Tok Thompson: Halloween’s Celtic roots are a lot spookier than witches and candy bars Oct 29, 2022 Oct 29, 2022 0 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tok Thompson kAmpD w2==@H66? 2AAC@2496D[ A6@A=6 86E C625J E@ 46=63C2E6 E96 DA@@<J[ D42CJ 2?5 92F?E65] u6DE:G:E:6D C6G@=G6 2C@F?5 E96 5625[ H9@> D@>6 36=:6G6 >:89E 24EF2==J >:?8=6 H:E9 E96 =:G:?8 @? w2==@H66? ?:89E]k^AmkAm$49@=2CD @7E6? 92G6 ?@E65 E96D6 >@56C?\52J 46=63C2E:@?D 92G6 @C:8:?D :? $2>92:?[ H9:49 :D 46=63C2E65 3J 2?4:6?E r6=E:4 4F=EFC6D] x? 4@?E6>A@C2CJ xC:D9 v26=:4[ w2==@H66? :D DE:== <?@H? 2D ~Ă496 $92>9?2[ @C tG6 @7 $2>92:?]k^AmkAmx? hE9 46?EFCJ xC:D9 =:E6C2EFC6[ $2>92:?[ 92=7H2J 36EH66? E96 2FEF>? 6BF:?@I 2?5 E96 H:?E6C D@=DE:46[ :D >6?E:@?65 >2?J E:>6D 2D 2? :?E68C2= A2CE @7 E96 r6=E:4 4F=EFC6] xE H2D @?6 @7 7@FC D62D@?2= EFC?:?8 A@:?ED @? E96 r6=E:4 42=6?52C[ 2?5 A6C92AD E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E @?6] xE D:8?2=65 E96 6?5 @7 E96 =:89E 92=7 @7 E96 J62C[ 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 =:76[ 2?5 E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 52C< 92=7[ 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E96 5625]k^Am People are also reading… Marion police respond to shooting involving death of 15-year-old Old Fort to see 8-cent property tax increase, 10% increase in water and sewer rates McDowell County bridge temporarily closed for resurfacing McDowell Commissioners OK higher fire tax rates for four departments Old Fort man charged with shooting into home, kicking in door The Madness holds soft opening of the new Marion restaurant McDowell County man wins $100,000 in scratch-off prize Old Fort officials day Fourth of July parade will take place on new route Man pleads guilty of distributing 156 pounds of meth in Burke, McDowell counties Update: Gas leak in Marion Monday morning cleared; road reopened Corpening YMCA director leaves Marion to assume new role NC state employees’ health plan faces big changes. Here’s what’s coming in July Pedestrian hit by train, killed in downtown Hickory Thursday Mission Ministries Alliance receives award from state health department 'I shot that guy': Hickory man gets $2.5M bond; charged with murder of business partner, who was on area school board kAmpC4926@=@8:42= C64@C5D DF886DE 4@>>6>@C2E:@?D @7 $2>92:? 42? 36 EC2465 324< E@ E96 }6@=:E9:4 A6C:@5[ D@>6 7C@> e[___ J62CD 28@] }6@=:E9:4 xC6=2?5 925 ?@ E@H?D @C 4:E:6D[ 3FE E96 A6@A=6 5:5 4C27E 9F86 2C49:E64EFC2= >@?F>6?ED[ H9:49 24E65 2D D62D@?2= 82E96C:?8 DA@ED 2?5 9@FD65 E96 C6>2:?D @7 E96 D@4:6E:6D’ 6=:E6D]k^AmkAm%96D6 >682=:E9:4 W“3:8 DE@?6” :? vC66<X D:E6D H@F=5 2E E:>6D 9@DE 9F86 ?F>36CD @7 A6@A=6[ 82E96C65 E@86E96C 7@C 3C:67 A6C:@5D 2C@F?5 DA64:7:4 42=6?52C 52E6D] pC4926@=@8:42= C64@C5D C6G62= 6G:56?46 @7 >2DD:G6 762DED J6E =:EE=6 E@ ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 5@>6DE:4 FD6] x7 A6@A=6 5:5 =:G6 J62C\C@F?5 2E E96D6 D:E6D[ E96J H@F=5 92G6 366? 