| Search |
|---|
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Archives 2006 History of Ghost Tours & Halloween
| History of Ghost Tours & Halloween | | Print | |
| Written by Michael J. Kouri | |
 Perhaps it is my deep interest in helping the spirits of the peoples of the past who have connected with me... All my life I’ve felt as though the fall was a time of rejuvenation, renewal, and a sort of spiritual rebirth for me. You’ve heard the old saying “spring cleaning”? I’ve always sorted my household in late August or mid September and wondered why. In researching this idea I learn some 2000 years ago, the Celtic clans of Ireland and the United Kingdom celebrated something called Samhain, or the Fall Clearance, which later became known as All Hallows Eve. During these ancient times, the Celtic people celebrated their New Year on November first, this was the most special day of the year for it marked the end of the hot summer months, and was a time to plan for the cold, dark, winter which was also associated with death. These people believed that on the night before this holiday, the two worlds of life and death collided and that the ghosts of the deceased ancestors returned to the earth wreaking havoc over the living people. The Celtic people wore costumes of animal heads and skins to ward off these deceased goblins and told fortunes for the coming winter months. They built giant bonfires to burn off the dead parts of their crops, as sacrifices to appease the spirits they believed would return that night. Sound Familiar? We in America call this Halloween. Samhain pronounced “sow-in” was the feast of the dead. When the Roman Empire conquered the Celtic regions, they brought their own feast days including Feralia, a festival to commemorate the dead and make ready for the change in the Seasons. They also introduced Pomona––the Roman goddess of fruit, flowers, and new-life to the Celtics. Both of these were held the last day of October and one of the games played to celebrate the feasts was to try and grab a floating apple bobbing in the water of a fountain in one’s teeth while wearing a black band over their eyes. Bobbing for apples? By the mid 800’s the Catholic Church dominated the land and in the seventh century a decision was made by church leaders that November first should be All Saints Day, a time to honor and dedicate oneself to the life of the saints and martyrs after celebrating and acknowledging the dead the night before, and the day after would be called All Souls Day to reflect on those lost souls who need the help of the living through prayer. It was the hope of the church to stamp out the age-old traditions of Samhain and Feralia, replacing the festivals of All–Hallows Eve. Through the years these traditional and hauntingly fun celebrations filtered through various cultures and were brought to America as the immigrants came here. Today in the Twenty-First century these age-old traditions play a major part in the lives of people from around the world who actually take interested parties on Ghost Tours to share the stories of their ancestors. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in dozens of these tours in the oldest parts of our country including New Orleans, the Carolina’s, New York and here in Southern California. When I wrote True Hauntings of the San Gabriel Valley, I was urged to create a Ghost Tour myself, but decided to include history––making the tours more interesting and including information related to life and death as well as customary practices from the very people who lived in the homes. And through all of my historical research, I now have a better understanding as to why I feel the need to clean out and organize my house and life in the fall. Perhaps it is my deep interest in helping the spirits of the peoples of the past who have connected with me in the present and need help through their transition into the after-life who have instilled this exercise of organization into the light-workers of the present and future. MICHAEL J. KOURI teaches Psychic Classes and Meditations at the Heart and Soul Healing Arts Center in Pasadena. He is available for private Psychic Readings, in-home Psychic Parties, Haunted House Walking Tours and can be reached through his website at WWW.ICGHOSTS.COM or calling (626) 791-1129. |
| Main Menu | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Login Here |
|---|
| Newsletter | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Copyright 2000 - 2005 Miro International Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
Mambo is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License.
