Celtic Engagement Rings

Irish Door Decor

Irish Door Decor

Happy Halloween II --- Halloween Customs

On the annual Nov.1 is the traditional Western festival of "Ghost Holiday" - Halloween, and Oct. 31 is the eve of Halloween, it usually known as the night before Halloween. But the atmosphere on this day is far from "horrible" as its name sounds.

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outbuildings and unhinging fence gates. 

The best known and featured custom of Halloween are just the two - fantastic "Jack's Lantern" and prank "Trick or Treat". 

Every time at the arrival of Halloween, the children are all hurried to put on their colorful make-up costumes, wear various ridiculous masks on and carrying a "Jack Light" walk from house to house and begging for holiday gifts.

Trick or Treat 

The custom of trick-or-treat is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village and begging for "soul candies", made out of square pieces of bread with raisins.

The more soul candies the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could speed up a soul's path to the heaven.

This is an important part in Halloween days on the dining table, you not only should ready for enough candies and cakes to entertain those naughty "devilkins", but also to deck out your table with elaborate care in this special day. Never to let your guests look down with you!

 Jack's Lantern

 The "Jack's Lantern" custom probably comes from Irish folklore. As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let him down the tree.

According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer.

The "Jack's Lantern" looks very cute and lovely, and its could be bought out very simple: Take a pumpkin and hollowed out it, then engraved smiling eyes and a big mouth on the outside, then put a candle in and lit it, so people could able to see this naive and smiling face faraway, this is just the children's favorite toy on Halloween.

The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.

Custom Tradition Review

In the most "haunted" night, all kinds of demons, pirates, witches and extraterrestrial visitors will turn out one after another. In the era before Christ, the Celtics have the custom of to hold a ceremony at the end of the summer to express thanks for the benefactions given by God and the Sun, diviners of the time will light up fires and apply witchcrafts to drive away the demons and spirits that wandering around.

Later, the custom of Romans that using nuts and apples to celebrate harvest was fused with the custom of Celtics on October 31, and In the Middle Ages, people were accustomed to put on costumes of animal designs, and worn terrible masks to drive away ghosts and demons in the night before Halloween. Although the Christianism had taken place of the Celtic and Roman's religious activities later, these early Halloween customs have been kept down finally.

The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day.

So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it.

Today, children wear on a variety of Halloween costumes and masks jokingly to attend Halloween parties, and people has been familiar with the scene of various witches made of paper, black cats, skeletons and ghost figures hanging on the walls of the parties, also in front of windows and doors there are pumpkin lanterns with bare teeth and open mouths or formidable faces.

About the Author

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We'Re Irish Door Mat $21.99 You bet your corned beef and cabbage! This indoor/outdoor mat has perfect bound stitched edges and a non-skid back. Easy care; wash with hose and brush. USA. 100% olefin. 18 X 27.

Irish Patch Accent Rug $29.99 Welcome in spring with this shamrock inspired patchwork design. Natural jute and eco- friendly this rug will be perfect at any door. 30W? x 20?H.

Irish Kilted Santa $21.99 This roly-poly Santa is truly dashing in his green plaid outfits and will add such fun to your Christmas decor. It is 8 tall, resin and fabric. Boxed. Imported

Personalized Irish Countdown Sign $89.99 The perfect sign for counting down the days until St. Patrick's Day in your home bar, kitchen, rec room, or public bar. Handcrafted in the USA of furniture grade wood and professionally hand silk screened the old fashioned way! Steam bent, hand striped milled poplar molding. Use your own chalk on the real 6 x 3 chalkboard section. Keyhold hanger on back for easy door or wall mounting. This plaque makes a treasured gift that will last a lifetime. Please state name, not to exceed 18 characters including punctuation. Ships separately - allow 3-4 weeks. Web Exclusive!

Failte Wall Decor $31.99 An old world relic finish to this substantial Welcome sign. 15 x 6 x 2. Resin with glazed letter boxes and designed with a curved shape. Can stand or hang. Imported. Boxed.

