Trick-or-Treat:
     
     
      The
      History
      of
      Hallowe'en
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      love
      Hallowe'en.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      one
      of
      the
      few
      holi-
     
     
      days
      when
      we're
      not
      expected
      to
     
     
      send
      a
      card
      or
      give
      a
      present
     
     
      (although
      free
      candy
      is
      always
     
     
      nice).
      It
      is
      fun
      to
      see
      the
      people
      we
     
     
      see
      everyday
      dress
      up
      in
      weird
     
     
      costumes
      they
      invented
      them-
     
     
      selves.
      But
      where
      did
      this
      crazy
     
     
      tradition
      come
      from?
     
    

    
     
      Well,
      it
      all
      started
      a
      couple
     
     
      thousand
      years
      ago
      with
      the
      Celtic
     
     
      festival
      of
      Samhain
      (Sow-in).
     
     
      Samhain
      is
      the
      Celtic
      New
      Year
     
     
      and
      was
      celebrated
      on
      November
     
     
      1,
      and
      also
      signified
      the
      end
      of
     
     
      summer
      when
      harvests
      came
      in
     
     
      from
      the
      fields
      and
      food
      was
     
     
      stored
      for
      the
      long,
      dreary
      winter
     
     
      months.
      This
      day
      was
      also
      associ-
     
     
      ated
      with
      death
      because
      this
      was
     
     
      the
      time
      of
      year
      when
      the
      veil
     
     
      between
      the
      living
      and
      the
      dead
     
     
      becomes
      thinner
      and
      the
      spirits
     
     
      return
      to
      the
      earth
      to
      wander
      and
     
     
      cause
      havoc
      with
      the
      living
      on’
     
     
      October
      31.
      Some
      traditions
      of
      the
     
     
      Samhain
      celebration
      include
      a
     
     
      burning
      sacrifice
      of
      crops
      and
      ani-
     
     
      mals
      to
      the
      Celtic
      gods.
      They
      also
     
     
      dressed
      in
      animal
      skins
      and
      heads
     
     
      as
      masks
      so
      they
      would
      not
      be
      rec-
     
     
      ognized
      by
      the
      returning
      spirits.
     
    

    
     
      When
      the
      Romans
      con-
     
     
      quered
      Celtic
      territory,
      many
     
     
      Celtic
      traditions
      were
      absorbed
     
     
      and
      adapted
      by
      them.
      The
      Romans
     
     
      seemed
      to
      have
      collected
      religions
     
     
      like
      some
      people
      collect
      stamps.
     
     
      The
      Romans
      themselves
      also
      had
     
     
      their
      own
      festival
      late
      in
      October
     
     
      called
      Feralia
      to
      remember
      the
     
     
      passing
      of
      the
      dead.
      Their
      tradi-
     
     
      tion
      included
      honouring
      the
     
     
      Roman
      goddess
      Pomona,
      goddess
     
     
      of
      fruit
      and
      trees.
      Her
      symbol
      is
     
     
      the
      apple
      and
      it
      is
      believed
      this
      is
     
     
      where
      the
      past
      time
      of
      bobbing
      for
     
     
      apples
      came
      from.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .:page
      [4]
      October
      29,
      2003:.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      the
      spread
      of
     
     
      Christianity
      came
      changes
      that
     
     
      suited
      the
      church.
      Rather
      than
     
     
      making
      people
      give
      up
      their
      old
     
     
      traditions
      for
      the
      newer
      ones
      of
     
     
      Christianity,
      the
      church
      changed
     
     
      things
      so
      it
      better
      suited
      the
      reli-
     
     
      gion,
      but
      also
      gave
      converts
      some-
     
     
      thing
      familiar
      to
      live
      with.
      In
      the
     
     
      800's
      this
      happened
      when
      Pope
     
     
      Boniface
      IV
      created
      All
      Saints
      Day
     
     
      on
      November
      1;
      this
      day
      is
      also
     
     
      known
      as
      All-hallows
      or
      All-hal-
     
     
      lowmas.
      The
      night
      before,
      October
     
     
      31,
      was
      called
      All-hallows
      Eve
     
     
      which
      later
      became
      Hallowe'en.
      In
     
     
      1000
      AD,
      the
      church
      created
      All
     
     
      Soul's
      Day,
      celebrated
      on
     
     
      November
      2
      in
      order
      to
      honour
     
     
      the
      dead.
      All
      three
      of
      these
      days
     
     
      together
      is
      called
      Hallowmas
      and
     
     
      is
      still
      celebrated
      as
      a
      three
      day
     
     
      festival
      in
      Mexico,
      and
      other
      parts
     
     
      of
      the
      world.
     
