万圣节在哪一天?万圣节的由来和传说
万圣节的来历
万圣节是西方的鬼节,万圣节来源于两千多年前。欧洲的天主教会把11月1日定为“天下圣徒之日”(ALLHALLOWSDAY)。“HALLOW”即圣徒之意。传说自公元前五百年,居住在爱尔兰、苏格兰等地的凯尔特人(CELTS)把这节日往前移了一天,即10月31日。 他们认为该日是夏天正式结束的日子,也就是新年伊始,严酷的冬季开始的一天。那时人们相信,故人的亡魂会在这一天回到故居地在活人身上找寻生灵,借此再生,而且这是人在死后能获得再生的唯一希望。而活着的人则惧怕死魂来夺生,于是人们就在这一天熄掉炉火、烛光,让死魂无法找寻活人,又把自己打扮成妖魔鬼怪把死人之魂灵吓走。之后,他们又会把火种烛光重新燃起,开始新的一年的生活。传说那时凯尔特人部落还有在10月31日把活人杀死用以祭奠死人的习俗。万圣节是鬼节。
鬼节,是指祭祀鬼的节日或者与鬼相关的节日,鬼是在人类蒙昧时期,对生命的一种延伸。东西方文化对于生命延伸的概念略有不同,但人死为鬼一直是鬼文化的主流。 西方鬼节中有墨西哥鬼节等,但最著名的是万圣节。中国一些地方将上巳节(三月三)、清明节、中元节、寒衣节四个节日,合称为“四大鬼节”。万圣节的流行地区
万圣节主要流行于英语世界,如不列颠群岛和北美,其次是澳大利亚和新西兰。 如今一些亚洲国家的年轻一辈也开始倾向于过“洋节”,到了万圣节前夕,一些大型外资超市都会摆出专柜卖万圣节的玩具,小商贩也会出售一些跟万圣节相关的玩偶或模型,吸引年轻人的眼光。万圣节习俗:
南瓜灯和太妃苹果糖必不可少
我们或多或少都从外国的书刊或影视作品中了解到,西方人在过万圣节时总是会在家里或院子里摆上南瓜灯。但爱尔兰人最早制作的并不是南瓜灯,而是在挖空的萝卜里放一根小蜡烛做成萝卜灯。据说爱尔兰人到了美国不久,发现南瓜不论从来源和雕刻来说都比萝卜更胜一筹,于是南瓜就成了万圣节的新宠。 此外,由于万圣夜临近苹果的丰收期,太妃糖苹果成为应景食品。制法是把苹果插上竹签,然后手持竹签把苹果放在太妃糖浆中转动,有时会再粘上果仁。从前,各家各户会自制太妃糖苹果送给小孩。而如今在这个快节奏的时代背景下,很少有人会自己花时间和精力制作,于是商家们推出了各式各样好看、好玩又好吃的太妃苹果糖。 除此之外,南瓜派也是万圣夜的节庆食品,特别是在美国。南瓜派是美国南方的深秋到初冬的传统家常点心,平常就有在吃,特别在万圣夜的前后,成为一种应景的食物。另外烘干的南瓜子也是常被当做万圣夜的食品。英国万圣节
英国是万圣节的起源地,但每个地方都有各自特色的活动:每年10月中下旬,在伦敦的大街小巷中就能感受到“灵异”的气氛。万圣节期间,伦敦塔附近会还原很多过去施刑现场,人们在参观的同时仿佛能感受到鬼影重重。而伦敦最大的夜总会会在10月31日当晚举行万圣节舞会,通宵狂欢。 约克郡是英国著名的鬼郡,每年万圣节当日,市中心一带的路段都会封锁,用作举办节日活动的场所。这个规模冠绝全英的万圣节庆典,每年有超过4万人参与,参加者以妖魔鬼怪的可怕造型示人,并一同上街吓人。此外,当日有不少活动供游客参与:猛鬼街头剧场、鬼怪时装表演、乐队演出等。美国万圣节
万圣节传入美国是在1840年间。由于当时的爱尔兰饥荒,造成大批爱尔兰人移民美国,他们把庆祝万圣节的习俗也带到了美国这片土地。 美国每逢此日所有商店都出售鬼怪形食品、糖果、服装和面具等。由于南瓜灯是节日的标志,所以家家户户都要买南瓜制作南瓜灯、进行南瓜灯比赛。 晚上小朋友都会参加讨糖吃的活动,他们提着南瓜灯笼挨家讨糖,如果主人不给糖,孩子就会通过各种方式给主人造麻烦,或是将垃圾扔到主人家门口,或是踩烂他们门口的南瓜,这就是著名的“不给糖就捣蛋”。加拿大万圣节
万圣节在加拿大也称“鬼节”。当天晚上,加拿大民众化装成很可怕的样子,希望以此吓走“鬼魂”。化装成“鬼”的人们,无论大人还是小孩,纷纷提着兜挨家挨户去要糖,加拿大总督府和总理府更是门庭若市。 而在万圣节之前,在10月的第一个星期一,加拿大还专门有一个南瓜节,也被视为该国的感恩节。届时,超市和果园里,橘红色的南瓜堆积如山。人们买回南瓜后,会做许多风味独特的南瓜饼、南瓜糕或南瓜排骨,味道都非常不错。法国万圣节
据悉,过万圣节并不是法国的传统,不过近几年在法国也慢慢开始流行。1982年,有个叫 “American Dream”的饭馆开始在巴黎庆祝万圣节,当时饭馆的工作人员还要向法国人解释他们在庆祝什么。 到了1995年,万圣节就几乎家喻户晓了。年长的法国人一说起来,还会流露出一种不屑,觉得是美国人的节日,可是小孩子们却乐此不疲的挨家挨户的要糖吃。 法国人在万圣节这天,一般都去巴黎蒙马特高地公墓和拉兹神父公墓献菊花,在巴黎到这两个公墓的沿途有成千上万的花店,摆满了清香高雅的菊花,去墓地的人络绎不绝。在这天,天主教信徒会感谢赞美主,同时祈求天国诸圣代为祈祷,好使天主能接纳信徒的祷告。盘点各种版本的万圣节传统和起源
