NOW this… by Caitlin
NOW this… by Caitlin
THIS is Halloween
Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Samhain … there are many names throughout history for this time of year and the stories and traditions have ever evolved with humanity. Rooted deeply in Druid folklore, most of our stories come from the Celtic versions of Samhain. One of my favorite traditions is pumpkin carving. There is something about sitting with friends and family, sipping cider as we gut and scrape the pumpkins, slowly bringing them to life with our carvings.
Carving into materials is one of the most primal forms of worship and communication. Countless civilizations spent hundreds of thousands of man hours perfecting their own styles, giving us modern societies a window into their world. (Something I feel we so needlessly take for granted in the tech era … but that is a tangent for another day.)
The sense of anticipation that accompanies lighting the jack-o-lanterns for the first time makes my skin crawl unlike anything. Waiting to see how they come to life to me is otherworldly; maybe this is why so many cultures believe the veil between realms is thin and breachable during this time of the year. The lore behind carving pumpkins is rooted in one of my favorite Celtic stories … the story of Stingy Jack, as recalled by my grandmother.
Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink one day, and true to his name, did not want to pay. He then convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin so they could pay and then once he was gone the Devil could materialize and walk away. Instead of paying for the drink though, Stingy Jack pocketed the coin along with a silver cross, ultimately imprisoning the devil in coin form.
Jack later freed the Devil with the condition that if he (Jack) died in the next year, the Devil would not claim his soul. A year passed by and Jack was walking at night through an apple orchard. (Think Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and her friends are in the haunted forest.) Jack comes toe-to-toe with the Devil again and this time convinces him to climb one of the trees to get an apple. Jack then carves a cross into the tree, again imprisoning the Devil. The devil is so mad he shakes the tree and the fruit falls to the ground. Jack asks the Devil to leave him alone for 10 more years and the Devil agrees, begrudgingly.
Not long after this encounter, Stingy Jack dies, and when it comes time for judgement, God would not allow him into heaven because he did not rebuke the Devil; he manipulated him. Such a dishonest person could not cross into the heavens. Yet, the Devil would not claim him either. Jack was sentenced to an eternity in purgatory with nothing but a flaming coal to light his way. Jack put this piece of coal into a hollowed out turnip and has been roaming the earth since. The Irish immigrants to the United States brought this folklore to North America with them and the tradition of carving pumpkins and cider-making along with it.
This Sunday, Oct. 24th, come celebrate Stingy Jack and everything Halloween with me at the Nannen Arboretum from 1:00-6:00pm. Despite moonlighting often as a writer, most days are taken up with the wonderful world of real estate. In an effort to give back to past clients, future clients and the community that supports me with no bound, I hope this event can become something Ellicottvillains look forward to. It is free to the public but there will be 50/50 raffles to support the Pink Pumpkin Project, a local non-profit that supports families while their loved ones are battling breast cancer. As a breast cancer survivor myself, I hope this can not only be fun but bring more awareness to the importance of early screening, establishing habits to keep cancer at bay and living a healthy lifestyle in survivorship.
As we head into the end of October, Ellicottville transforms into a spooky scene-scape with events for all ages. There is the Nightmare Hayrides in Great Valley (check out their website for hours - nightmarehayride.com), and a visit to Pumpkinville is a must (discover all the attractions at pumpkinville.com). Other spooktacular events planned include:
EVL Halloween Half Marathon & 5K, downtown Ellicottville: Saturday, Oct. 23rd @ 10:00am
Kids Pumpkin Painting Party at Villaggio: Saturday, Oct. 23rd @ 11:00am-1:00pm
“Thriller Dancers” in the street in front of Villaggio: Saturday, Oct. 23rd @ 6:30pm and 9:30pm
The Relaxed Realtor Client & Community Party at the Nannen Arboretum: Sunday, Oct. 24th @ 1:00-6:00pm
Rock City Chrysler’s Trunk or Treat at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds: Friday, Oct. 29th @ 6:00-8:00pm
S. Paul’s Trunk or Treat in the parking lot of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ellicottville: Sunday, Oct. 31st @ 6:00-8:00pm
Leaving you with one of my favorite Halloween jokes: Why do demons and ghouls hang out together? … Because demons are a ghoul's best friend! Hope to see you at the local haunts this season!
Caitlin Croft is a resident of Ellicottville and team writer for ellicottvilleNOW. She works as a real estate agent for Keller Williams Realty, is the U19/16 Team coach at HoliMont, and sits on the Ellicottville Village Board and Ellicottville Town Planning Board. She has a passion for Public Service and fighting for the best interests of her community. Proud member of Phi Alpha Delta.