Fall facts
Happy November everyone, we are in the middle of my favorite
time of year. Apples and pumpkins, whiskey and cider, hunting and fishing. What
isn’t there to love about the fall… or is it autumn? Or is it harvest? Today I’m
going to share some fun facts about this beautiful season, which is being
forgotten about thanks to Christmas being celebrated earlier and earlier every
year.
Where did the season come from?
In the late 16th century there was an English
saying, “fall of the leaf”. The time of year when the leaves began to turn
colors and fall from the trees stuck, and became popular in the 17th
century. Until this time, the English referred to this season as , “harvest”
due to the crops that peaked and is often associated to the pilgrims. In the 17th century, the term “fall”
followed Westerners over to America, and at the same time Frenchmen came and
referred to the season as, “Autompne” which came from the Latin word, “autumnus”.
Autumnus came from the Latin word, “Augere” which means to increase, in this
case it is believed that it was used for the increase in color of the leaves.
What is Halloween?
Halloween originated as a Celtic Festival known as Samhain.
During this time, some 2,000 years ago the Celts made bonfires and wore costumes
to send away bad spirits. The day was also celebrated as the end of summer and
the start of Harvest. The change of season meant a cold dark winter was coming
and the Celts associated this time with death. On the last night of the year,
the Celts believed that the living and dead world merged for one night. Their costumes
consisted of dead animals, and skins.
In the 8th
century nearly all of the Celtic land was overrun by the Roman Empire. Pope
Gregory the 3rd declared November 1st all Saints day, a
day to honor all of the Saints within the Roman Catholic Church. Some of the
Celts traditions of Samhain were used to celebrate all saints day. The evening
before all saints day become known as all hollows eve.
By the 9th century, The spread of Christianity
had consumed what is now Ireland. Part of this attempt, was to make All saints
day more about Christian lore, and the tradition of dressing up became less
about animals and more about dressing as devils, angels, and saints. Now, All
saints day in Middle English is called, Alholowmesse. Then all hollows eve,
then Halloween.
Halloween came to America in small waves. There was a strong
Protestant belief at the time so most Halloween traditions were celebrated in
Maryland colonies to the south. As America became more diverse, including
Native American Traditions and African traditions. By the 19th
century, many immigrants came to America with their own traditions, including
the Irish…descendants of the Celts.
One of these Irish traditions was to dress up in costumes
and go door-to-door looking for food or money, which began the tradition of
trick or treating. Another was to carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. Ireland
did not have pumpkins, their tradition started with carving turnips and placing
coals inside to ward off evil spirits. Pumpkins were a better choice for
numerous reasons, but with Pumpkins being a big harvest this time of year it
was easily accessible.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgivings story isn’t as long as Halloween. In 1621, two
groups of people, the Pilgrim colonists of Plymouth had a shared feast with the
natives of Wampanoag. This Feast was a huge deal at the time, as tensions were
high between Native peoples and Westerners. Together they celebrated the crops
and harvest that came throughout the year.
By 1890, Pilgrim descendants and natives alike used the
Feast as a milestone of becoming a free nation, and helped teach children about
being thankful for what they have.
Election Day
Yes, there is a reason behind Election Day as well.
Election Day is Always in November. It is held on the Tuesday
following the first Monday of the month. The reason for this? This allowed each
States to conduct their Presidential elections any time before the 3rd
Wednesday in December. Which is when meetings between the President, Vice
President, and Electoral College. The Middle of December was ideal because the
harvest was over and the worst of winter had yet to come. It was chosen on a
Tuesday so that voters didn’t have to vote on a Sunday (separation of church
and state). This date became official in 1845, and currently 14 states
recognize it as a public holiday so most people can vote and not go to work.
If you would like to know more about a topic, or have any
suggestions, Please email me at djb602@hotmail.com
Plant your Roots.
