We will combine our General
Meeting and Samhain Celebration at our meeting on October 18th,, 7:00, at
the Celtic Connection (517 6th Street). Sally Knight (a.k.a. Queen
of Halloween), will be providing our program. Among other topics to be
discussed at the business portion of the meeting will be the possibility of
holding the board meeting prior to the general meeting AND looking for
nominations for officers and board members too. The election will be in
December.
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Oct 18
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7:00 p.m.
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General membership
Meeting & Samhain, at the Celtic Connection, 517 6th Street, Rapid City
PROGRAM: Sally Knight on
Celtic Halloween (our resident All Hallow’s Eve QUEEN!!)
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Oct 27
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6:45 p.m.
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Samhain (AGAIN J) –
this time we’re invited to join the Celts Of America at Dublin Square Pub
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Nov 1
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7:00 p.m.
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Board Meeting
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Nov 3
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TBA
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Heather Payden and Darren
Williams’ WEDDING!!!!!
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Nov 15
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7:00 p.m.
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General membership
Meeting, American Legion Post 22, Rapid City
PROGRAM: Genetics +
Celts + Basques (John Burke presenting)
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Dec 6
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7:00 p.m.
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Board Meeting
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Dec 20
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7:00 p.m.
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General membership
Meeting, American Legion Post 22, Rapid City
PROGRAM: TBA
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Dec 31
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TBA
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Black Hills Symphony’s
Celtic New Years @ Civic Center
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*American Legion Post 22, 818 East St. Patrick St, Rapid City
Loss of a friend
I had planned this month to write about what one would expect.... Samhain, or
Halloween since it is an important event in the Celtic world. But once again I
realized just how fast things can change for better or worse. Unfortunately
this week, it was the worse and I’m sure all of you know by now of the passing
of our friend, Jim Marrs.
Looking back on Jim he could often be just a bit cantankerous, often humorous,
or have the biggest smile in the world- particularly when discussing his Celtic
culture. Jim took pride in his heritage as well as his knowledge of many
different cultures and believed that it helped to understand each other. To
Jim, our pasts were and are directly linked to our present and held many of the
answers for our futures. So often, we hear the phrase that we learn from our
past mistakes. Jim felt strongly that we learn from our cultural past
and that it affects our everyday life. I know I learned more about the Picts
than I ever thought possible and the best part of all is that it wasn’t from a
book, but from Jim Marrs—a man who was so very proud of his heritage: an
ancient tribe called the Picts.
One bit of information that has stuck with me for whatever reason was the term
Highlander. Whenever we would discuss a “highlander” topic, Jim would remind us
that it is actually pronounced hee-lan-der and then proceed to inform us on how
this came about. I never tired of hearing of this or any information about
Celtic culture that Jim could pass on.
I know that Jim is in a better place now, a place that he had devoted his
entire life to. But I can’t help but smile when I think of him and that day
when I learned from him that his ancestors painted themselves blue before they
screamed out war cries. I wonder if the Lord may have warned everyone that a
Pict was coming, but it was okay because he was also a reverend. God bless you
Jim, we will miss you.
Bill Knight
President/SIS
This month’s welcome goes to
Robert & Susan Jean Peterson. With this family, our Society gets Susan
who’s both Irish and Scottish, as well as a bit of Swedish and German with
Pete. Their clan affiliations are Robertson and Donnachaidh. They are
interested in travel, photography, single malts, cooking, music
& bagpipe (playing & teaching). I KNOW they’ll find lots of
comradery with those interests in our group! WELCOME! Hope to see you
at the next General meeting on October 18th.
Courtesy of John Duggan:
Celtic Halloween - Happy New Year!
It was once believed that at Samhain, the Celtic New Year, the veil between our
world and the spirit world was very thin. The festival of Samhain (sow-en),
celebrated on November 1st, was a gateway to the otherworld, when spirits
wandered the earth in search of new bodies to possess. People made their homes
as inhospitable as possible, so the spirits would be less likely to enter
them. All fires - candles, fireplace, etc. - were extinguished to make the
house dark and uninviting. The tradition of dressing in Halloween costumes and
painting faces in an ugly way also came about because people wanted to make
themselves unappealing as possible to these wandering spirits. Even loud noises
were encouraged to frighten the spirits away! The holiday is very much about
avoiding wandering spirits, whatever you may have heard about Samhain rituals
to honor the dead.
