'Dušičky’ versus Halloween

When we arrived to California two years ago already at the airport we were surprised by the strange dressed up people. We didn’t have any idea we arrived exactly on the scariest day of the year.

The Czech ‘Dušičky’ and the American Halloween are both dealing with the death.
The origin of both usages would come from the ancient celebration of the Celtic New Year on November 1. This day signified the end of summer, harvesting the crops and the beginning of the dark and cold winter season. And the Celts associated winter with the death. The night before, October 31st, they celebrated the ‘All Hallows Eve’ also called 'All Saints', or 'All Souls Day’. This day was loaded with myth and mystery. On that day the laws of time and space were temporarily suspended. The ghosts of the death were believed to return to cause tricks and mischief and mix up with the living people, even seeking for a body to inhabit…


In the Czech Republic we observe the ‘Památka zesnulých’ (‘Remembrance of the Dead’) on the November 2nd. I prefer to call it the folk’s way ‘Dušičky’ literally translated ‘Little Souls’ which you may also freely translate as ‘All Souls Day’.
On that day the Czechs go to the graveyards and put fresh flowers on the graves and they light up candles in the memories of their family members and friends.

Even the ‘Dušičky’ and Halloween have the same roots, every country has adjusted the past Celtic tradition as the time went on.
The Czechs don’t get dressed in costumes. There are no parties compare to the American Halloween. Putting on costumes is not an American invention. Already the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins. O.K. the costumes are more cultivated today but they can be really scary. Even the local babies wear skeleton costumes. About the costumes: my observation is that most of the ladies here prefer to go for sexy above scary. Of course! It’s 'accepted' only on that particular day ;-)


Anyway I have to admit I like the atmosphere of Halloween. It belongs to the local fall festivities and fall is my favorite season.
The celebration is not just about the death and monsters but also about the harvest and above all about the pumpkins.


Out of a large pumpkin people here carve ‘The Jack of the Lantern’. This tradition originates from an Irish myth about a ‘Stingy Jack’. According to the story this unsavory figure was not allowed by the God to enter the heaven and the Devil wouldn’t let him into the hell either. Jack has got a burning coal from the Devil which he put into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since as a ghost.
This ‘Jack-O'Lantern’ is the most common Halloween decoration.

But on some front porches you would find just complete graveyards with gravestones, corpses, skeletons and the shrubs are often covered by huge spider webs. This decoration is indeed morbid even sick sometimes and not bright either. Though it is funny and you should admire the human creativity at least.

Even it’s common at many places to come in the Halloween costumes on this mythic day this is not the case at Maarten’s preschool. Although there are pumpkins and spiders around the classroom it is not Montessori practice to celebrate holidays.
Also at home we don’t have any graveyards or skeletons (this year) but a little bit of fall decoration.

PS: Last night shortly after 8 p.m. there was an earthquake with 5.6 magnitude northeast of San Jose, which means in our direction. Even though the BART trains were stopped for a while there was luckily no damage. Even people in Walnut Creek could feel the quake. Well, we haven’t experienced anything this time.