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Samhain
Celtic calendar
Coligny calendar
Gaulish
62 lunar months
Halloween
Nos
Calan Gaeaf Druid
October 31
Superstition
Feralia
Pope Boniface IV
All-hallows Eve
Trick or treat
Pumpkin
Ducking apples
Candy Ghosts
Witches
Black cats
Christians countered accusations of superstition by accusing their pagan
opponents of superstition.
Superstitions
- Witches, Midwives were often permitted to baptize new born
infants in the absence of priests. Often unaware of the sacramental
particulars, they baptized “in the name of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar,”
referring to the legendary three kings that brought gifts to the baby Jesus.
Midwifes = Witches
- Good harvest, Until the last century, the Irish used to make love
in the fields outside a house where there was a wake and thus asserted that
life was stronger than death. Scholars of the pre-Christian period in Europe
point out that similar activity took place among the so called barbarians on
North Germany in December. Making love under fir trees was tied to good
harvests.
- Walk Under A Ladder, It's bad luck to walk under a ladder, A
leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles
represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it
(walking through it) would put you in league with the devil himself.
- Black Cats, In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black,
female cat. Christians, wanting to rid society of all traces of other
religions, convinced the ignorant that black cats were demons in disguise
and should thus be destroyed. In the process, they also destroyed the kindly
ladies who cared for the cats, believing them to be witches.
- Spilling Salt, Salt was, during the middle ages, a very
expensive, and used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage
must be avoided. The idea that it is unlucky to do so probably stems from
the belief that Judas spilt salt during the last supper. Throwing spilt salt
over the left shoulder is linked to its medicinal use. The best thing was to
throw it into the eye of the evil spirits that made us ill.
- Sneezing, The blessing of those who sneeze started when the great
plague took hold of Europe. Sufferers began sneezing violently, and as such,
were bound to die. The Pope therefore passed a law requiring people to bless
the sneezer.
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