The origin of All Hallows Eve is a
bit different than you may have heard. Some time in the 8th century A.D., the
Catholic Church began to commemorate All Saints Day and All Souls Day at this
time of year. The Church realized it could not wipe out the popular pagan feast
of Samhain, so it was “christianized” instead. The notion of a close connection
to the dead was attached to a newer holiday called The Eve of the Feast of All
Hallows, or Halloween.
Many Americans don’t realize that
Halloween was never celebrated here in America until the arrival of the
famine-era Irish. The U.S. was a Protestant country with a Puritan leaning.
When the Irish came in the 1840's, they brought their own brand of Catholicism
with them. This included the Halloween rite, with its eccentric mix of
Christian and pre-Christian customs.
Divining Your Future
Because Samhain coincided with
the year’s final harvest, the wheat, apples and nuts that were so plentiful at
this time became part of Halloween customs. When I was growing up in the New England, My Irish parents had us “duck” for apples into which coins were inserted,
and play "Snap Apple," where an apple would be hung on a string --
you had to get a good bite of the apple while keeping your hands behind your
back to get the money inside.
Some Irish customs were meant to
divine your fortune for the coming year. Barmbrack (from Bairín Breac - meaning
"speckled loaf"). This is a type of fruitcake containing charms that
foretold your future. If you got the slice with the ring, you would soon marry.
A button or thimble meant you would remain a bachelor or a spinster. A coin, of
course, foretold wealth, while a rag predicted poverty.
To discover whom you would marry,
you tried to peel an apple all in one go, without breaking the peel. If you
succeeded, you threw the peel over your shoulder. The way it came to rest on
the floor would give you the initial of the one you would marry.
Stingy Jack’s Lantern
The jack-o'-lantern comes from a story told in many variations. Here's an
interesting version: There was a man named Jack, who was notorious for his
sinful ways - the worst of which was stinginess. When the Devil came to claim
Jack's soul one evening, Jack cleverly persuaded him to have a drink first. Being
so stingy, Jack made the Devil pay for the drink. To pay for the drink, the
Devil turned himself into a sixpence, thinking he could turn himself back when
the barman wasn't looking. Stingy Jack immediately grabbed hold of the sixpence
and jammed it into his pocket along with his rosary. You can imagine the
devil’s discomfort at being in the same pocket with a rosary. The Devil pleaded
with Jack to release him, which Jack did, on the condition that the Devil
wouldn't bother him again for a full year.
After a year, the Devil returned to
take Jack. But somehow Jack persuaded him to climb a tree. Then, Jack carved a
cross in the tree, and the poor old Devil was stuck there for a long time.
When, at last, Jack grew old and died, he was refused entry into heaven because
of his stinginess. But when he approached hell, the Devil was so fed up with
his practical jokes, he turned him away as well!
Poor Jack was doomed to wander until
Judgment Day. But the Devil gave him a hot coal from the hobs of hell to help
him see his way around. Jack placed the coal in a turnip and is supposedly
still wandering with his "lantern,” waiting his chance to plead his case.
In America, pumpkins were more plentiful than turnips, and probably easier to
carve. Hence the modern Jack Lantern o origin.
After all this time, it’s amazing
how Halloween clings to America’s culture. This year, as you celebrate
Halloween, you can remember your Celtic forbears and wish one another a happy
and prosperous New Year.
John C Duggan
Our current Newsletter Editor, Pat Hamilton, has served for 2 years and
is ready to help train a new person to enjoy this monthly endeavor.
Replacement will start by January. Please contact Pat if you are interested, info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org.
Pat will gladly work with anyone interested to bring them up to gear. AND,
they are welcome to make any changes they see fit – Call it Newsletter Editor’s
artistic liberty.
