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Mountain Views-News Saturday November 1, 2025


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

 

[Nyerges is the author of “Nuts and Berries of California,” which includes a chapter on toyon. He 
leads ethno-botanical walks. For more information, contact him at Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 
90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.]

 

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET BACK TO THE 
ROOTS OF HALLOWE'EN?

MEET 
ROCKY – THE 
ULTIMATE PURR 
MACHINE! 

Rocky is a 12-month-
old bundle of love with 
sleek, all-black fur and 
a motor that never 
stops running! This big 
boy purrs all the time! 
Whether he’s zooming around with his siblings, batting 
at his favorite toys, or soaking up pets and brushings, Rocky is always full of joy. And when 
playtime is over? He’ll happily curl up in your lap for a cozy nap.

Rocky is very sweet, very playful, and very cuddly. He loves attention and will be your constant 
companion—whether it’s for fun, snuggles, or simply hanging out. Rocky will go wherever 
you are. He has a substantial husky tail that is so handsome. 
He loves people, and wants to be your best friend. He still purrs 
whenever touched, and he also loves to be brushed.

We prefer kittens to be adopted in pairs unless there’s already 
a young feline friend at home. Don’t miss your chance to bring 
this purr-monster home! 💕

 See more of him and his siblings and apply to meet Rocky 
today at https://www.lifelineforpets.org/mindys-kittens.html 
or use the qr code. 


What is Hallowe’en all about? 
Why has the day that was once 
called All Hallows Eve devolved into a day of fun 
and fear? Wasn’t it once regarded as a Holy Day? So 
how was this day recognized before it was all commercialized 
into a scary night? Is it possi-ble to discover 
the roots of this day, and observe it in its original 
fashion today?

How can we answer these questions? We’d need to dig 
up whatever historical facts to show how this day was 
commemorated before 1700, more or less. Though 
it’s hard to be 100% certain, we at can assume that 
“commercialization” didn’t really exist in 1700, and 
all the European and some American commemorations 
before that year probably retained some semblance 
of what the day was all about, originally.

So, first, let’s begin with the day.

It is believed that the ancient Celts observed something 
called a “Samhain festival” towards the end of 
October. Says the World Book Encyclopedia. “The 
Celts believed that the dead could walk among the 
living at this time. During Samhain, the living could 
visit with the dead. Elements of the customs can be 
traced to a Druid ceremony in pre-Christian times. 
The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun 
god and a god of the dead (called Samhain), whose 
festival was held on November 1, the beginning of 
the Celtic New Year. 

This day, or period, was to mark the end of the harvest 
and the beginning of winter. 

Samhain (pronounced “sow-in,” which means “summer’s 
end,” or the name of a god, or both) is seen by 
some Wiccans as a time to celebrate the lives of those 
who have died, and it often involves paying respect 
to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, 
friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. In 
some rituals the spirits of the dead are invited to attend 
the festivities. 

Various sorts of activities done on Samhain have 
been described over the centuries. In Ireland, Samhain 
was a time to take stock of the herds and food 
supplies. Cattle were brought to the winter pastures 
after six months in the higher summer pastures. 
Then, the people chose which animals to slaughter 
before the winter. After the slaughter of the animals, 
there would be feasting. And obviously, if you aren’t 
an animal-raising farmer, how would you celebrate 
this aspect, except for the feasting?

The Catholic Church was aware of all the so-called 
“pagan” observances, and had their own day to commemorate 
the dead, May 13. This began in 609 or 
610 A.D., when Pope Boniface the 4th dedicated 
the Pantheon— the Roman temple of all the gods—
to Mary and all the martyrs. Later that date was 
changed by Pope Gregory III (731-741 A.D.), who 
dedicated a chapel in Rome to all the saints and ordered 
that they be honored on November 1. It’s unclear 
precisely why the date was changed, but likely 
it was to over-shadow the pre-existing Samhain, so 
called “pagan,” commemorations.

In the 11th century, November 2nd was assigned 
as "All Souls’ Day" in commemora-tion of the dead. 
So this began the use of the term Hallow’s Eve, or 
Hallowe’en for October 31.

Hallowe’en customs are similar to the observance of 
Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, commonly 
practiced in Mexico and which can be traced to early 
Aztec times. Apparently, this “day of the dead” was 
originally commemorated in Mexico in May, and 
was changed to November 2 sometime after Spanish 
contact, possibly to cor-respond with the “Christian” 
tradition. 

FOOD and GIFTING

Trick or treating in modern times goes back to leaving 
food and wine for roaming dead spirits and 
ghosts. The custom was referred to as "going a-souling" 
and was eventually practiced only by the children 
who would visit the houses in their neighborhoods 
and be given gifts of ale, food and money. It 
was believed the spirits of the dead returned to vis-it 
their old homes during this time, so in ancient times, 
people left food out for them and arranged chairs so 
that the dead would be able to rest. 

