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It's Halloween again. That odd day where we celebrate a pagan festival that never really died out. 5 days after that is Bonfire Night, a celebration of someone trying to destroy parliament to remove the Protestant rulers.
Soon all the Americans will be talking about their Thanksgiving celebrations, it's quite funny after all these years that some of the guys in the US at work still think we're off as well.
It wouldn't be too stupid, I suppose, for us to celebrate thanksgiving. The whole idea is based around those founding pilgrims giving thanks to the native Americans, and since the tradition comes from Plymouth, itself one of the first English settlements in the New World, which is way before any independence occurred in the US, it could be seen as an English custom.
And yes, it seems ironic now, given what we know happened to the Native Americans, but as with many traditions (Halloween for instance) the meaning has changed over the years.
But then think about today, Halloween. Originally a harvest festival, Samhain, celebrated by the Irish and English Celts, it was also considered by Wicca and magic related cultures to be one of the strongest times of year for magical influence and also a time when spirits could easily cross over to our plane. As usual, the Catholic church cunningly moved All Saints Day to the same day in order to put a stop to the pagan festival, but this is one of those that survived in some form.
Halloween is one of those odd festivals. In some ways it's not too dis-similar to the pagan festival, scaring spirits from your house and gathering food to celebrate the harvest, but recent American culture has crept in, meaning that you're just as likely to see a Superman Trick-or-treater at your door as a ghost or ghoul. This is a bit of a shame as it takes away some of the meaning behind the festival theme.
Guy Fawkes night, or Bonfire Night, ‘celebrates’ the attempt to blow up a protestant parliament by Catholic dissidents. In a way this celebration was encouraged to never forget the evil deeds of the Catholic conspirators, Fawkes being the one who held the fuse. However, with Fawkes now being given the status of 30th Greatest Briton it may now be more of a celebration of rebellion against the government than a warning against anyone who attempts to unseat it.
Soon all the Americans will be talking about their Thanksgiving celebrations, it's quite funny after all these years that some of the guys in the US at work still think we're off as well.
It wouldn't be too stupid, I suppose, for us to celebrate thanksgiving. The whole idea is based around those founding pilgrims giving thanks to the native Americans, and since the tradition comes from Plymouth, itself one of the first English settlements in the New World, which is way before any independence occurred in the US, it could be seen as an English custom.
And yes, it seems ironic now, given what we know happened to the Native Americans, but as with many traditions (Halloween for instance) the meaning has changed over the years.
But then think about today, Halloween. Originally a harvest festival, Samhain, celebrated by the Irish and English Celts, it was also considered by Wicca and magic related cultures to be one of the strongest times of year for magical influence and also a time when spirits could easily cross over to our plane. As usual, the Catholic church cunningly moved All Saints Day to the same day in order to put a stop to the pagan festival, but this is one of those that survived in some form.
Halloween is one of those odd festivals. In some ways it's not too dis-similar to the pagan festival, scaring spirits from your house and gathering food to celebrate the harvest, but recent American culture has crept in, meaning that you're just as likely to see a Superman Trick-or-treater at your door as a ghost or ghoul. This is a bit of a shame as it takes away some of the meaning behind the festival theme.
Guy Fawkes night, or Bonfire Night, ‘celebrates’ the attempt to blow up a protestant parliament by Catholic dissidents. In a way this celebration was encouraged to never forget the evil deeds of the Catholic conspirators, Fawkes being the one who held the fuse. However, with Fawkes now being given the status of 30th Greatest Briton it may now be more of a celebration of rebellion against the government than a warning against anyone who attempts to unseat it.
Would mind attended a bonfire night. But there simply aren't any nearby where i live.
Incidently, halloween proved exceptionally quiet. No one came trick or treating. A good thing i suppose. I was prepared to ignore them when they did knock.
My plan was to simply lock my self away in my room, play the painkiller overdose demo and watch GITS SAC and planetes* on animecentral at 9.
The plan went without a hitch and i will do something similar next year.
*Anyone watch it? Its very, very, good.
Incidently, halloween proved exceptionally quiet. No one came trick or treating. A good thing i suppose. I was prepared to ignore them when they did knock.
My plan was to simply lock my self away in my room, play the painkiller overdose demo and watch GITS SAC and planetes* on animecentral at 9.
The plan went without a hitch and i will do something similar next year.
*Anyone watch it? Its very, very, good.
I havent really thought about it until now but i used to love bonfire night. Cold weather, warm clothes, a bloody great big fire, food and people sat around talking. Wish i'd gone out tonight now.
Any excuse to celebrate something I guess...brightens the winter months and all that
It seems like bonfire night here the amount of fireworks going off
Bonfire Night I like (who doesn't like big fires and exploding multicoloured lights), but I could do without Hallowe'en. I've just had a GANG of rowdy teenagers banging on my door.