“不给糖就捣蛋”游戏、南瓜灯、诡异的服装,这些都是万圣节的经典传统。但你知道这些传统有多个版本的起源故事吗?你知道糖苹果和玉米糖是怎么成为万圣节美食的吗?你知道万圣节装饰常用的黑色和橙色象征着什么吗?不要傻傻地只知道化装舞会和南瓜灯了,一起来丰富一下关于万圣节的有趣知识吧!1. CARVING HALLOWEEN JACK-O'-LANTERNS
雕刻万圣节南瓜灯
Jack-O'-Lanterns, which originated in Ireland using turnips instead of pumpkins, are supposedly based on a legend about a man named Stingy Jack who repeatedly trapped the Devil and only let him go on the condition that Jack would never go to Hell. When he died, however, Jack learned that Heaven didn’t really want his soul either, so he was condemned to wander the Earth as a ghost for all eternity. The Devil gave Jack a lump of burning coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. Eventually, locals began carving frightening faces into their own gourds to scare off evil spirits.
南瓜灯起源于爱尔兰,最开始是由萝卜雕的,不是南瓜。传说有个绰号叫“吝啬鬼杰克”的男人屡次捉住魔鬼,并且要魔鬼允诺永远不会让他下地狱才肯放掉魔鬼。然而,他去世时才知道,天堂也不愿意接受他的灵魂,所以他只能做孤魂野鬼,永远在人间游荡。魔鬼给了杰克一个装有燃煤的雕刻萝卜作为照明的灯笼。久而久之,当地人也开始在他们的南瓜上雕刻狰狞的面容,以驱赶恶灵。2. SEEING GHOSTS
幽灵出没
Celtic people believed that during the festival Samhain, which marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of the winter, spirits walked the Earth. Later, the introduction of All Souls Day on November 2 by Christian missionaries perpetuated the idea of a mingling between the living and the dead around the same time of year.
凯尔特人认为,在萨温节期间,幽灵便在人间徘徊。萨温节标志着新的一年的开始(在古凯尔特人的信仰里,新的一年于11月1日开始)和收获季到冬天的过渡。之后,基督教传教士在11月2号设立了万灵节,宣扬称生者和死者会在一年的这个时间相聚。3. WEARING SCARY COSTUMES
穿吓人的衣服
With all these ghosts wandering around the Earth during Samhain, the Celts had to get creative to avoid being terrorized by evil spirits. To fake out the ghosts, people would don disguises so they would be mistaken for spirits themselves and left alone.
传说萨温节期间有许多可怕的幽灵游荡人间,凯尔特人必须巧妙设法避开它们。为了瞒过恶灵,人们会将自己打扮成幽灵的样子,这样幽灵便会误以为对方是同类而离开。 fake out: 以欺骗手法制胜4. GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE PAGAN WAY
非基督教版本的“不给糖就捣蛋”
There is a lot of debate around the origins of trick-or-treating. One theory proposes that during Samhain, Celtic people would leave out food to placate the souls and ghosts and spirits traveling the Earth that night. Eventually, people began dressing up as these otherworldly beings in exchange for similar offerings of food and drink.
