A set of feature articles by the Quibbler Many in the wizarding world have been rather delinquent in understanding the tradition of Muggle holidays. For those who have an abbreviated knowledge of the Muggle world, we here at the Quibbler have taken the liberty of including sections meant to educate and inform. Due to the popularity of two very different, very muggle holidays, we have decided to include them in our sections–Halloween, also known as all Hallow’s Eve, and Guy Fawkes Day, celebrated in Britain Guy Fawkes Day, celebrated on November 5 in Great Britain, is a holiday dating back to 1605, when a conspiracy to attack the king and Parliament was overthrown. A group of conspirators, angry at laws that had repressed their religious freedom, stacked 36 kegs of gunpowder in the basement of the House of Lords. Due to a leak amongst the group, the plot was discovered, and one of the plotters, Guy Fawkes, was captured. The rest of the conspirators were either captured or killed, and the day was later viewed as a celebration of an unsuccessful attempt by rebels to overthrown the kingdom. Since that time, Guy Fawkes day, as it has come to be known, is celebrated on November 5th, and is marked with bonfires and fireworks which are launched in remembrance of the unsuccessful Gunpowder Plot. Halloween -- A History For many in the wizarding world, Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Eve, holds a special significance. Muggles enjoy the holiday for the abilities to celebrate “magic” and even to procure sweet treats from neighbors. But those in the wizarding world know better. Halloween is much more significant than ghoulish parties and strange costuming practices. The origins of All Hallow’s Eve date back to the Celtic practices of Medieval and pre-Medieval Britain. During those times, the Celts believed that winter’s beginning occurred around what would become November 1st, also known as the Celtic New Year. Because of the growing darkness, the Celts believed that evil spirits roamed around on this night, stealing souls and bothering muggles. This of course, was completely untrue, as everyone knows that evil spirits do not follow muggle calenders. The most any spirits, ghouls, or ghosts would ever do would be to play up the muggles fears by pretending to persecute–generating a night of laughs for the spirits. To combat the spirits, however, the muggle Celts would disguise themselves as spirits to protect themselves, and would leave out sweets for tempting. The ghouls of the time so enjoyed this trick that they began organizing spirit gatherings simply to entice the muggles to leave more. The name “Halloween” was generated off Christian tradition, which took the fears of the muggles and attempted to purify it by celebrating All Hallows day on November 1st–a day of celebrations for saints. The plot backfired, however, when traditionalists simply modified the name the preceding day to “All Hallow’s Eve”–which has since been modified to “Halloween”. Muggle children continue to celebrate the tradition of the ancient Celts, at least in the United States, by costuming themselves as a variety of characters, including witches, wizards, and other wizarding world entities, and seeking out treats from neighbors, using the popular request line “trick or treat” (also based in the belief that ghouls would trick the unsuspecting into doing harm unto themselves unless they were rewarded with a sweet). Wizarding children, on the other hand, consider Halloween a day of celebration, as it signifies a link between the wizarding world and the muggle world. Indeed, many in the wizarding world, particularly in the United States, enjoy Halloween simply for the sake that it is a day in which wizards can interact with Muggles. A majority of wizards and witches take full advantage of the holiday, by pulling out everything in their closets, including full wizarding attire, broomsticks, cauldrons, and pet ghouls. “Such fun!” claims Myrra Madditch, a woman deemed eccentric by her muggle neighbors on every day except Halloween. “Just to put potions together in the front yard, and let little Ghouly out for a day...I’m so glad muggles are at least imaginative enough for days like this!” Others simply hold festive parties, banquets and gatherings to commemorate the day. While most agree that Halloween is mostly fictitious, it does strike some fond memories for wizards who at no other point in time would dare to interact with muggles. “The best encounter with one o’ them muggles came on Halloween,” says Milford Merriweather, a local Potions shop owner. “Came into me store, looking for strange ingredients–course, at the time I was just an Herb shop–and he was so excited to know about everything! Never gave it a second thought, that I might be peddling wizarding products. He was such a good lad...” For whatever reason, or whatever history, Halloween continues to be an important holiday for wizards and muggles alike–a day to link them together. For this reason, it will be, if nothing else, at least considered a enjoyable holiday for many years to come. |