Personalized Door Plaque with Bell $129 Give your guests a resounding Irish welcome! Hand-poured aluminum, this plaque is inscribed with your family name. Bell has a leather thong pull. USA. 15 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 9. Please state name. Shipped separately; allow 3-4 weeks.

Personalized Coat of Arms Brass Door Knocker $46.99 Brass door knocker displays your name and coat of arms. Shipped separately; allow 3-4 weeks. 3 1/2 x 8 1/2.

Irish Coffee Set - Sagaform $34.95 Double Wall Irish Coffee Set 2 pack design by lovisa wattman Double wall glass with coaster and a straw-spoon of stainless steel. Size: 8 1/2 oz. each and measures 5.5 inches tall Packed in a giftbox. Lovisa Wattman is a trained industrial designer educated at the Swedish Academy of Arts and Crafts in Stockholm and at the Aarhaus Architectural School in Denmark. With a passion for cuisine and cooking, Lovisa has fallen naturally into the art of designing kitchen and tableware. She has been active in this field since she completed her studies, first as an on staff designer and since 1999 in her own design company.

Yellow Door Ornament $9.99 Inscribed with a touching verse on the back A house is made of walls and beams, a home is built with love and dreams. Please state name. Imported. Resin. 5H.

Rectangular Hanging Door Mirror $131.7 Rectangular Hanging Door Mirror

Arabesque Beveled Mirror - Burke Decor $324 Arabesque Beveled Mirror Venetian wood/ Mirrored glass 30" (wide) x 47.25"(tall) x 2"(ext) We LOVE this fabulous mirror. A great size in a shape that works in both modern and traditional interiors, this is the perfect mirror for last looks as you go out the door or a great way to open up a small living room. 3-5 business days to ship out and receive tracking information.

White Double Door Bathroom Spacesaver $164.55 White Double Door Bathroom Spacesaver

Personalized Family Cottage Canvas Print $17.99 This cute treated canvas of a classic Irish cottage is stretched over wood and personalized with your family name. Irish Blessing reads, May good fortune find our door, and may it open wide, welcoming God's blessings to all who dwell inside. 12 x 9 x 1 thick. Imported. Web Exclusive!

Folding TV Stand with Glass Door in Espresso Finish $387.9 Folding TV Stand with Glass Door in Espresso Finish

Cappuccino Finish TV Stand with CD Storage & Door $319.35 Cappuccino Finish TV Stand with CD Storage & Door

Wood Media Console with Sliding Door in Espresso Finish $570 Wood Media Console with Sliding Door in Espresso Finish

Bathroom Rack Spacesaver with Glass Door in Black Finish $347.7 Bathroom Rack Spacesaver with Glass Door in Black Finish

Multimedia Storage Cabinet with Glass Door in Oak Finish $512.4 Multimedia Storage Cabinet with Glass Door in Oak Finish

Belleek's 4th Edition 2011 Doors of Dublin Ornament $30 A visual symbol of Ireland ? the Dublin door, and this year in green with a red bow wreath.. 3 ?? tall. Parian China. Boxed. Ireland.

Tree Of Life Key Keeper $21.99 Besides a beautiful Celtic Welcome this rock also has a secret opening in the bottom for hiding an extra door key. Resin/stone. Boxed. Imported.