I think both Halloween and Bonfire Night are good as it gives kids (and adults!) something to look forward to.
OK it would be better if they weren't so close together but it brings people together in community and family spirit which can only be good for society.
My family usually have a couple of family bonfires where we all get together to catch up and we all look forward to it.
OK it would be better if they weren't so close together but it brings people together in community and family spirit which can only be good for society.
My family usually have a couple of family bonfires where we all get together to catch up and we all look forward to it.
Well, I'm all for bonfire night; not just because I can be a little bit of a pyromaniac, but it's a show (Of sorts) of national unity; in an era when terrorism does of course exist, it's a good thing to remind people of what it could do, and celebrate such an act being found out (Even though, of course, this is prior to Catholic Emancipation, the Bill of Rights, the various Reform Acts that gradually introduced democracy, etc). Well, that's the explanation you'd expect from Gordon Brown I guess!
Of course, much more importantly, it's the night before my birthday! :)
Of course, much more importantly, it's the night before my birthday! :)
It's Halloween again. That odd day where we celebrate a pagan festival that never really died out. 5 days after that is Bonfire Night, a celebration of someone trying to destroy parliament to remove the Protestant rulers.
Soon all the Americans will be talking about their Thanksgiving celebrations, it's quite funny after all these years that some of the guys in the US at work still think we're off as well.
It wouldn't be too stupid, I suppose, for us to celebrate thanksgiving. The whole idea is based around those founding pilgrims giving thanks to the native Americans, and since the tradition comes from Plymouth, itself one of the first English settlements in the New World, which is way before any independence occurred in the US, it could be seen as an English custom.
And yes, it seems ironic now, given what we know happened to the Native Americans, but as with many traditions (Halloween for instance) the meaning has changed over the years.
But then think about today, Halloween. Originally a harvest festival, Samhain, celebrated by the Irish and English Celts, it was also considered by Wicca and magic related cultures to be one of the strongest times of year for magical influence and also a time when spirits could easily cross over to our plane. As usual, the Catholic church cunningly moved All Saints Day to the same day in order to put a stop to the pagan festival, but this is one of those that survived in some form.
Halloween is one of those odd festivals. In some ways it's not too dis-similar to the pagan festival, scaring spirits from your house and gathering food to celebrate the harvest, but recent American culture has crept in, meaning that you're just as likely to see a Superman Trick-or-treater at your door as a ghost or ghoul. This is a bit of a shame as it takes away some of the meaning behind the festival theme.
Guy Fawkes night, or Bonfire Night, ‘celebrates’ the attempt to blow up a protestant parliament by Catholic dissidents. In a way this celebration was encouraged to never forget the evil deeds of the Catholic conspirators, Fawkes being the one who held the fuse. However, with Fawkes now being given the status of 30th Greatest Briton it may now be more of a celebration of rebellion against the government than a warning against anyone who attempts to unseat it.
Soon all the Americans will be talking about their Thanksgiving celebrations, it's quite funny after all these years that some of the guys in the US at work still think we're off as well.
It wouldn't be too stupid, I suppose, for us to celebrate thanksgiving. The whole idea is based around those founding pilgrims giving thanks to the native Americans, and since the tradition comes from Plymouth, itself one of the first English settlements in the New World, which is way before any independence occurred in the US, it could be seen as an English custom.
And yes, it seems ironic now, given what we know happened to the Native Americans, but as with many traditions (Halloween for instance) the meaning has changed over the years.
But then think about today, Halloween. Originally a harvest festival, Samhain, celebrated by the Irish and English Celts, it was also considered by Wicca and magic related cultures to be one of the strongest times of year for magical influence and also a time when spirits could easily cross over to our plane. As usual, the Catholic church cunningly moved All Saints Day to the same day in order to put a stop to the pagan festival, but this is one of those that survived in some form.
Halloween is one of those odd festivals. In some ways it's not too dis-similar to the pagan festival, scaring spirits from your house and gathering food to celebrate the harvest, but recent American culture has crept in, meaning that you're just as likely to see a Superman Trick-or-treater at your door as a ghost or ghoul. This is a bit of a shame as it takes away some of the meaning behind the festival theme.
Guy Fawkes night, or Bonfire Night, ‘celebrates’ the attempt to blow up a protestant parliament by Catholic dissidents. In a way this celebration was encouraged to never forget the evil deeds of the Catholic conspirators, Fawkes being the one who held the fuse. However, with Fawkes now being given the status of 30th Greatest Briton it may now be more of a celebration of rebellion against the government than a warning against anyone who attempts to unseat it.