Celts who are responsible for this guy's misery. It was the time of year, marking the end of the harvest, and the onset of winter, when the livestock were brought in for slaughter. It was also a fearful time, when the barrier between the worlds of the living and dead were broken, and spirits walked the earth. The Celts held a ritual for this time, and it culminated in a sacred bonfire.
On this day, children would go door-to-door collecting firewood for the sacred bonfire, to provide light against the growing darkness. Some dope was out of firewood, and began passing out candy, which became trick-or-treating. ( you can figure out the trick part yourself) At this bonfire, the younger Celts wore masks, made of animal heads and skins, to frighten off the spirits. The old people just went as themselves.( Ya gotta love old people masks.)At the end of the celebration, families carried home embers from the sacred fire to relight their hearths. They used hollowed out turnips for this, and after the great potato and turnip famine , in Ireland, (Blame the Irish for everything.) switched to pumpkins.
Never one to miss an opportunity, the church got involved and figured out a moneymaking scheme. They designated Nov.1 as All Saints'Day to honor saints and martyrs. Later, because collections were down, Nov.2 was made All Souls Day, to honor the rest of us departed common folk. Any excuse for a mass, to trot out the collection turnip. (Plates were rare in those days, because most celts, had no table manners, and ate with their hands.) Eventually, these days became known as Hallowmass, and the night before became known as All-Hollows-Eve, and later shortened to Halloween, by Asian immigrants who couldn't pronounce it properly.
In the badger community, the teachings of The Great Pumpkin tell us that some of this is merely folklore, but we do incorporate some facets of it, in our celebration.
The badger community celebrates this day by having a large bonfire and throwing a party. At midnight, when the great Pumpkin, who is actually Uncle Ernie in disguise, rises out of the pumpkin patch, the kids are dispatched to leave burning badger turds on doorsteps, and knock over garbage cans.
For the adults, All Hollows Eve,( a hooker from the nearby weasel village), is brought in, and passed around. Any adult male, who does not partake in this ritual , is sentenced to have their nuts roasted on an open fire, during the Christmas celebration. Last year, poor cousin Chet made the critical mistake of refusing.
The following day is spent gathering roadkill for the evening feast and ensuing orgy, which kicks off the Christmas season.

21 comments:

badgerbob said...

It could be a great movie.
Maybe you could get Spielberg on board as a collaborator?

morbid misanthrope said...

It's funny that you should mention All Hollows Eve. For much of the rest of the year she goes by the name Lucinda, and is the only hooker that will let me pay to talk to her when I'm lonely.

Jillian said...

Got to love the old holiday traditions!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Anonymous said...

Do you celebrate festivus like the rest of us or do you roast a baby in a manger.

badgerbob said...

morb, it's a good thing you only talk. You don't want to follow a pack of badgers.

Jill, everyone, except Chet,
agrees with you.

badgerbob said...

random, what a brilliant idea. Roasting a baby! I will have to bring this idea before the 'Council Of One'. If it's approved, then it goes before the Great Pumpkin, who has the power of veto.

morbid misanthrope said...

The idea of sloppy sevenths is bad enough without all the badger DNA present. But I suppose All Hallows Eve knew what she was in for when she decided to become a hooker.

drunkbh said...

Damn, I don't know where to begin.

The great pumpkin- I kept thinking "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"

You cousin Chet- I guess now the saying would go Chetnuts roasting on an open fire not chestnuts. Poor Chet. Maybe you should call him Cher now.

Orgy at Christmas- That is definatly an interesting tradition. I believe I might have been born into the wrong species.

badgerbob said...

Bh, trust me,(I can't believe I just said that!), you were born to the right species.

Willow, I know it's the thought that counts, but every animal instinct in my warm furry body, tells me not to eat anything you cook for me.
Oh, and sorry for egging your house. As a matter of fact, I hit your whole neighborhood, and then went back , knocked on a few doors, and blamed you. I used 5 dozen eggs, and had such a laugh.

NewYorkMoments said...

A weasel hooker?

I'm firmly against any kind of interspecies fucking.

badgerbob said...

Partypooper!

NewYorkMoments said...

Oh, talk dirty to me again!

badgerbob said...

Nym, you haven't lived, until you've been badgered.

Willow, i think you have me confused with the raccons, who are notorious for wearing fake furs.

NewYorkMoments said...

Stop teasing...

badgerbob said...

Nym, who's teasing. I can be over in one hour.

Willow, the annual badger hootenany is an event of immense proportions culminating in a free for all shoot-out amongst factions fighting for control of the colony. But it's the preliminary events, that are the real fun. It will be a subject of a future post, and is almost as big as Festivus.

Hula, it's kinda scary ,isn't it?

Anonymous said...

I learn something every time I stop by... disturbing it is.. especially since I tend to over ponder everything *sigh*

NewYorkMoments said...

An hour? That's just a blatant lie...You're much farther away than that. boo hoo

badgerbob said...

Jt, I seem to recall that i was first in line at the disturbation depot. Hopefully that explains my bizarro world for you.

Willow, kinky? Maybe! Sexy? I think not.

Nym, your making me all hot and crazy here.
Ok! So I'm in my sauna, and i'm already crazy, but your not helping matters.
Do you have any secrets?

NewYorkMoments said...

What kind of secrets are you fishing for?

badgerbob said...

I was joking with you, referring to the kids movie,The secrets of Nym. Unsure of spelling.

Anonymous said...

Where did you find it? Interesting read »