October 9, 2011

Summers End



But here in Australia we are starting our warm long summer days, we have changed our clocks telling us to get ready for Summer. It still has been unusually cold, with only a few nice days
So our Halloween is hardly celebrated, but I do embrace the Origins of it and find it very interesting.
Having said that here is my card for our Challenge over at MAGNOLIA DOWN UNDER so drop on over and have some fun and enter a spooky card, if you don't have a blog you can still enter by email or Facebook









Its an Easel card and check out my little Pumpkin it is five ovals punched out and stuck togeather












Just had to share some "googling" I did
Halloween is a holiday celebrated mainly in the regions of the Western world, on October 31. About 1846 Irish immigrants introduced the festival to the United States hence its popularization

Halloween’s origins are from the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sau-an), which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly “summer’s end”. A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Gaeaf (pronounced kalan-geyf). The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the “lighter half” of the year and beginning of the “darker half”, and is sometimes regarded as the “Celtic New Year”.

It could be seen as a festival of the dead. The ancient Gaels believed that the border between this world and the other world became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family’s ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. All other fires were doused and each home lit their hearth from the bonfire. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames. Sometimes two bonfires would be built side-by-side, and people and their livestock would walk between them as a cleansing ritual.

11 comments:

  1. Hi Denise!
    Auw, this is so cool! Love the idea of using this brotherly stamp for this occasion - it's a perfect choice :) Stunning coloring and very lush flowers :)

    Hugs!

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  2. Hiya Denise...This is the super cool. I never thought I them looking scared till you said that the other day and now looking at your creation they really do look super scared especially with that witch hanging over the top. Hugs from Bron xo

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  3. Denise, your halloween card is so wickedly awesome, love every detail, cute pumpkin you made too.

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  4. WOW Denise this is AMAZING! Love those cut out flower sprays and your wicked witch is soo cool! Fabulous job with the theme and thanx for the googling you did too - I find those sort of things interesting too!
    xXx

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  5. This is so gorgeous Denise!! Love the rich purples and oranges and gorgeous papers! hugs, Jane x

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  6. Wat een prachtige creatie.
    Echt schitterend mooi gemaakt.
    Heb verder een fijne zondag.


    Gr Leny Hempen

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  7. Gorgeous creation and so in the theme!
    Thanks for joining us at TOMIC this week!
    Love, Kianel.

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  8. This is fab & really spooky :)
    Thanks for joining us at SFTW & Good Luck!
    Hugs
    Tracey
    x

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  9. This is just darling!!
    Thanks for playing in the Our Craft Lounge challenge!

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  10. Your card is stunning- please join us on ABC DT Pumpkin challenge for give away!

    http://abcdtchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-challenge-pumpkins.html

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  11. Oh! so georgeous halloween cards!
    Pretty with purple! You're sutch an inspiration for me, thanku! :-)

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