What’s Halloween really all about?
Ghosts - possibly, ghouls: only if one’s of a nervous disposition; and magic for those without any 6th sense!
The word Halloween is actually a corruption of All Hallows which is another name for All Saints Day on 1st November. Generally used now days when referring to All Hallows Eve, the Halloween period also covers All Souls Day on 2nd November.
Church services are held to remember absent loved ones, but Halloween pre-dates Christianity in Britain - going back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This marked the beginning of winter and was their New Year, as well as being the moment of the thinnest veil between this world and the next.
The souls of those that had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those that had died during the year made their onward journey. All those spirits floating about became the basis for Halloween’s haunted theme.
How to ward off unsettled spirits? Carve masks and light jack-o’-lanterns of course! Queue the pumpkin, although historically Britons would more likely have used swede or turnip, and lit hilltop bonfires as a further deterrent of darkness-nasties. Such fires were also beneficial as a communal spark source for lighting individual homes’ winter hearth.
Witches, demons and the like all made their way into folklore during the same period. Spiders and bats? Probably based on an eerie association: they’re busy hibernating in October, which explains why 8-legged creatures are seen more often as they find their way indoors looking for a sheltered spot.
Trick or treating can be traced back to ‘souling’ – the tradition of going from door to door asking for soul-cakes (a kind of biscuit) in exchange for cleansing prayers to be uttered for distressed souls that lingered between the two worlds. Dressing-up in costumes was apparently fairly standard for doing such rounds and in more recent times, developed into the favoured attire for spooky pranks.
Half term at Tom’s Cottage
Nothing tricky about this – just lots of treats…
- Visit the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic down in Boscastle harbour, walk the coastpath to Boscastle Farm Shop and sample their award-winning fare.
- Take a magical tour of local myth (namely King Arthur) at Tintagel Castle, walk the coastpath into the village to visit The Old Post Office which is a fabulous medieval building (dogs unfortunately not allowed inside).
- Find the Charlotte Dymond Memorial at Roughtor Ford before stomping up Roughtor, lunch at The Old Inn at St Breward, then head back to the Vale of Avalon for another Arthurian adventure. Hill Top Farm Shop nearby.
- Go rock-pooling on Port Gaverne beach at low tide, have a watery adventure with Cornish Rock Tors, walk the cliffpath to Port Isaac to find Squeeze Belly Alley and take a guided tour of the village with Port Isaac Tours (yes – this is Doc Martin’s Port Wenn). Great pubs and eateries in both places.
- Cycle the Camel Trail - any section, or all of it! Dog/child trailers available to hire at most of the bike hire establishments. Recommended pit-stops: The Snails Pace Café at Wenford Bridge and St Kew Farm Shop if driving home from Wadebridge.
- Take the ferry from Rock to Padstow and visit the Lobster Hatchery, poke around the harbour and eat at one of Rick Stein’s establishments.
- Head to Polzeath for some belly-boarding or a surf lesson (dog friendly in the winter months.) Hot chocolate to follow from any of the cafes, then call in to Trevathan Farm Shop to Pick-Your-Own pumpkin and stock up on provisions, and maybe tea and cake to wash down that hot chocolate!
- Wet day? Head into Bodmin to visit Cornwall’s Army Museum and Bodmin Jail Go on to Lanhydrock House for both in and outdoor fun – all three have half-term activities laid on; as do both The Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project
Tom’s Special – pick a game from our selection in The Den, set it up on the dining room table and game-on! From Cornish Monopoly to Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble or a few hands of Uno; there’s something different for every evening. Don’t forget to check the bookcase drawers – there’s some hilarity to be had with the fancy dress outfits too.
For authentic farmhouse seasonality in the kitchen, try cooking up some pumpkin dishes. We love pumpkin and turmeric soup, pumpkin risotto and pumpkin in lamb curry. A side of roast pumpkin is delicious and less carby than roast sweet potato – sprinkle with mixed seeds part way through cooking for a crunchy topping. Also great diced in stews, casseroles or anywhere swede belongs.
If there’s time (how many days are you with us?) here’s our pick of nearby happenings…
Local half term events
- 21st-31st Oct Trevethy spooky ammatronics, daily 5pm-9pm PL34 0BE
- 21st-31st Oct Lanhydrock Dormouse Trail, daily 10.30am-4pm
- Weds & Sats Ghost Walk Spooktacular at Bodmin Jail (details online)
- 28th Oct Camelford Carnival, 7pm
- 28th Oct The Dark Gathering, Tintagel (ticket’d, more info online)
- 29th Oct The Great Cornish Market, Royal Cornwall Showground
- All October PYO pumpkin at Trevathan Farm Shop, St Endellion
Creepy films at The Regal Cinema, Wadebridge
- 16th-19th Oct The Exorcist: Believer (15)
- 18th Oct A Haunting in Venice (12A)
- 27th -31st Oct Hocus Pocus (PG)
