Tag Archives: Fall

Commentary, Happy Holidays!, nature, Photography

Happy Samhain

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Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, in its original form is an ancient Celtic religious celebration that welcomed the harvest. People feasted and partied and in order to cautiously ward off ghosts, they lit bonfires and wore costumes to scare them away.

The advent of Christianity meant that elements of the ancient harvest festival were frowned on and the early church decided to incorporate it into the new November 1 All Saints Day, which was meant to eventually replace Samhain.

But things got a little muddled. “Halloween” is derived from All Hallows Eve, the name given to the evening before November 1, which is when Christians are to recognise and venerate the hallowed or consecrated and holy saints. Except things didn’t completely go that way.

The Samhain traditions remained largely untouched, regardless of Pope Gregory’s long-ago efforts back in AD 1000 to replace the celebration with a Christian one.

Most people don’t realise that the name “Halloween” is the shortened form of a Christian religious observance meant to overtake and eventually remove the old Samhain beliefs and practises, but Samhain lives on and the religious importance of November 1 has often been forgotten.

Happy Tuesday; happy Samhain. 🎃

nature, Photography

Autumn Dahlias

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Even though we recently had our first frost, the dahlias have been continuing to do well.

Bright and pretty, they probably won’t last long after we have a hard frost, so I’m happy to enjoy them as much as possible before waiting until spring to see them again.

The lovely green and yellow reminds us that even through we’re transitioning to winter, the beauties of new spring life aren’t far.

Happy Sunday.

Commentary, nature, Photography

Red Barberry

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Red barberry is a relatively low-lying and dense shrub that has red edible fruit and green leaves that turn a brilliant crimson in autumn. I have often admired these bushes …

… until I did a little research and learned that they are an invasive species that has caused some rather serious issues.

Because they have a thick, dense thatch, they attract ticks; research indicates that this plant, more than any other, has caused the spread of Lyme disease. These bushes are also responsible for changes in soil nitrogen which in turn leads to a decline in native species.

Although they look beautiful and I love their autumn dress, they are banned in many areas – particularly because of tick infestations – and unfortunately should probably be eliminated wherever they are found.