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Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin

Heating Up History

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Trick-or-Treating for Soul Cakes

turnip lanternHappy New Year! Yeah, you read that right. Because really, that’s how Halloween all began. The Celts new year was not January 1st, but November 1st. October 31st symbolized the end of light and harvest and November 1st marked the start of the shorter, darker days of winter. Makes sense when you think about it. And what’s New Year’s Eve without a party? Thus Samhain became quite the celebration.

With Samhain marking a time between light and dark, the Celts believed the dead mixed with the living those nights. It was not uncommon for people to wear animal masks with animal pelts (costumes) to frighten off any ghosts. Bonfires were lit to keep the dark at bay and also used for cleansing people of their past year’s transgressions (accomplished by walking between the pyres). Over time, people went from door to door seeking food and refreshment. They lit their way with hollowed out turnip-lanterns carved into spooky faces.

Later when the Romans conquered the Celts, they spliced their holidays with Roman holidays to make everyone more accepting of a unified calendar. Roman holidays meant to commemorate the dead and the goddess of fruits and seeds were combined with Samhain. Apple-themed Halloween décor, while adorably autumn festive, is an inadvertent nod to good ole Pomona, the goddess of fruits and all she bore in her incorporation into Samhain.

Later still, the Catholics tried to recoup the people’s celebrations by getting their own edge on Samhain. Since the holiday incorporated the dead, it was a great opportunity to honor all the dead saints and give prayers to those whose loved ones had died. Conveniently, this was called All Saint’s Day. They took the traditions of Samhain and added them in for good measure. There were bonfires and parades and even costumes as people now dressed up as saints, angels and demons (I bet they’d be appalled with the sexy angel and devil outfits of today hehehe). Souling

On All Saint’s Day, the poor (who were always looking for a good excuse to score a free meal) would go from door to door and ask for food. They were given pastries called soul cakes in exchange for the promise to pray for the people’s deceased loved ones. There is speculation that this was the start of giving candy to people on Halloween.

When the Protestants fled to America, the All Saint’s Day celebrations fell by the wayside. It was not until the great waves of immigrants came into America that it was truly celebrated again. Albeit a little different, because it was now a melting pot of old and new and all different cultures. Granted some adjustments needed to be made to accommodate the new land, like using pumpkins in place of the dinky American turnips for the lanterns on Samhain.

Regardless of when Halloween existed or what it meant to those celebrating, Halloween has always held a special bit of exciting magic. Whether it was tossing an apple peel behind you in the hopes it would fall into the shape of the first initial of your future husband or warding off evil spirits with costumes or granting peace for the beloved deceased or even just landing a pillow case full of Snickers and Reese’s, Halloween has always been an extraordinary and exciting holiday guaranteed to leave lasting memories. Mask

One of my fondest memories was the year my mom made me a My Little Pony costume. It was a pink leotard and stockings with bubblegum-pink felt hooves for my feet and hands and a horse shaped hat with blue yarn hair (yes, I had a blue yarn tail too – don’t judge me). In the day of plastic apron clothes and a snap band plastic mask (guaranteed to tangle in your hair and pop on your cheek), it was about the coolest costume I’d ever seen. My brother was not so lucky that year. He was a clown with thick, greasy white paint and a LOT of tears. Ahhh…little brothers…

What’s your favorite memory?

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Filed Under: Interesting History, Uncategorized Tagged With: history of All Saints Day, history of costumes, history of samhain, history of trick-or-treating, samhain, soul cakes

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madelinemmartin

👩🏻‍💻USA Today Bestselling author of #historicalromance, mother of minions, watcher of cat videos, drinker of wine, poster of pics

Today we're chatting about the incredible heroines Today we're chatting about the incredible heroines of WWII in honor of International Women's Day! 

Join us, along with special guest, Eliza Knight, at Step into the Story for our monthly lunch chat at 1 PM EST. 

See you there! 📚

Check out FB group Step into the Story 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/852974332169171
The crack of the anti-aircraft guns rang out overh The crack of the anti-aircraft guns rang out overhead as a plane swooped low enough for the hum of its engine to echo through the cavernous tube station.
“I don’t know.” Grace glanced at the book, still pinched at her location. “I haven’t read that far yet.”
“Well,” the housewife said. “Go on.”
Grace hesitated. “You want me…to read it?” Everyone on the platform of Farringdon Station watched her expectantly. “Out loud?”
The lot of them all nodded, and quite a few smiled.
Suddenly, she was the painfully shy girl of her youth again in scuffed shoes that pinched at her toes, standing before the class with a bit of chalk in her hand and every set of eyes on her. Her stomach coiled itself into a knot.
“Please,” the young mother said. Another barrage of gunfire came, and she cowered down into herself.
Mr. Evans’s expressive brows crept upward in silent question.
Despite every brutally shy bit of Grace’s makeup screaming at her to refuse, she opened the book, licked her suddenly dry lips and began to read.

The Last Bookshop in London releases on April 6, 2021 - link in bio
Just Because flowers are the best 💐❤️ Just Because flowers are the best 💐❤️
Thank you to @saraackermanbooks and @harpercollins Thank you to @saraackermanbooks and @harpercollins for this advance copy of Radar Girls! I was so excited to get it in the mail today 😆📚 

Ink photobombed my bookstagram setup, but clearly approves of this WWII historical fiction set in Hawaii where the gutsy heroine signs up for the first Women’s Air Raid Defense after Pearl Harbor. 

This book sounds incredible and I can’t wait to start it!! 

What new book have you gotten that you’re looking forward to reading?
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