>From Yamadeepam to Jack-o’-Lanterns: Tracing Halloween’s Hindu Origins
Unknown to many is the fact that Halloween is actually descended from the
ancient Hindu worship of the god of death, Yama, and a festival called as
Yamadeepam, held each year on Dhanteras day, which falls roughly in the
same week as Halloween.
Since the Vedic calendar is calculated based on the moon, the exact date
varies each year, between the last week of October and the first week of
November. On this day every house keeps a ghee lamp outside of their front
door for Yama (the god of death), and this has eventually transformed over
thousands of years into the modern pumpkin jack-o’-lantern light we see
today in the west.
A Traditional Irish Turnip Carving
Prior to the use of the famous orange pumpkins of today, the Celtic
traditions of Ireland were to use turnips and other vegetables to make the
lanterns. After carving them, they would place burning embers or a candle
inside, and this was supposed to provide light for the deceased spirits to
be able to return to the earth during a special time when the veil between
the netherworld and earth was thin enough for them to travel – provided
they had light to cross the darkness.
In the Vedic tradition, on the day of Dhanteras a sacred lamp is placed in
front of the house and kept burning the entire night to please Yama, the
God of death. This is also called as Yamadeepam. Following Yamadeepam
(which is held on trayadashi, the 13th day of the moon), is Bhuta (“Ghost”)
Chaturdashi (also called Naraka (“Hell”) Chaturdashi) where one worships
the deceased forefathers. On this day one shows fire lights to guide the
souls of the departed back to earth, and delivers them from hell through
offering of pinda danam (spiritualized food offerings).
Traditionally special grass reeds are used to make a bonfire, and this is
known as ulkahasta or ulkadana. It is believed that this giant bonfire of
burning grass reeds will be visible to the spirits of the forefathers and
show them the way to come back to earth to visit you.
On this particular day the two worlds become aligned, allowing
communication and interaction between the living and the dead – provided
they are shown light to cross the vast darkness in between the two realms.
This tradition of burning grass reeds for the forefathers still exists and
is followed in many villages in India, though people in the larger cities
have forgotten it. You can see an example of ulkadana (burning grass reeds
for the forefathers) in the video above.
An example of the Samhain festival bonfire.
A similar tradition was followed by the Celtic people during a festival
known as Samhain, where giant bonfires were lit on the night of October
31st. It is believed that this festival of Samhain later evolved into the
modern festival of Halloween. The importance of this festival to the
spirits of the forefathers is illustrated by the fact that some Neolithic
tombs in Ireland were aligned to the position of the sunrise on the morning
of Samhain. During the festival of Samhain the burial mounds were opened,
and offerings of food and drink were made to the spirits of the
forefathers, just as we offer pinda danam (spiritual food offerings) to the
forefathers on the day of Naraka Chaturdasi.
Lamps for the forefathers on All Souls’ Day.
In the Christian religion on November 1st or 2nd they observe “All Souls’
Day”, wherein they pray for the departed souls of the forefathers by
lighting candles on their graves and offering food. They also pray for
those who are in purgatory for deliverance, similar to Naraka (“Hell”)
Chaturdashi, where Hindus deliver their forefathers who may be in hell by
offering them sanctified food (pinda danam) after guiding them to it with
lights (ghee deepams and burning of grass reeds).
Even the use of the pumpkin and turnip has its origins in Hinduism. White
ash gourd deepams (oil lamps) are a traditional offering in South Indian
temples, especially for ferocious forms such as Bhairava and various
goddesses. The white ash gourd is also used as a type of “bali” (animal
sacrifice), offering it in the place of real animals (thereby causing no
violence), with the pumpkin often being painted with the face of an asura
(demon), and red sindhur smeared after cutting it to represent blood.
The ancient Vedic worship of Yama (the god of death), the forefathers, the
spirits, etc., through the offering of sacred ghee lamps and bonfires of
grass reeds to guide the spirits of the forefathers, has transformed
through thousands of years to become the modern festival of Halloween in
the west.
If we look at some of the older rituals of Halloween in various places,
there have been the same customs of lighting candles and bundles of hay to
guide the dead souls with light, as well as leaving plates of food for the
dead relatives. These are the same customs as ulkahasta (burning jute reeds
to show light), yamadeepam (keeping a ghee lamp burning in front of your
house the entire night), and pinda danam (food offerings for the dead to
deliver them from hell) held during the same period by Hindus going back
thousands of years. All of this shows that originally in ancient times
there was one spiritual culture spread throughout the entire
world.{VEDANTHA ISSUE}
K Rajaram IRS 291024
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