NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 2 days ago
This is a interesting question. I believe it comes down to if the “corporate version” of Santa Claus (and Christmas) has made its way to the southern hemisphere. Christmas is a major Catholic holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Santa Claus is derived from the Saint Nicholas a patron saint.
“Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. His reputation evolved among the pious, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the folklore of Santa Claus”
NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Similar like Christmas, Halloween is not celebrated in the same commercialized way in parts of Europe for example. It focuses more on the remembering and honouring of the dead, commonly done with heading to evening mass and then lighting a candel at the cemetery.
Halloween as we know it evolved from two main sources: the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter, and the Christian observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The night before All Saints’ Day, November 1, became known as “All Hallows’ Eve,” which was later shortened to Halloween.
Celtic festival of Samhain
Purpose: To celebrate the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark, cold winter.
Beliefs: Celts believed that on the night of Samhain (around November 1), the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, allowing spirits to roam the earth.
Traditions: To ward off evil spirits, people would light large bonfires and wear costumes or disguises.
Timing: Held around November 1, the time of the new year for the ancient Celts.
Christian influence
All Saints Day: In the 8th century, the Roman Catholic Church moved the feast day of All Saints to November 1, likely to absorb or replace the pagan traditions of Samhain.
All Hallows’ Eve: The night before the feast of All Saints became known as “All Hallows’ Eve,” or “the eve of all the hallowed (or holy) ones”. Over time, this name was shortened to “Hallowe’en”.
Merged traditions: Many pagan traditions from Samhain merged with Christian observances, such as the “souling” tradition in which people went door-to-door asking for food in exchange for prayers for the dead. This is a precursor to modern trick-or-treating.