The custom of masks and costumes
dates to these ancient times. Masks were worn in the superstitious belief
that their presence would help the returning spirits to know the living
from the dead. The custom was espoused by adults as well as children.
Jack o' lanterns were quite simply
that - lanterns. They were used by travelers to light the way, and were
carved with frightening faces to scare away the evil spirits. Those
not traveling around with lanterns would set bowls of food in front
of their houses to appease the spirits.
When Christianity arrived in the
Celtic lands, there was a movement to suppress the pagan rituals, but
the effort was unsuccessful. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV usurped
the holiday and declared samhain to be the night to celebrate the departed.
Boniface stipulated, however, that the celebration was to honor only
those of the departed who had been blessed, those hallowed by their
obedience to God. The celebration became All Hallow's Eve, later All
Souls or All Saints.
The Irish bread called barmbrack
is the traditional bread for All Hallow's Eve. Barm is a form of yeast
derived from ale. Brewing was once a home chore, and the yeast that
rose to the top of the ale would be skimmed off and used in baking.
It was a bitter taste and needed to stand in several changes of cold
water to rinse out the bitter taste.
In the New World, the Aztecs, believing
in the continuum of life, celebrated both children and the dead in August.
The celebration, presided over by Mictecacihuatl, the 'Lady of
the Dead,' was one that mocked death. The conquistadors' response to
the pagan Aztecs was similar to the attitude to the Celts, and once
again the Christian element tried to suppress the rituals. As with the
Celts, their efforts were in vain, so they co-opted the holiday by moving
it to November.
Mexicans retain the sense of celebration
in the face of death, and today Día de los Muertos is a three
day affair that incorporates visits to the graves of loved ones, a picnic
at which one talks about the beloved deceased, and the construction
of altars to the deceased. The special foods of the holiday include
the aromatic bread called 'Pan
de Muertos,' candy skulls made from marzipan and monogrammed with
the names of the deceased.
Try these traditional recipes:
pan
de muertos - flavored with anise seed, your house will be the most
fragrant ever
barmbrack-
the traditional Irish bread, studded with dried fruits, low in sugar
and butter
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