Your Input Needed
This
newsletter would be far more interesting with your input: news, events,
culture, history, photos, new Celtic businesses, anything. Submit your
articles in MS Word doc and photos in jpg format. E-mail to info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org
If you missed getting a
Festival T-shirt, there is still time! Mark Roland graciously stepped in at
the last minute to provide Festival T-shirts when our first vendor fell
through! THANKS MARK & Therese! There are 2 colors. Royal Blue and
Black; Limited sizes and quantities. $10.00 S-XL
$12.00 for XXL and XXXL. Mark says “I take cash, personal checks,
Paypal. If I need to mail it is $3.75 for first shirt and $2.00 for each
additional shirt. Or, I can deliver in Rapid City for free or bring to
Sept or Oct SIS membership meeting.”
Mark can be contacted at boos_tees@rap.midco.net.
We’ll be bringing a portion of
our Society’s Library collection (books, videos and CD’s) to each meeting.
Members are welcome to check out these materials. We’ve got tattoos, history
books, novels, Celtic folktales. If anyone wants to give a ‘review’ on
anything from the collection for the newsletter, just let Pat Hamilton know and
she’ll give you some ‘ink’ space!
Celtic Connection in downtown Rapid City, (517 6th Street) is letting the Scottish & Irish Society of the Black Hills have space in their basement to store our supplies. Be sure to stop in and
THANK THEM for their generosity.
This will be a regular feature
of our Newsletter with your help. Please share any of your favorite Celtic
Shopping locations with our Newsletter editor, Pat Hamilton. Send any
suggestions to info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org
.
Celtic Connection: 517 6th Street, Rapid City, SD 57701; 381-1500. They have jewelry, women’s clothing, trinkets, framed work.
Dream Shoes (Bald Mountain): http://www.DreamShoes.com/
They have great sandals and
shoes for both men and women.
Pyramid Collection: http://www.PyramidCollection.com/
Clothing, jewelry, goblets
(mail-order catalog available)
Creative Irish Gifts: www.ShopIrish.com
Clothing, trinkets, jewelry,
caps, mugs (mail-order catalog available)
Cashs of Ireland: www.cashs.com
Dishes, glassware, clothing
(mail-order catalog available)
Shannon: www.ShopShannon.com
Clothing, trinkets, glasses
(mail-order catalog available)
Sofi’s Stitches: http://www.sofisstitches.com/
Medieval and renaissance
clothing
Gael Song: http://www.gaelsong.com/
(mail-order catalog
available)
Celtic Croft: www.kilts-n-stuff.com
Kilts, clothing, jewelry, etc
(mail-order catalog available)
The Celtic Shop: http://CelticShopDunedin.com
This is our old friend Coleen
Coble’s web site. Check out her wide assortment.
Old Business
Festival: profit versus loss still pending.
Burns dinner: Jim Byrne will check on the Masonic Temple for our dinners.
Flags and banners: in need of new ones.
New Business
Heritage Festival: Merge with Gathering of the clans? Bill will check
with Heritage Festival staff for direction.
Senior citizen volunteers to
help with projects was discussed. Decision still pending.
Tartan Ball: voted down.
Entertainment committee: Discussion will continue.
Meeting location: In need of change. Possible idea is to meet at the
Celtic Connection Store.
Hogmanay: Gary will check with Civic center.
Standing Business
Fund raising/membership drive.
Website
Newsletter help
Halloween program by Sally
Meeting adjourned at 8:40
Sally Knight, secretary
assistant.
Minutes not available at time
of publication.
President Bill
Knight info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org
Vice President John Burke
Secretary Heather Payden (Sally Knight,
co-secretary)
Treasurer Carole Conrad
Board Members Aliyah
Sanders, Kerry Smith, Jim Byrne, James Marrs, Paul Smith
Past President Gary
Hamilton
Membership Sally Knight
Web Site Gary
Hamilton
Newsletter Pat
Hamilton, info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org
If you would like to contribute an article or story, list an event,
submit a photo, etc. to the newsletter, please email the item to me by the 5th
of each month.
to our Festival sponsors
For your Support!
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Stan
Adelstein
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Rapid City Journal
Hayman and Associates
Pennington Title
M & K Knifeworks
MAC Construction
The Exchange Club of Rapid
City
Elks Theatre
Scull Construction
Telco Federal Credit Union
String Thaw
(Traditional Irish music)
Horizons, Inc.
We appreciate all the
Support of all of our vendors in making
this Festival a
SUCCESS!!!
Hope to see you NEXT year too!
PO Box 765, Rapid City SD 57709