Treats called “soul cakes” were given out in memory 
of the departed. The Middle Age practice of souling 
— going door to door begging for food in return for 
prayers — became popular and is even referenced by 
William Shakespeare in 1593. This is obviously the 
root of the modern “trick or treating” for mini Snickers 
bars, a practice no doubt loved by every dentist.

Seasonal foods such as apples and nuts were often 
used in the Samhain rituals. Apples were peeled, the 
peel tossed over the shoulder, and its shape examined 
to see if it formed the first letter of the future spouse's 
name. Nuts were roasted on the hearth and then interpreted 
– if the nuts stayed together, so would the 
couple. Egg whites were dropped in water, and the 
shapes foretold the number of future children. Children 
would also chase crows and divine some of 
these things from the number of birds or the direction 
they flew. 

COSTUMES

Celts would wear masks when they left their homes 
during the night hours during Sam-hain days, because 
they hoped they would avoid being recognized 
by the ghosts and be mistaken merely for fellow 
ghosts. 

“Mumming” and “Guising” were a part of Samhain 
from at least the 16th century and was recorded in 
parts of Ireland, Scotland, Mann and Wales. It involved 
people going from house to house in costume 
(or in disguise), usually reciting songs or verses in ex-
change for food. It is suggested that it evolved from a 
tradition whereby people imper-sonated the souls of 
the dead, and received offerings on their behalf. Impersonating 
these spirits or souls was also believed to 
protect oneself from them. One researcher suggests 
that the ancient festival included people in masks 
or costumes representing these spirits, and that the 
modern custom came directly from this. 

PARADES

Pagan Celtic priestesses and their followers would 
roam the countryside, chanting songs in order to 
frighten away the evil spirits thought to be out on 
Halloween night. I wonder how that could be practiced 
in your neighborhood?

FIRES

Bonfires were a big part of the festival in many areas 
of western Europe. Bonfires were typically lit on hilltops 
at Samhain where everyone could see them, and 
there were rit-uals involving them. We concluded 
that a small, safe backyard fire might be a good addition 
to celebrating the day, though we were pretty 
sure that local fire departments would take a very 
dim view if fires were built on local hilltops!

Bonfires comes from the root, “bone-fires” because 
the priests sacrificed animals and supposedly even 
people in an attempt to appease the sun god, while 
also looking for future omens. The fire was said 
to be a type of sympathetic magic, where the fire 
mim-icked the sun, which has the power to hold 
back the darkness of winter. Burning the fires was 
also believed to be a way of banishing evil, at least 
symbolically.

The belief that the souls of the dead return home on 
one night of the year seems to have ancient origins 
and is found in many cultures throughout the world. 

CONCLUSION

So what should we conclude from all this? Is there an 
ideal way to commemorate this ancient day, and still 
avoid the trappings of commercialization? Is it even 
possible in today’s world?

I like the way that the Day of the Dead is commemorated. 
There are altars with pictures of the dearly 
departed, and plates of good food. Candles are lit, 
rather than a big bon-fire which the local fire department 
would frown upon. Families gather, and talk in 
re-spectful tones about their departed relatives. Yes, 
of course, even the Day of the Dead has turned into 
wild partying in some quarters, but if you seek a return 
to roots of the ancient commemoration of the 
dead, perhaps begin here. 

Begin with family or neighborhood gatherings. Prepare 
a good meal, and keep in the mind the foods 
that your beloved departeds enjoyed. This is not 
necessarily because you think their spirits will come 
to eat (last I checked, ghosts don’t need to eat), but 
because having, for example, your mother’s favorite 
dish will give you another reason to talk about your 
mother, and to remember all the good things she did. 

This is at least a start, and it elevates our day of 
ghoulish and pointless fear-mongering into one that 
reconnects us with our roots. 


Pet of the Week


Meet Gertrude, Pasadena Humane’s 10-year-
old Cane Corso sweetheart! Gertrude is a 
gentle soul who wants just one thing in life: to 
be close to you. This lovely lady is a world-class 
hand-holder - she’ll place her big paw in your 
hand and happily keep it there for as long as 
you’ll let her.

Since arriving in her foster home, Gertrude 
has shown herself to be affectionate, calm, 
and endlessly loyal. She loves following her 
foster parents from room to room with quiet 
devotion. She’s happiest when being petted, 
and if the pets stop, she’s quick to offer a polite 
paw as a reminder for more love. She also 
enjoys slow morning walks and soaking up all 
the attention she can get.

Gertrude is ready to thrive in a home of her very own. If you’re looking for a loyal 
companion who’ll hold your hand through it all - literally and figuratively - Gertrude 
is your girl.

During November’s Adopt a Senior Pet Month, all adoption fees are waived for dogs 
and cats five years and older, just like Gertrude!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. 

Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptable 
pets at pasadenahumane.org.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet. 

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com