The Geography of Halloween
(And Review for Exam)
Critical Thinking
What kinds of push and pull factors caused the ancient Celts to migrate from central Europe?
Samhain
Three day Celtic festival marking end of harvest
Ritual offerings, bonfires
Slaughter of animals
Celts Christianized by Romans
Critical Thinking
What kind of diffusion resulted in the Celts becoming Christians and church dictates that changed Celtic practices?
All Soul’s Day
Samhain seen as evil pagan festival
Replaced by All Soul’s Day (Nov. 2)
A day to honor and commemorate dead
Critical Thinking
What happens to the crude death rate in each stage of the demographic transition model?
But pagan traditions endure…
Dead are said to rise and seek food/comfort from living
Many leave offerings to the dead, especially food
Pour milk or honey on graves of departed
Critical Thinking
The number of deaths per 1,000 live births is know as the…?
All Soul’s Day
Nov. 1 is All Saints DayAlso known as “All Hallows Day”Evening before (October 31) is “All Hallows Eve”
“Hallow Even”Halloween!
Critical Thinking
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, many Irish worked in England as laborers and farm hands. The money they sent back to families in Ireland is known as …?
Carving Pumpkins
Irish and Scottish children would carry “Neepy Candles”
These were lanterns carved out of a root vegetable
There were no pumpkins in the Old World, so they used…
Neeps
What’s a neep?
It’s also a swede
Or a rutabaga…
Critical Thinking
Speaking of root vegetables, what is physiological population density?
What was Malthus’ point about food production?
Jack O’Lantern
Irish fableStingy Jack and the Devil Reinforces idea of dead between heaven and hell
Critical Thinking
If Stingy Jack were around today and forced to wander without a place to call home, what category of refugee would he be?
Critical Thinking
Thinking of root vegetables again, what was a major push factor for Irish emigration in the 1840s?
What do you think happened to Ireland’s population pyramid as a result of this?
Halloween in the USA
Irish and Scottish immigrants keep some traditions
Not commercially celebrated until 1930s
6th most profitable American holiday for US corporations
Trick-or-Treating
In Scotland known as “guising”Children dress as ghosts and witches
Receive candy for good deeds
No Tricks!That’s an American thing
Critical Thinking
Trick-or-treating is considered what type of population movement?
What is the space called that a person forms through cyclical movement?
Day of the Dead
Celebration of lives of departed
People dress as skeletons
Combines European and Native customs
Critical Thinking
Compare and contrast the leading causes of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe?