Hallowe'en

[Geoff]

No: HPFGUIDX 191385



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nikkalmati" <puduhepa98 at ...> wrote: 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Liz Clark" <liz.treky@> wrote:

Liz:
> > As the subject was kindly recently brought up, I got thinking... and a 
> > couple of nice discussion questions popped into my head (sorry if it's been 
> > discussed before).
> > 
> > Why is Hallowe'en celebrated in the wizarding world? And what type of 
> > celebrations do you think go on besides Hogwarts Hallowe'en Feast?

Nikkalmati:
> Interesting question.  First, the WW in the books reflects the wider world of several centuries ago.  Whatever the Muggles did,  the witches and wizards did.

Geoff:  
Bearing in mind that nowadays Hallowe'en is frequently linked with the 
idea of Dark magic with ghosts and evil spirits being abroad for one night.

Nikkalmati:
They probably also celebrate Guy Fawkes day, although it is never mentioned.  Second, witchcraft in the popular mind is associated with the pre-Christian Celtic religion for which Samhan, celebrated at the same time as Halloween is now, was a great feastday. 

Geoff:
It depends on which popular mind you are considering. If you were to ask 
the great majority of British people what Samhain was, they would not know. 
I didn't until fairly recently when I was following something up on Hallowe'en
in connection with HP and came across the name. I don't think it was in canon; 
it might have been in an HP-related article or one of my occasional browses 
in fanfic.

It may mean something more to the Irish who seem to be more into Gaelic 
things than their Welsh or Scottish cousins.