Beyond Bats and Pumpkins: Halloween, All Saints' Day, and Day of the Dead
Traditions that satisfy the appetites of our ancestors
In Celtic cultures, October 31 marked one of the major Ysbrydnos (uh-spir-it-nos) or spirit nights in Wales, known as Nos Galan Gaeaf (nos-CAH-lan-GAY-ef) or Samhain (SOW-wen) in Ireland. Samhain marks the end of summer, while Calan Gaef is the first day of winter.
The Jack-o-Lanterns decorating North American stores and homes in October are a symbol that harkens back to Celtic traditions of carving faces in turnips and other vegetables to ward off evil spirits, as mentioned in my previous article. But there are many more symbols and traditions to this time of year.
Bonfires and Beyond
For example, bats are also symbols of Halloween. This may be connected to Celtic bonfires, lit as part of these spirit-night celebrations. Bats tend to swarm together as they prepare to migrate or hibernate, depending on the species, so they would be a more common sight at this time of year.
Bats also feed on insects that are attracted to the bonfires. Since bats fly in erratic, swooping patterns as they hunt, the Celts may have believed the bats were mischievous spirits.
From Beyond the Veil
Celts also believed the veil between our world and the spirit world thins at this time of year. On this spirit night, ancestors can reach through the veil and make contact with their living descendants.
Whether this is creepy or desirable depends on why our ancestors might want to make contact. As Carl Jung says, “…[W]e are satisfying the appetites of unknown ancestors… we are not living our lives; we are paying the debts of our forefathers [and mothers].” What debts might our unknown ancestors owe, and to whom?
But meeting our ancestors can be a positive experience. One Irish tradition is to set a place at the table for the ancestors. In Wales, bread and cheese (bara a chaws) is given to the poor and left on windowsills for ancestors.
Many cultures have similar traditions, often involving food or sharing meals, at this time of year.
Satisfying Our Ancestors
Another Halloween symbol is a human skeleton, but this isn’t always a scary sight. In Mexico, the skeleton represents ancestors who are welcomed on the Day of the Dead, celebrated in November 2. A special altar is set up with candles to light their way, along with some of the deceased’s special things and favourite foods. One of the most traditional foods at this time is pan de muertos or bread of the dead.
In some countries, like Germany and France, November 1 or All Saints’ Day is a statutory holiday with a paid day off. Traditions in France include church services, feasts, and visiting graves of ancestors. At midnight, a traditional meal including pancakes, bacon, and black grains heralds the start of All Souls’ day (November 2).
Italy and Spain also have special food traditions associated with All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day.
It’s also a public holiday in these countries, with church services and a big family meal including several traditional soups and hearty fare. In Italy, that also includes pane dei morti, or bread of the dead. This cookie-like bread is often flavoured with cinnamon, chocolate, and raisins. Sweets made with marzipan and almond cookies called ossa dei morti or bones of the dead, come out on All Soul’s Day, when people will visit ancestral graves and set out food for their spirits.
In Spain, the traditional dishes include bueñuelos de viento (wind fritters), huesos de santo (saint’s bones), and panellets (a Catalan pastry).
Here are some links to recipes to try:
Funeral breads from Germany (with Ann Marie’s recipe) - https://open.substack.com/pub/travelandculture/p/hefezopf-german-braided-yeast-bread
All Saints Bread from Germany - https://www.theomaway.com/german-bread-and-rolls/sweet-braided-bread-recipe-germany-oma/
Traditional Mexican dishes like pan de muertos - https://www.cozymeal.com/magazine/day-of-the-dead-food
Itialian dishes like pane dei Morti and ossa dei morti - https://shop.diforti.com/traditional-dishes-souls-day; and https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/italian-dishes/halloween-italian-style-traditional-food
Bueñuelos de viento, huesos de santo, and panellets: https://www.donquijote.org/spanish-culture/holidays/all-saints-day
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