Turnip Spice Latte?

Did you know the Irish and Scottish carved turnips not pumpkins for Halloween?  

That was in the free ethnic eNews last night.

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You could write a book about the history and spread of Halloween from the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day to what it is today. This was the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the departed.

Did you know that in Ireland and Scotland, the turnip has traditionally been carved during Halloween?  Immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than a turnip. At least we don’t have turnip spice lattes.

The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837 and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century. 

In England, from the medieval period  up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.

In the Philippines, the practice of souling is called Pangangaluwa and is practiced on All Hallow's Eve among children in rural areas. People drape themselves in white cloths to represent souls and then visit houses, where they sing in return for prayers and sweets.

On Hallowe'en (All Hallows' Eve), in Poland, believers were once taught to pray out loud as they walk through the forests in order that the souls of the dead might find comfort.

In Spain, Christian priests in tiny villages toll their church bells in order to remind their congregants to remember the dead on All Hallows' Eve.  And don’t forget  Dia de Muertos (see below).

Irish and Scottish migrants brought many Halloween customs to North America, and then through American influence, Halloween spread to many other countries by the 21st century such as Ecuador, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, (most) continental Europe, Finland, Japan, and other parts of East Asia.