关于“不给糖就捣蛋”传统的来源有很多争议,其中一种说法是,凯尔特人在萨温节期间会摆出食物来安抚那天夜里在人间徘徊的亡灵和鬼神。后来,人们也开始打扮成亡灵的样子,来换取食物和饮料。5. GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE SCOTTISH WAY
苏格兰版本的“不给糖就捣蛋”
Other researchers speculate that the candy bonanza stems from the Scottish practice of guising, itself a secular version of souling. In the Middle Ages, soulers, usually children and poor adults, would go to local homes and collect food or money in return for prayers said for the dead on All Souls’ Day. Guisers ditched the prayers in favor of non-religious performances like jokes, songs, or other “tricks.”
还有些学者猜测这一传统来源于苏格兰的化装习俗——将自己装扮成世俗的幽灵。在中世纪时期,儿童和贫穷的成人通常会装扮成幽灵,到本地人的家里乞求食物或钱,并以在万灵节为死者祈祷作为回报。随着时间流逝,化装者不再用祈祷,而是用笑话、歌曲或其他“把戏”等非宗教表演作为回报。6. GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE AMERICAN WAY
美国版本的“不给糖就捣蛋”
Some sources argue that our modern trick-or-treating stems from belsnickling, a tradition in German-American communities where children would dress in costume and then call on their neighbors to see if the adults could guess the identities of the disguised guests. In one version of the practice, the children were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them.
一些来源指出,现代的“不给糖就捣蛋”来源于德裔美国人社区的一个名叫“贝斯尼克”的传统。孩子们化装好,然后去拜访邻居,看他们能否猜出装扮后的客人是谁。在其中一个版本的习俗中,如果没被认出来,这个孩子就可以得到食物或者其他奖励。7. GETTING SPOOKED BY BLACK CATS
不祥的黑猫
The association of black cats and spookiness actually dates all the way back to the Middle Ages, when these dark kitties were considered a symbol of the Devil. It didn’t help the felines’ reputations when, centuries later, accused witches were often found to have cats, especially black ones, as companions. People started believing that the cats were a witch’s “familiar”—animals that gave them an assist with their dark magic—and the two have been linked ever since.
黑猫和幽灵的联系可以追溯到中世纪,当时黑色的小猫被视为魔鬼的象征。即使在几个世纪以后,黑猫的名声也没有好转,因为被指控为巫婆的人通常都有猫作伴,特别是黑猫。人们开始相信猫是巫婆“亲密”的伙伴,并能助长她们的黑魔法。自此之后两者便常常被联系在一起。Photo by Gabi Miranda on Unsplash
8. BOBBING FOR APPLES
咬苹果游戏
This game traces its origins to a courting ritual that was part of a Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of agriculture and abundance. Multiple variations existed, but the gist was that young men and women would be able to foretell their future relationships based on the game. When the Romans conquered the British Isles, the Pomona festival was blended with the similarly timed Samhain, a precursor to Halloween.
咬苹果游戏的起源可以追溯到一个求爱仪式。它是罗马节日的一部分,用来纪念农业和丰饶女神波莫娜。这个游戏有多种变化,但主旨在于年轻男女能够根据游戏来预测他们未来的关系。罗马人征服不列颠群岛时,波莫纳节与几乎同时期的萨温节(万圣节的前身)融合在一起。 precursor[priˈkɜːrsər]: n. 前兆9. DECORATING WITH BLACK AND ORANGE
用黑色和橙色作为装饰主色调
The classic Halloween colors can also trace their origins back to the Celtic festival Samhain. Black represented the “death” of summer while orange is emblematic of the autumn harvest season.
这两个经典的万圣节颜色也可以追溯到凯尔特人的萨温节。黑色象征着夏天的“死亡”,而橙色则象征着秋收季节。10. PLAYING PRANKS
玩恶作剧
As a phenomenon that often varies by region, the pre-Halloween tradition, also known as “Devil’s Night”, is credited with a different origin depending on whom you ask. Some sources say that pranks were originally part of May Day celebrations. But Samhain, and eventually All Souls Day, seem to have included good-natured mischief. When Scottish and Irish immigrants came to America, they brought along the tradition of celebrating Mischief Night as part of Halloween, which was great for candy-fueled pranksters.
