During the autumn season when imagery of the harvest is all around, it can be easy to forget that the cornucopia of produce yielded is the product of year round effort. Thoughwe, most of whom are removed from the production of our own sustenance, may not be consciously aware of the agricultural calendar,it is something that our ancestors were very much aware of. Until very recently in the grand timeline of human history, the vast majority of human beings participated in agriculture, in one way or another, as well as the age old customs and rituals that went along with it.

Halloween is a fun and festive time of year with roots going back to Old World tradition. While some traditions have faded away, others survived and are still practiced today.  In the old days, both October 31s and November 1st were considered special days. Often the eve before a holiday was the time for raucous revelry while the next morning was the time for solemn church going. Thus, All Hallows Eve (or evening) became Hallowe’en, and then simply Halloween. Of course we know that before it was All Hallows, the celebration was called Samhain (pronounced sow-en), a Celtic pagan high day.  For this edition of The Archivist’s Corner, your archivist has uncovered some antiquated accou nts of Celtic Halloween customs for your reading pleasure. 

Welcome back to the Archivist’s Corner! It’s December, and so I’m rustling up some dusty old treasures that are sure to bring you a bit Yuletide cheer. The first piece I have for you is a Medieval Christmas Carole called “The Boar’s Head.”  It is thought to be of German origin, but it was sung in England during the Middle Ages. This is especially interesting because it hearkens back to the days of old Yule, before the changeover to Christmas. The boar was a sacred animal to Germanic pagans, and therefore also to the Anglo-Saxons who were of Germanic origin. Many people still eat ham on Christmas today, which is a remnant of the old pagan custom of sacrificing a boar for the Yule feast at Winter Solstice.