2 D6=64E 76H]k^Am kAms2E2 7C@> 2?:>2= 3@?6D 42? 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C62=> @7 E96 5625 H2D C676CC65 E@ 2D E96 ~E96CH@C=5] %96 ~E96CH@C=5 H2D ?@E D@>6H96C6 72C 2H2J 3FE[ C2E96C[ @G6C=2AA:?8 H:E9 E96 H@C=5 @7 E96 =:G:?8] %96 xC:D9 36=:67D 23@FE E96 ~E96CH@C=5 H6C6 56E2:=65 2?5 4@>A=6I] xE :D 7F== @7 >28:4[ H:E494C27E[ DA62<:?8 H:E9 E96 5625 2?5 D66:?8 :?E@ E96 7FEFC6] %96 5625 H6C6 EC25:E:@?2==J 36=:6G65 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ D66 E96 =:G:?8[ E9@F89 E96 =:G:?8 4@F=5 @?=J @442D:@?2==J D66 E96>] %96 >@DE AC@>:?6?E @442D:@? H@F=5 36 @? $2>92:? :ED6=7[ H96? =:?6D 36EH66? E96 ~E96CH@C=5 @7 E96 5625 2?5 E96 C62=> @7 E96 =:G:?8 H6C6 H62<6?65]k^Am kAm~?6 >:89E 6?4@F?E6C E96 5625 2E E96 >682=:E9:4 D:E6D] %96D6 D:E6D 2C6 <?@H? :? xC:D9 v26=:4 2D DĂ D:E6D[ E96 H@C5 QDĂQ >62?:?8 E96 DA:C:ED @7 E96 >@F?5D] %9:D H@C5 :D @7E6? EC2?D=2E65 :?E@ t?8=:D9 2D “72:C:6D[” H9:49 =@D6D 2 8C62E 562= @7 >62?:?8] “u2:C:6D” :? xC6=2?5 2C6 DA:C:ED 566A=J 4@??64E65 H:E9 E96 C62=> @7 E96 5625[ E96 >@F?5D 2?5 6DA64:2==J $2>92:?]k^Am kAm%96 4@??64E:@? 42? 36 H:E?6DD65 :? E96 7:8FC6 @7 E96 32?D966 — @C 362? DĂ[ :? xC:D9 — 2? :>A@CE2?E >JE9@=@8:42= 7:8FC6 :? xC:D9 7@=<=@C6[ 36=:6G65 E@ 36 962C5 H2:=:?8 H:E9 8C:67 5:C64E=J 367@C6 E96 562E9 @7 2 72>:=J >6>36C] (:E9 “362?” >62?:?8 D:>A=J “H@>2?[” E96 32?D966 :D 2 76>2=6 DA:C:E @7 E96 >@F?5D 2?5 2 CF=6C @7 E96 C62=> @7 E96 5625]k^AmkAm%96 DĂ DA:C:ED 2C6 ?@E @?=J DA:C:ED @7 E96 5625 3FE 2C6 2 A2CE:4F=2C 2C:DE@4C24J[ H9@ 9@DE E96 5625 H:E9 762DE:?8[ >6CC:>6?E 2?5 6E6C?2= J@FE9[ @7E6? 2E E96 >682=:E9:4 D:E6D] x? xC:D9 =@C6[ E96J 2C6 A@H6C7F= 2?5 52?86C@FD[ 23=6 E@ 8:G6 8C62E 8:7ED @C 6I24E 8C62E 52>286] %96J @?46 CF=65 xC6=2?5[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 7@=<=@C6[ 2?5 ?@H E96J CF=6 E96 H@C=5 @7 E96 5625]k^Am kAm%96 ~E96CH@C=5 :D 2=H2JD E96C6[ 3FE :E :D @? E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 52C< 92=7 @7 E96 J62C[ E96 6G6?:?8 @7 $2>92:? — ?@H w2==@H66? — H96? E96 5625 2C6 2E E96:C >@DE A@H6C7F=]k^Am kAmpD E96 =:89E @7 DF>>6C 7256D[ E96 2?4:6?E 9@=:52J @7 w2==@H66? 2CC:G6D E@ 46=63C2E6 E96 5625 >:?8=:?8 H:E9 E96 H@C=5 @7 E96 =:G:?8[ 2D :E 92D 7@C E9@FD2?5D @7 J62CD]k^Am Thompson is an anthropology professor at USC Dornsife. He wrote this for The Conversation and Los Angeles Times. 0 Comments Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Locations Lee Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story