Happy All Hallows Eve … A Spankee Idea…
Celtic in origin, Samhain, the ritual celebration of the change of season, where November 1 represented the end of summer and the harvest of crops. A sacred ritual Samhain bonfire was lit and attended by all on the evening before - Oct. 31 - The Celts associated this time of year with death, and believed that at this time of year the spirits of the dead returned to the earth along with otherworldy spirits. The ritual fire along with animal sacrifice and offerings of treasured crops to the fire by members of the village dressed in costumes -typically animal skins and heads; was thought to distract and attract and please all spirits including any negative spirits and thus protect the bulk of their crops from destruction. The Celtic’s Druid preists believed that the sacred bonfires attracted the swarm of otherworldly spirits who came to earth on the Samhain evening as summer came to an end, and the presence of these spirits aided them in predicting the trials of the coming winter and subsequent planting season, thus helping them guide their communities.
The Romans came along and eventually absorbed the Celts that they didn’t kill, but typical of conquering societies, they didn’t completely userp the belief systems they could exploit. Two Roman holidays found themselves blended with the Celtic celebration of Samhain; Feralia - the Roman celebration of the dead and the day honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees whose symbol features an apple.
Christians came along too, later on, and while the pagan nature of the October 31 nightime ritual was frowned on, Pope Boneface the !V declared Nov. 1 “All Souls day,” a day to honor all dead saints and martyrs. Knowing the repeated motives of the Chatohic church - to usurp and replace all things pagan - it’s probable that his decree was an attempt to dilute an established pagan holiday with a sanctioned religious holiday. {Christmas & Easter have similar histories} The Catholics named Nov 1, All Hallows Day, or alternatively, All Hallowmass. Hence the evolution of the Celtic/Druid Samhain, to All Hallows Eve or Halloween.
The tradition of costumes disguising the celebrant began with the Celts. The tradition of tricking negative spirits away from valued crops - diverting them with a huge ritual fire, and the treating them with sacraficial offering of some of the best of crops and animals began with the Celts in Ireland and the UK.
It’s possible that similar evolution condensed from Myan and Aztec traditions when Catholicism infiltrated their words. Halloween is relatively new in these cultures, but Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a long, long long celebrated holiday, though it has moved on the calendar since the 1400’s and is now celebrated from after dark on Oct 31 through daylight on Nov 1. Parades, celebrating the dead, even some debauchery and excess own the night, and then deep prayer, confession and contemplation offers respect on Nov. 1 once daylight takes over.
Well… I think the candy thing’s the pitts (I’m not really a sweets person unless its a coffee crip candy bar once or twice a year, and for the past 2 years I’ve stopped giving out candy … just apples and rice crispy treats now - if I’m home, wasn’t last year and didn’t get in till 7 PM this year - so I’ll take the rice crispy’s to work & keep the apple just for me),
The trick or treat ritual is a great idea, I think. Specially for spankos. The trick of course is required of the spankee, and then the treat must be the spanking the trickster requires…. I think this holiday occurs far too infrequently and we spankos just might want to think about at least quarterly. Spanko’een(halloween), Spankmas (Christmas), SpankMMMday maybe on the UK/Canadian holiday that often corresponds to or is the week before US Memorial day, Spanker’sday honored on Labor day.
Wish I could figure out how to post a poll using this software, but tell me/us should we as a spanking community attach/adapt existing holidays to our purposes and hint to our peers that, all factors being favorable, fun spankings otta be celebrations and there are occasions we might all want to consider as shared? How neet it would be to go over a spanker’s knee knowing I am not the only one enjoying this special satisfaction.
???????????????????? any thoughts
November 1st, 2007 at 2:41 am
Patty, a very erudite piece of research, and of course you are right, all the major Christian festivals are on or near the equivalent Pagan feast.
*G*
I suspect that Spanko’s mostly celebrate high days and holiday with their favourite types of spankings.
Mel’s good girl spankings were even better on such days.
Love and warm hugs,
Paul.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:18 am
I was sorta watching (MrC is, after all, in control of the remote) a little of the Halloween history on the history channel the other night. Some of it I knew, some I had never heard. Quite interesting all the same.
In answer to your question, I surely agree that spankos world-wide should celebrate the day, or event with spankings. Get congress to rule that the ritual is a part of all these holidays and some of us (me!) could be sitting a lot happier! *g* Good thought!
~Hugs!
November 1st, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I was thinking about using the Thanksgiving premise of being grateful for some things,and mixing in the spanking formula.Spanksgiving would the celebration of a ritual spanking.Male spankers would beat the beejesus out of their better halves.
In response to the stressed out wives of the world,(planning Thanksgiving dinners and get-togethers,dealing with dreaded in-laws,etc,)male spankers would begin the celebration at the stroke of midnight.Technically this would be Friday morning.The participating submissive should be ready,stripped and over her Dominant’s knee.Spanksgiving would truly help digest those heavy meals,burn all of those extra calories and start the holiday season off properly.My vote is that Spanksgiving be granted an official holiday(Banks and federal offices are already going to be closed for Thanksgiving anyways.)I therefore decree that Friday,November 23,2007 should this year be known as Spanksgiving day and that every deserving female be rendered incapable of sitting for the entire weekend of the 24 and 25 of November.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Spanksgiving, Spankmas, Victorian Day (as opposed to Victoria Day), I concur Jeff
We could call it the MaggieODear, “mandated spousal/partner spanking day(s)” bill, which would then become Maggie’s Law.
High days are special that’s for sure Paul and we spankos do tend to enjoy them to our tastes. Betcha we make some up too. LOLOL. I remember once Fred shook me awake and announced that it was spanked for farting in my sleep day. Twas a high day indeed. I’d eaten half a jar of Cashew nuts and every fart was silent and deadly. LOLOLOL
November 25th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
I agree, all high days should be honoured in the appropriate way. My better half and I actually have a spanking anniversary, the first time I had lasting marks to show for my correction, and this is then honoured every year with at least as good a thrashing. Most years we have managed to improve on it….