万圣节前的恶作剧传统也被称为“魔鬼之夜”,经常因地而异。不同的人对它的起源有着不同的回答。有一些来源称,恶作剧原本是五一劳动节庆祝活动的一部分。但是萨温节,以及后来的万灵节,似乎就已经包含了善意的恶作剧。苏格兰和爱尔兰移民来到美国,他们也带来了在万圣节前夕庆祝“恶作剧之夜”的传统,这对于酷爱糖果的恶作剧者来说太棒了。11. LIGHTING CANDLES AND BONFIRES
点燃蜡烛和篝火
These days, candles are more likely than towering traditional bonfires, but for much of the early history of Halloween, open flames were integral in lighting the way for souls seeking the afterlife.
如今,在万圣节庆祝活动中,人们更有可能点燃蜡烛而不是高耸的传统篝火。但在万圣节的早期历史中,明火在为寻求来世的灵魂照亮道路方面是不可或缺的。12. EATING CANDY APPLES
吃糖苹果
People have been coating fruit in sugar syrups as a means of preservation for centuries. Since the development of the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess often represented by and associated with apples, the fruit has had a place in harvest celebrations. But the first mention of candy apples being given out at Halloween didn’t occur until the 1950s.
几个世纪以来,人们一直将水果裹在糖浆中保存。随着罗马波莫纳节的发展,苹果经常作为女神波莫纳的代表,与之联系在一起,因此苹果在丰收庆典中也占有一席之地。但直到20世纪50年代,才首次提到在万圣节时赠送糖苹果。13. SPOTTING BATS
蝙蝠
It’s likely that bats were present at the earliest celebrations of proto-Halloween, not just symbolically but literally. As part of Samhain, the Celts lit large bonfires, which attracted insects. The insects, in turn, attracted bats, which soon became associated with the festival. Medieval folklore expanded upon the spooky connotation of bats with a number of superstitions built around the idea that bats were the harbingers of death.
蝙蝠很可能出现在最早的万圣节庆祝活动中,这种说法不仅是象征性的,而且有事实佐证。作为萨温节的一部分,凯尔特人点燃篝火来吸引昆虫。这些昆虫反过来又吸引了蝙蝠,因此蝙蝠与萨温节很快联系在一起。中世纪的民间传说扩展了蝙蝠令人毛骨悚然的内涵,围绕着蝙蝠是死亡来临的前兆存在着许多迷信说法。 harbinger[ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər]: n. 先驱;前兆;预告者14. GORGING ON CANDY
吃糖果
The act of going door-to-door for handouts has long been a part of Halloween celebrations. But until the middle of the 20th century, the “treats” kids received were not necessarily candy. Toys, coins, fruit, and nuts were just as likely to be given out. The rise in the popularity of trick-or-treating in the 1950s inspired candy companies to make a marketing push with small, individually wrapped confections. People obliged out of convenience, but candy didn’t dominate at the exclusion of all other treats until parents started fearing anything unwrapped in the 1970s.
挨家挨户地“讨糖果”一直是万圣节庆祝活动的一部分。但在20世纪中叶前,孩子们得到的“款待”不一定是糖果,也有可能得到玩具、硬币、水果和坚果。20世纪50年代,“不给糖就捣蛋”活动的兴起,促使糖果公司纷纷推出独立包装的小糖果。人们出于便利才考虑购买这种小糖果。但直到20世纪70年代,家长们开始担心任何未经包装的东西有卫生隐患,糖果才开始在这些款待物中占据主导地位。15. MUNCHING ON CANDY CORN
玉米糖
According to some stories, a candymaker at the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia invented the revolutionary tri-color candy in the 1880s. The treats didn’t become a widespread phenomenon until another company brought the candy to the masses in 1898. At the time, candy corn was called Chicken Feed and sold in boxes with the slogan "Something worth crowing for." Originally just autumnal candy because of corn’s association with harvest time, candy corn became Halloween-specific when trick-or-treating rose to prominence in the US in the 1950s.
根据一些故事的说法,费城文德利糖果公司的一位糖果制造商在19世纪80年代发明了革命性的三色糖果。但直到1898年另一家公司将这种糖果推向大众,它才风靡起来。当时,玉米糖被称为“鸡饲料”,装在盒子里出售,广告语是“值得为之欢呼的东西”。最初玉米糖只是秋天的糖果,因为玉米与收获季节有关。在20世纪50年代,随着“不给糖就捣蛋”活动在美国的兴起,玉米糖成为了万圣节专属糖果。★《布宫号》提醒您:民俗信仰仅供参考,请勿过度迷信!