Scottish Kilted Santa $21.99 This roly-poly Santa is truly dashing in his red plaid outfits and will add such fun to your Christmas decor. It is 8 tall, resin and fabric. Boxed. Imported

Marseille Knot Door Stopper or Bookend - Twos Company $45 Marseille Knot Door Stopper or Bookend - Twos Company Back in stock! Need a something interesting to stop that door? Look no further, with Two's Company's charming jute door stopper. With a little nautical twist, this decorative accent makes for a great house-warming present. The rope ball piece gives a feel like you are on a ship, and the rope anchors the door down. Inspired by a yachting trip in the Mediterranean, when a steward used rope to keep a door ajar. And wow, has this been well received by many designers! Roughly 7" x 7" x 10" Diameter

Bookcase with Three Shelves and Door Base in Dark Brown Finish $1186.5 Bookcase with Three Shelves and Door Base in Dark Brown Finish

Basket Storage with Door hanging Design in Two Tone Finish $112.95 Basket Storage with Door hanging Design in Two Tone Finish

Wall Panel with Vintage French Door Design in Distressed Grey Finish $237.3 Wall Panel with Vintage French Door Design in Distressed Grey Finish

Wall Panel with Vintage French Door Design in Distressed Blue Finish $237.3 Wall Panel with Vintage French Door Design in Distressed Blue Finish

Multimedia Storage Cabinet with Inlaid Glass Door in Dark Cherry Finish $1224.45 Multimedia Storage Cabinet with Inlaid Glass Door in Dark Cherry Finish

Wall Mounted Media Storage with Glass Door in Walnut Finish $191.7 Wall Mounted Media Storage with Glass Door in Walnut Finish

Over the Door Trellis with Arched Design in Antique Brown Finish $231.45 Over the Door Trellis with Arched Design in Antique Brown Finish

Multimedia Storage Cabinet with Inlaid Glass Door in Oak Finish $278.85 Multimedia Storage Cabinet with Inlaid Glass Door in Oak Finish

Wall Mounted Media Storage with Sliding Glass Door in Walnut Finish $317.4 Wall Mounted Media Storage with Sliding Glass Door in Walnut Finish

Plasma TV Stand Cabinet with Inlaid Glass Door in Oak Finish $645 Plasma TV Stand Cabinet with Inlaid Glass Door in Oak Finish

Celtic Platter with Stand $36.99 A beautifully functional home d?cor and serving piece. As home decor it is impressive and eye catching at 15 5/8? dia. It is also oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. Comes with metal stand.

Irish Blessing $7.99 Irish Blessing

Super Soft And Cuddly Mohair Throw - Crimson $84.99 Richly woven in two gorgeous shades, these soft, cloud-like throws add elegance to any home decor. Made in the U.K. of 75% mohair / 23% wool / 2% nylon. 53 X 70. Please note that lilac throw is sold out.

Cara Tote in Temple Door Tobacco by Amy Butler $180 Cara Tote in Temple Door Tobacco by Amy Butler A lovely tote designed to flaunt and function. Easy curves and clean proportions let the prints shine. All organic cotton, woven trim, leather handles and piping, interior pockets and coordinated contrast lining. Material: Organic Cotton. Size: 18L x 4.5W x 17H Amy Butler is a fabric, home, fashion and print designer known for her modern approach to botanical, geometric and romantic inspirations. With spirited color and confident combinations of print, Amy has created a freshened view of the many product categories she now designs. As a sewing pattern designer, Amy has brought modern styling to the sewing arts and inspired a new generation of young women around the world to “find their own style.” Amy’s growing brand has become synonymous with creativity, sustainability, quality and great style.

Queen Anne Style Double Door Solid Oak Wood Curio China Cabinet $755.85 Queen Anne Style Double Door Solid Oak Wood Curio China Cabinet

Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Door Mat $33.88 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Door Mat Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Door Mat - Size: 18" x 30

Cedar Spiral Silk Tree 5ft (In-door/Out-door) - Burke Décor $198 This 5’ Cedar Spiral Tree is the ultimate expression of artistic horticulture. Whether you use it to enhance a room, a porch, or a deck (as it’s perfect for both indoors and out), one thing is certain – the gentle curves of the lush green leaves (all 1492 of them) will never fail to captivate you with their beauty. Trunk type - Artificial-Non-Bendable Height - 5 ft, Width - 11 in Pot size - Non-Decorative Nursery Pot Number of leaves - 1492 2-3 business days to ship out and receive tracking information.

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