Send
Close Add comments:
(status displays here)
Got it! This site "creationpie.com" uses cookies. You consent to this by clicking on "Got it!" or by continuing to use this website. Note: This appears on each machine/browser from which this site is accessed.
October 31: Halloween
1. October 31: Halloween
The English word
"Halloween" comes from the Scottish word "
Allhallowmas" as an earlier name of "
All Saint's Day" and "
even" being "
eve" is in the "
evening before".
Christmas Eve is the evening before Christmas day.
New Year's Eve is the evening before New Years day.
The English word
"hallow" comes from the Middle English word
"halwe" ≈ "saint, holy thing" which comes from the Old English word
"halga" ≈ "holy one, saint". It is related to the German word
"Heilige" ≈ "saint".
It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianized as Halloween by the early Church. (Wikipedia)
A witch appears in the Bible in the story of the witch of Endor.
2. Martin Luther
Martin Luther (German priest, theologian, author and hymn-writer) was a German priest, theologian, author and hymn-writer.
He is credited with the spark that started the Protestant Reformation.
His 95 Theses were tacked to the wall on All Saint's Eve in 1517.
The Lutheran Church is named for Martin Luther.
3. The gall of the Celts
The Romans called the
Celts the
Gauls. The area of Gaul's (Celts) in Asia Minor was called Galatia.
Paul wrote the letter to these Galatians.
Julius Caesar slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Gauls and wrote back glowing letters to Rome about his accomplishments.
Galatia, as in Paul's Letter to the
Galatians (or Celts) were populated by Gauls/Celts.
Celts is pronounced with a hard "C" as in "K" as in "Kelts".
Celtics, as in the Boston Celtics basketball team, is pronounced with a soft "C" as in "S" as in "Seltics".
4. Pagan celebrations
The pagan Halloween celebrations were in part to prepare for winter when not much food would be available.
The souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. (Wikipedia)
Both the Bible and Greek mythology and other cultures make reference to the souls of the dead under or inside the earth.
5. Greek underworld
The Greek underworld consisted of several places watered by the streams of five rivers:
Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon and Lethe.
The worst of these was "
Tarturus" which is mentioned by Peter and translated in the
KJV (King James Version) as "
hell".
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; [kjv]
ει γαρ ο θεος αγγελων αμαρτησαντων ουκ εφεισατο αλλα σειροις ζοφου ταρταρωσας παρεδωκεν εις κρισιν [gnt]
Other places included the "
Asphodel Meadows" and the "
Elysium".
6. Styx rock band
The American rock band "
Styx" was formed in 1972.
Come sail away
7. 2 Peter 2:4
KJV: For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Greek: ει γαρ ο θεος αγγελων αμαρτησαντων ουκ εφεισατο αλλα σειραις σειροις ζοφου ταρταρωσας παρεδωκεν εις κρισιν τετηρημενους τηρουμενους
8. Strongs - Tarturus
- *G5020 *1 ταρταρόω (tar-tar-o'-o) : from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment:--cast down to hell.
- ταρταρωσας
- 2 Peter 2:4 ... that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains ...
9. Halloween traditions
Many of these activities were related to divination of the future.
apple bobbing
nut roasting
mirror-gazing
dream interpretation
future prediction
10. Games
Throughout Ireland and Britain, the household festivities included rituals and games intended to foretell one's future, especially regarding death and marriage. Apples and nuts were often used in these divination rituals. They included apple bobbing, nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation, and others. (Wikipedia)
11. Christian fasting tradition
Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes. (Wikipedia)
12. Irish folktale
On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes a bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin, drink, and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for a place to rest. (Wikipedia)
13. Devil came down to Georgia
Part of the origin of the Halloween tradition reminds one of the country bluegrass song "
The devil went down to Georgia" made famous by the Charlie Daniels Band, released May 21, 1979.
Of course, it is ironic that being temped by the prospect of a golden fiddle may mean that the devil has already won.
Saying (of
snakes, etc.):
Heads I win. Tails you lose.
Here is a summary if the "
things" with which Jesus was tempted by the devil.
wealth - stones to bread
health - not be hurt
power - rule kingdoms
14. Date
This was about two months
after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident (March 28, 1979). In information systems,
TMI = Too Much Information.
The then-new SP-UM church organ was installed (March 19, 1979).
15. Pumpkins
Pumpkins from the New World were better suited for carving than turnips.
The orange color of the pumpkins and the greenish stems helped provide some of the traditional Halloween colors.
16. Gourd with intestines cut off
The use of the ancient Greek word
"κόλον" ≈ "intestine, food, fodder" or
"κόλος" ≈ "parts or extremities removed" is found four times in Jonah.
The ancient Greek word
"κολοκύνθη" ≈ "gourd". The vine-like nature of the plant appears like an "
intestine" or "
part" that is "
cut off" and from which the "
gourd" is removed.
Jonah 4:7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. [kjv]
και προσεταξεν ο θεος σκωληκι εωθινη τη επαυριον και επαταξεν την κολοκυνθαν και απεξηρανθη [lxx]
17. Latin and Modern Greek
Jonah 4:7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. [kjv]
και προσεταξεν ο θεος σκωληκι εωθινη τη επαυριον και επαταξεν την κολοκυνθαν και απεξηρανθη [lxx]
… vermem … percussit hederam … [v]
The Latin word
"hedera" ≈ "ivy". The Latin word
"percussit" ≈ "smote" and is the source of the English word
"percussion".
The modern Greek word
"κολοκυθιά" (ko-lo-kee-thee-A) ≈ "squash, pumpkin". Orange pumpkins came from the New World (Western Hemisphere).
18. Jonah 4:7
KJV: But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
Hebrew: וימן האלהים תולעת בעלות השחר למחרת ותך את הקיקיון וייבש׃
Greek: και προσεταξεν ο θεος σκωληκι εωθινη τη επαυριον και επαταξεν την κολοκυνθαν και απεξηρανθη
Latin: et paravit Deus vermem ascensu diluculo in crastinum et percussit hederam et exaruit
19. Goethe
The famous German author and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe first published the color wheel in 1810 (in German, English edition in 1840) called the Theory of Colors. In German, "
Zur Farbenlehre".
20. Color wheel
Many holidays have opposite colors on the Goethe color wheel.
Christmas: red and green
Easter: purple and yellow
Halloween: orange and green (not quite opposite)
Blue and orange (any takers)
21. Colors and color models
Two ways of looking at colors: (Note: there are other useful color models)
RGB additive model (light, added to black/screen)
(black) + red + green + blue = white
CMYK subtractive model (pigments, print, subtracted from white/paper)
(white) - cyan - magenta - yellow = black
Each model is correct. In many cases, one way may be easier to work with or use than the other model.
22. Halloween candy
Halloween candy and "
Trick or Treat" time is a traditional part of Halloween.
Klein Chocolate Company was incorporated 1914. By 1922, 200 people were employed making 250,000 chocolate bars a day. A lot of local milk was used. The plant was sold to M&M Mars in 1970.
What became American Heritage Chocolate in 2013 was started in 2003 by M&M Mars and expanded over time.
23. Charlie Brown
The Charlie Brown special "
It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966) tended to get everyone ready for the start of the Christmas season (and the Thanksgiving special too).
24. End of page
