The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.

All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself.

Halloween has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain.

What is Halloween trick or treat?
Children in costumes travel from house to house asking for treats such as candy (or, in some cultures, money) with the phrase "Trick or treat". The "trick" is a (usually idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given to them.

How do we celebrate?
As millions  participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival. In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. 

Christianity incorporated the honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on November 1st, followed by All Souls on November 2nd. The wearing of costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits survived as Halloween customs. The Irish emigrated to America in great numbers during the 19th century especially around the time of famine in Ireland during the 1840's. The Irish carried their Halloween traditions to America, where today it is one of the major holidays of the year. Through time other traditions have blended into Halloween, for example the American harvest time tradition of carving pumpkins.

Besides the skin the liver is the second biggest elimination organ.... and we put our livers through hell. Too much alcohol or fatty foods over works our not so little fella and in extreme cases, we get issues like liver cirrhosis from too much alcohol or more commonly fatty liver. We don’t want to end up like foie gras and Christmas is just the round the corner.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, spring is the time for us to reach outward, develop deeper roots and remain flexible in the wind. In the body, that means paying attention to your spine, limbs and joints, as well as muscles, ligaments and tendons. It also means paying attention to your liver, which works to detoxify the blood and make bile to help metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

To support liver functioning, think spring-cleaning. Drink plenty of fluids and add lemon to your water, because ingesting some, but not too much, sour or vinegary foods will nourish the liver. Try eating light, raw foods like greens, sprouts, fruits, nuts and seeds. Avoid heavy or fried foods, anything with chemical additives, and alcohol.

Since exercise and sweating aid liver detoxification, spring is a great time to develop a regular exercise program. In addition to diet and exercise, there are other ways to balance your wood element. Wood governs the early hours of the morning, when we first awake. Just as morning is a great time to plan the day ahead, spring is a great time to look at your life and where you want to be in the future. Spring is a good season to: Eat light, raw foods such as greens, sprouts, fruits, nuts, seeds and celery add lemon to your drinking water to help detoxify the liver. Take herbs in the form of herbal teas. Especially liver detox and support herbs like dandelion, Saint Mary’s Thistle, dandelion, burdock and mint. Develop an exercise program to further detoxify the liver. Make plans for your future to capitalize on spring’s association with being awake and alert, and to have a plan for summer, the season of activity.

Pop the kettle on and brew some of Teapot Teas LUSCIOUS LIVER and start supporting your detox today.

Teapot Teas are a regular at Connections Fairs.

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