    

    
     
      Hallowe'en
      started
      to
      be
     
     
      celebrated
      in
      North
      America
      in
      the
     
     
      late
      1800's,
      and
      since
      then
      every
     
     
      culture
      has
      added
      something
      new
     
     
      to
      our
      traditions,
      and
      revived
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -some
      old
      ones,
      including
      jack
      ‘o'
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lanterns
      (they
      used
      to
      use
      turnips,
     
     
      but
      pumpkins
      proved
      easier
      to
     
     
      carve),
      fireworks,
      and
      costume
     
     
      parties.
     
    

    
     
      Here
      are
      some
      cool
      pump-
     
     
      kin
      facts:
      the
      largest
      pumpkin
      ever
     
     
      grown
      weighed
      1,140
      lbs,
      and
      the
     
     
      largest
      pumpkin
      pie
      weighed
      350
     
     
      Ibs
      and
      was
      5
      ft
      in
      diameter.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Y
      Tu
      Mama
      También
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      would
      you
      do
      if
      you
      knew
     
     
      your
      life
      were
      at
      it's
      end?
      Would
     
     
      you
      curl
      up
      inside
      yourself
      and
      die
     
     
      with
      tears
      in
      your
      eyes,
      the
      corners
     
     
      of
      your
      lips
      as
      heavy
      as
      your
     
     
      heart...
      might
      be?
      Or
      would
      you
     
     
      embrace
      death
      and
      feast
      on
      the
     
     
      body
      that
      is,
      squeeze
      every
      last
     
     
      succulent
      drop
      of
      excitement
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      pores
      of
      fucking
      life?
     
     
      There's
      quite
      a
      bit
      of
      sex
     
     
      in
      this
      film;
      good,
      hard,
      unprotect-
     
     
      ed
      sex.
      None
      of
      that
      crap,
      that
      lov-
     
     
      ing,
      lust
      filled
      Hollywood
      trash.
     
     
      It's
      just
      sex,
      plain
      and
      simple
      sex.
     
     
      They
      don't
      beef
      it
      up
      with
      ecstatic
     
     
      moans
      and
      intricate
      cinematogra-
     
     
      phy,
      with
      the
      camera
      gliding
      down
     
     
      towards
      the
      navel
      as
      hot
      breath
     
     
      tickles
      the
      tiny,
      almost
      invisible
     
     
      hairs
      of
      the
      female
      body.
      It's
      sex;
     
     
      two
      people
      enjoying
      fast
      and
      hot
     
     
      carnal
      eroticism,
      it's
      not
      glorified,
     
     
      it's
      realistic,
      and
      1
      want
      some
      of
      it.
     
     
      Two
      very
      open
      and
      care-
     
     
      free
      male
      friends
      enjoy
      care-free
     
     
      fun
      chasing
      women
      and
      having
     
     
      sex.
      And
      then
      they
      meet
      her.
      And
     
     
      they
      want
      her.
      Both
      of
      them.
      They
     
     
      invite
      her
      to
      the
      beach
      and
      they
      all
     
     
      begin
      to
      really
      enjoy
      hanging
      out
     
     
      together
      -
      then
      she
      confuses
      them,
     
     
      disrupts
      their
      order,
      their
      lives,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _them's
      brains.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Along
      the
      way
      the
      two
     
     
      males
      get
      hot
      with
      one-another;
     
     
      one
      discovers
      secrets
      about
      cer-
     
     
      tain-certain
      bedroom
      antics
     
     
      between
      one's
      best
      friend
      and
      one's
     
     
      girlfriend
      -
      a
      phenomena
      that
     
     
      flows
      both
      ways
      -
      and
      anger
      erupts
     
     
      like
      ejaculation
      during
      a
      sado-
     
     
      masochist
      sex
      scene.
      In
      overcom-
     
     
      ing
      these
      threats
      to
      their
      friend-
      —
     
     
      ship,
      these
      two
      males
      strengthen
     
     
      their
      bonds
      together
      and
      the
      three
     
     
      of
      them
      all
      share
      a
      round
      of
      victo-
     
     
      ry
      drinks,
      laughing
      about
      the
     
     
      insanity
      of
      the
      situation
      and
      drink-
     
     
      ing
      to
      their
      forbidden
      sex
      stories,
     
     
      taken
      aback,
      and
      relieved
      at
      beat-
     
     
      ing
      the
      scene
      instead
      of
      letting
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      beat
      their
      friendship.
      But
      their
      real
     
     
      test
      is
      yet
      to
      come,
      and
      that
      night...
     
     
      come
      it
      does,
      and
      come
      come
     
     
      come
      as
      she
      mixes
      them
      up
      and
     
     
      into
      something
      she'd
      half-jokingly
     
     
      suggested
      to
      them
      in
      a
      lecture
      after
     
     
      their
      disputes
      over
      their...
      girl-
     
     
      friends.
      :
     
     
      When
      someone
      forgets
     
     
      about
      the
      past
      and
      the
      future
      and
     
     
      immerses
      themselves
      fully
      in
      the
     
     
      present,
      doing
      that
      which
      they
     
     
      really
      desire
      and
      enjoying
      them-
     
     
      selves,
      balances
      can
      be
      disrupted
     
     
      and
      (others)
      lives
      can
      be
      forever
     
     
      changed.
      However,
      in
      this
      film,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      change
      occurs
      because
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      inability
      to
      accept
      and
      enjoy,
      due
     
     
      to
      social
      and
      cultural
      norms
      which,
     
     
      if
      disrupted,
      become
      taboo.
      The
     
     
      real
      question
      this
      film
      brings
      up
     
     
      might
      go
      something
      like
      this;
      if
     
     
      something
      disrupts
      your
      balance,
     
     
      are
      you
      going
      to
      accept
      it
      and
      get
     
     
      over
      it,
      perhaps
      integrating
      it
      into
     
     
      your
      balance,
      or
      are
      you
      going
      to
     
     
      let
      the
      threat
      overcome
      your
      bal-
     
     
      ance
      and
      give
      it
      up
      in
      search
      of
      a
     
     
      new
      beginning?
      What
      do
      you
      real-
     
     
      ly
      want?
      Do
      you
      have
      the
      balls
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      or
      the
      clitoris
      -
      to
      break
      socially
     
    
   
   
    
     
      constructed
      norms
      concerning...?
     
     
      An
      interesting
      film
      -
      full,
     
     
      usually,
      of
      he-came-too-quickly
     
     
      rocket
      sex,
      and
      full
      of
      meaning
     
     
      (not
      usually
      the
      sex).
      Not
      to
      men-
     
     
      tion
      that
      while
      you
      watch
      the
      wild
     
     
      sex
      and
      find
      intellectually
      stimu-
     
     
      lating
      life
      experience
      in
      the
      mean-
     
     
      ing
      of
      the
      film,
      you
      get
      to
      check
     
     
      out
      not
      only
      tit,
      ass,
      and
      cock,
      but
     
     
      low-income
      Mexico
      -
      a
      little
      bit
      of
     
     
      foreign
      culture.
      Now
      that's
      a
      good
     
     
      film.
      And
      one
      might
      wonder,
      has
     
     
      Foucault
      got
      something
      here,
      is
     
     
      gender
      simply
      an
      essential-to-the-
     
     
      self
      social
      construction
      and
      noth-
     
     
      ing
      more?
      As
      a
      friend
      pointed
      out,
     
     
      existentialism
      surely
      hasn't
      gotten
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "as
      far
      as
      the
      postmodern
      thinkers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘when
      it
      comes
      to
      sex
      and
      gender.
     
     
      Or
      much
      else,
      actually.
      On
      a
      side
     
     
      note,
      postmodernism
      -
      actually
      -
     
     
      blows
      the
      top
      off
      existentialism
      -
     
     
      but
      where
      does
      critical
      theory
     
     
      come
      in?
      Hmm...