Halloween and Devils’ Night

Image Credit: Jackins

Happy Halloween, everyone!  Or, Happy New Year’s Eve, if you are a Pagan.  I love the looks of perplexity that I receive when I say this.  I’m sorry, I’m unable to see yours.  Many people aren’t aware that Halloween represents the end of the Pagan Year.

Many consider it to be the scariest night of the year.  To me, October 30 is way more frightening, but more on that later.

Some of the Christians in my life avoid it.  I remember going to Bible study and remarking that Halloween was only 2 days away.  I thought they were going to.exorcise me.  They didn’t, but it would have been fun to scream, “It burns!” as they doused me with Holy water.  No offense, please.  I mean no disrespect.

From the time I was three years old, Halloween was my favorite time of the year.  Christmas didn’t even come close.  It wasn’t even about the candy.  I would chuck most of it.  It was about the spookiness and darkness and the scary movies.  I chalk it up to my Scorpio moon.   People under this moon sign tend to favor the occult, law enforcement and self injury.  Affirmative times three.

Halloween is supposed to be the day when the veil between the living and dead is the thinnest.  My friend and I would bring tarot cards to a cemetery and do a quick reading.  No hands ever emerged from any of the graves.

The wearing of costumes was supposed to confuse evil spirits.  After all, if you looked.like a monster, you must be one, right?  No normal looking person could ever be a monster.  Of course, we all know better (digression).

Even the Jack-O-Lantern has roots in evil.  Jack was an evil, mean man.  Jack played with the Devil to ensure he didn’t go to hell after he died.  He wasn’t allowed into Heaven, either.  He was doomed to walk the earth, with a fire lighted turnip.  Thanks, Devil!

That segues us into Devils’ Night.

The night before Halloween is known as mischief night.  Many a friend might tell you about the eggs they tossed at a friend’s house, or a roll of toilet paper they tossed in the trees…or both.

In the early 80’s, a freak of nature decided it would be a blast (pun intended) to set something on fire, in Detroit.  Word  traveled quickly and pretty soon, the lunatics followed suit.  Before long, the city became an inferno.  In 1984, the reported number of fires reached around 800, between October 29 and October 31.  Detroit’s residents sat with trepidation in mind, and buckets in hand, waiting for the next offender.  I lived by Pontiac, aka, little Detroit, and didn’t sleep a.wink.  Pontiac didn’t do as well, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

Eventually, the numbers went down.  I stayed vigilant in the Pontiac area.  Devils’ Night became Angels’ night.  I moved to a different state.  I asked about Devils’ Night and received “what the Hell” looks.  I told them where I came from, and what happened.   Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.  You mean not every city looks to burn itself down on the day before Halloween??  Shocking.

Did your town ever decide to celebrate Halloween by burning itself down?  I hope not. What kind of “tricks” did y’all do?  Happy Halloween, all!  This is the most wonderful day and night of the year!!

Jaded