The traditional European festivals of Hallowe’en, Samhain, the Feast of the Dead and All Soul’s Eve’ are celebrated on or around October 31st in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the seasonal equivalent of our May Day. Samhain, the hallowed eve’ (or Halloween) marks the true end of Summer and the beginning of Winter’s quarter of the year, the portion of the year dedicated to the night forces. Persephone assumes her role as Queen in the underworld and according to tradition, this is when the dead walk among us and return to their homes.

Celebrations honoring the dead, both departed loved ones and scary ghosts are found as far back as ancient Eypt and within as varied cultural groups as the Iroquois and Huron in the New World, and the Celts, Romans,  Britons in the Old.  I haven’t found any evidence that Central American countries celebrated this holiday until after the Spanish Conquest but they’ve made up for lost time with their three day El Dias de los Muertas. All of these festivals take place between the Autumn equinox and the Winter Solstice, although the Huron festival was only celebrated every fifteenth year or when the tribe made a major geographical move, leaving behind the bones of the departed.

Commemorate this time by listening to Mozart’s Requiem and lighting a candle to honor your ancestors, your teachers, those explorers who have gone before and who walk among us this night.  Watch some movies dealing with the supernatural: The Gift, Sixth Sense, Stir of Echoes, or Dead Again. This genre has something for every taste, check out the Halloween Movies category in my Amazon Favorites widget to the right.

Click for some hints from Shine for dealing with all that Halloween candy without blowing your diet.

Click here to read some great articles about Halloween, curses and zombies from Archeology Magazine.

Local events:

Northwest Symphony Orchestra’s Family & Halloween Concert
Friday, Oct. 30th, Burien-based Northwest Symphony Orchestra is presenting their Family & Halloween Concert at 7:30pm on  at the Highline Performing Arts Center.

Northwest Symphony Orchestra’s Family & Halloween Concert

Friday, Oct. 30th, Burien-based Northwest Symphony Orchestra is presenting their Family & Halloween Concert at 7:30pm on at the Highline Performing Arts Center. Click to read about it on the B-town Blog.

BOO in Burien

Saturday October 31, 2009 This is a safe trick-or-treating event for Burien families held from Noon to 5 pm along SW 152nd Street. Other activities include a costume parade for dogs, weiner dog races, Pumpkin Bowling, and a Haunted House. All Free for the entire family.

Day of the Dead “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins” in Burien

Burien’s Interim Art Space is hosting a special Day of the Dead “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins” celebration on Sunday, Nov. 1st. Click to read about it on the B-town Blog.

All Souls’ Day

St James is holding their usual Requiem Mass but they aren’t performing Mozart’s Requiem this year. They are featuring the music of French composer Maurice Duruflé and Ancient chants sung by the Women of St. James Schola at 7:30 on Monday, the 2nd of November. Click St James for details.