Halloween Literary Postcards
Samhain, the ancient Gaelic festival known nowadays as Halloween continues today, until sunset. Samhain is is seen as a liminal time, when spirits or fairies can more easily come into the world, so don’t forget to leave some candies near the window for them. The souls of the dead are also thought to visit their homes. Samhain was also a time of feasts. Dressing up was part of the festival, and people went from door-to-door in costume or disguise, reciting verses in exchange for food.
One need not be a chamber to be haunted;
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.
~Emily Dickinson
‘Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
~William Shakespeare
There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery. ~Joseph Conrad
If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween. ~Douglas Coupland
Where there is no imagination there is no horror. ~Arthur Conan Doyle
There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask. ~Colette
Leave a Reply