On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 1:35:19 PM UTC+1, StarDust wrote:
On Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at 11:21:26 PM UTC-7, Gerald Kelleher wrote:
The Western islands of Europe celebrated the annual cycle in terms of the light half/dark half of the year as May 1st and November 1st respectively but while Ireland retained the context of Samhain/Bealtaine into the era of denominational Christianity, the English only retained May Day and shifted their ancient marker of Halloween for the dark half of the year to the political Guy Fawkes night -

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureU...-Celebrations/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

It then becomes easier to appreciate why Halloween became popular in the USA while St Patrick's day close to the Equinox became their version of May Day.

Nature, at least in terms of an annual cycle, goes into dormancy by November 1st so their is a natural sadness and other-worldliness about the period which marks the dark half of the year beginning and the light half ending. The more Northerly States in America experience the transition much like their counterparts in Europe , more in terms of a coldness cycle than the great daylight/darkness swings of Northern Europe, but effectively this is where appreciation of the seasons mesh when done as a half cycle rather than the quarter Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter cycle.


People may not be even aware that they live and celebrate life by the daily motion and orbital motion of the Earth depending on the relationship of their location to the Sun. I see so many here playing with words when they have nothing to say when they could just as easily adapt to the astronomy that really matters.

There are a number of popular myths and superstitions surrounding the day, most famously:


To be fair to the American deists, they did try their hand at masonic symbolism and specifically the number 13 representing the original States -

https://books.google.ie/books?id=l2h...ge&q&f=fal se


When the Christians adapted the older astronomical festivals ,they were careful to keep the symbolism as close as possible to the older views whereas the American masons it was willy nilly philosophical even if entertaining. For you Halloween has the same symbolism as Santa Claus has to the midwinter festivals but then again most of you associate astronomy exclusively with magnification or following the meaningless chanting of theorists.


It is not possible to buy your way into being an astronomer by the size or price of a telescope although their is no harm in the belief you can but this is an artifact of commercialisation much like the midwinter festivals and indeed all other astronomical festivals are dressed up in their respective attire of witches and goblins or Santa Claus, again no harm.


Whereas the Americans tend to commercialise, the English tend to politicise hence the connection between May 1st and November 1st was lost and with it midwinter and midsummer festivals on the Solstices.