Needlepoint
News - October - Samantha Taylor
Madrid
Short
and Sweet - a *Trick or a Treat?*
We are pleased to keep this October
newsletter a short one !!
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This has been one very busy month - (and very wet) - too much turmoil - and we just made the
October deadline by a hair !!
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Luna
y Bombé
 
What to Wear
Yes - we have spent months -thinking
about different costumes for Halloween.
First - Luna wanted to be Bombé
- and Bombé wanted to be a bird.
Then Luna wanted to be a mouse - and
Bombé a puppy ... then they decided to be a pair of hummingbirds
... or ... and ... this goes on and on ... so -
In the end - we all conformed to
waiting until next year - when they are a bit older - and wise
enough to travel out into the hall to trick and treat the neighbors.
They are happy with the treats (for this year) though.
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No nation on earth is quite as good
at enjoying itself as Spain. There are so many fiestas that even if
you could attend more than one a day you would not be able to
visit them all in a single lifetime.
All Saints Day and Halloween
As you know - the holiday we call
Halloween has a history of influences from many cultures throughout
centuries - and is one of the oldest holidays - as its´s
origins date from thousands of years ago > beginning with the Celtic
Samhain festival - mixed with the Roman´s
Pomona Day - then to the Christian holidays of All
Saints Day.
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The Celtic Samhain
The Celts - (from the area
that is now called Great Britain and Northern France) - worshipped nature and had many gods - the sun god being the favorite
- as HE ruled their work and rest times - made the earth beautiful
and the crops grow.
Read More about The
Celts
These Celts celebrated their New
Year on November 1st - every year with a festival marking the
end of the season of the sun and the beginning of the season of darkness
and cold.
They believed that during the winter
- Samhain - Lord of the Dead and Prince of Darkness - took
the sun god prisoner.
On the eve before their new year (October
31) - it was believed that Samhain called together all the
dead people. The dead would take different forms - with the bad spirits
taking the form of animals - the most evil taking the form of cats.
As they danced around the fires - the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would
begin.
Druids (Celtic
Priests)
When the morning arrived the Druids
(Priests) gave an ember from their fires to each family - who
would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires
would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.
This November 1st festival would
become the first Halloween.
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The Roman Pomona Day
During the first century - the Romans
invaded Britain - bringing with them many of their festivals and
customs. One of these was the festival know as Pomona Day - named
for their goddess of fruits and gardens and was also celebrated around
the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman Pomona
Day intermingled - becoming the major fall holiday.
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The Christian - All Saint´s Day
The next influence came with the spread
of the new Christian religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the
year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church
holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's
Day - or Hallowmas - or All Hallows.
Years later the Church would make November
2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and was to honor
the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires - parades and people
dressing up as saints - angels and devils.
But the spread of Christianity did
not make people forget their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows
- Oct. 31 - people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain
and Pomona Day.
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Halloween
Over the years the customs from all
these holidays mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even
- eventually evolving into All Hallow's Eve - Hallowe'en and then
- Halloween.
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.
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What
to do When You are Down
Perfect
- Go Out and Trick - and Treat -- ?¿
Use
Your Imagination !!
Plan
this properly -- this is a perfect weekend to perform tricks and treats
- for example - -
- - Prepare a super Halloween reception
for those that come to your door - take care to smile for those
wee first timers - they are our future.
After tonight - follow the tradition
of remembering those loved ones who are no longer with us - even take
them flowers (as we do here in Spain). This may produce some sadness
- yet - they live in our memories - you will feel warmth.
Take treats to someone you know - who
is in need.
Now - the best treat - fill your rooms
with flowers and fragrances - pamper yourself !!
Guaranteed
that you will feel better !! --
Now Just Do Not Be Down.
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We
Love to Hear from Our Friends
Please
write to us - If you like we will publish your correspondence
in our next newsletter and web site. Tell us about yourself - your
needlepoint *addiction* - what you would like us to add or remove
from our newsletters ... or any of your favorite anecdotes! If you
prefer to remain anonymous be sure to include this at the end of your
note. Just select below and write - it is that simple. Make some
time (look who is talking).
samantha_taylor@jvoichdesigns.com
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Nice Thoughts for Our Friends
*We
would like to send our very best wishes - to our friends and family
- in Southern California suffering the tremendous threats from
fires - as well as those of you who suffered the terrible flooding
and damages caused by Hurricane Isabel this last month of September.* - From Us - Madrid
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We
have received an incredibly wonderful number of letters from YOU - yet do not want to publish these until we ask permission - so coming
up - next month.
Again - we have been too short on time
- but - thank YOU for such fun letters.
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Like
nearly all languages - Castellano - Spanish arrived at its
current state over hundreds of years. It had its origins in Indo-European
and then in Latin before it became a distinct language of its
own. Here you will learn more about the history of a language that is spoken by more than 300 million people.
The Spanish language is rich with refranes > sayings
or proverbs that often become a shorthand way of conveying a thought
or expressing a judgment - a unique form - yet a loving vehicle of
communication.
Here
you will find a collection of a sayings - one for each day of the
month.
Of
the literally hundreds of sayings that are a part of the language
- this section includes some of the most common as well as a few others
that were chosen simply - because they are so charming.
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¿ Si la leche es gratis -
para que comprar la vaca ?
If the milk
is free - why buy the cow ?
(No need for an explanation)
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... and yet - one more ...
NO ES POBRE EL QUE TIENE POCO
- SINO EL QUE CODICIA MUCHO.
(He
who has little is not poor - if not the person who is greedy for too
much)
A
person who has very little is not the poor one - it is the person
who can not have enough who is truly poor - or -
Some
people can just not have enough.
(Thanks Liv - send more !!)
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This is all for now. ¡Hasta
Pronto!... and Thank You - again - for taking the time to read this and - Happy
Halloween
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Needlepoint News - October 2003 - Samantha
Taylor Needlepoint - news from Spain - animal stories - History of
Halloween - and our favorite sayings ...
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