• Tweet

• Tweet

Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while “some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, whose original spelling was Samuin (pronounced sow-an or sow-in)”. The name is derived from Old Irish and means roughly “summer’s end”. A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Gaeaf (pronounced Kálan Gái av).

The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family’s ancestors were honoured and invited home while harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by young men dressed in white with masked, veiled or blackened faces. Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. All other fires were doused and each home lit their hearth from the bonfire. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames. Sometimes two bonfires would be built side-by-side, and people and their livestock would walk between them as a cleansing ritual.

The name ‘Halloween’ and many of its present-day traditions derive from the Old English era.

Check out our Halloween Special Review: John Askew – The Witch a perfect track for raising the dead in any club, or creating the Halloween atmosphere throughout your sets!

Halloween Tracks

Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982)
The Vincent Price laugh still packs a wallop and everyone will fondly remember the days when Michael was just another child pop star becoming an adult. The song was accompanied by one of the most famous pop music videos ever.

Specials – “Ghost Town” (1981)
The original point of the song had to do with U.K. economic woes, but the musical sense of foreboding, darkness and empty streets works well at Halloween.

Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Soundtrack – “The Time Warp” (1975)
Every party needs a group dance moment. “The Time Warp” is easy to follow. The song tells you how. “It’s just a jump to the left…”

Mike Oldfield – “Tubular Bells Pt. 1″ (Theme From ‘The Exorcist’) (1973)
Can you say creepy? The producers of The Exorcist knew what they were doing when they chose this song for a theme.

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – “Nightmare On My Street” (1988)
This song was so successful that the producers of the film Nightmare On Elm Street sued for copyright infringement. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith, the Fresh Prince, will add good humor to any Halloween gathering.

Christian Falero & Sydney BLU – BAD BLOOD (2010)
Bringing things back in to the present day - Sydney Blu’s new single titled ‘Bad Blood’, is a remix of the smash US TV series True Blood. The single is available on Beatport, and has gained massive support from the likes of Roger Sanchez, Funkagenda, Robbie Rivera and Oscar G.

FILM-TIME

Dawn of the Dead (2004 version)
Although most horror remakes pale in comparison to the original, Zack Snyder’s remake of the George Romero classic actually works pretty well. The film offers good scares and great effects and while it doesn’t totally capture Romero’s awesomeness (and, really, what would?), it’s a very solid horror flick.

Night of the Living Dead
George Romero’s groundbreaking 1968 black and white horror film, “Night of the Living Dead” revolutionized the horror industry and started the whole wave of splatter films that would come to define horror in the 1970s. It’s a classic that still holds up today (even if we are now accustomed to bigger scares) and features Romero’s trademark humor and wit.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
2005’s “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” isn’t a straight horror film, but it does have some great seat-jumping moments. Backed by a stellar cast (Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, and Jennifer Carpenter), the film is very engaging. The fact that it was inspired by a true story adds a whole other dimension to the horror.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Although some might argue that “The Godfather Part III” is Francis Ford Coppola’s most scary film, the intentional scares are present in 1992’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” The most successful film adaptation of the classic Dracula story to date, the film stars Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, and Gary Oldman.

The Lost Boys (1987)
One of my favourite movies of all time! and now their back? Check Here
After moving to a new town, two brothers are convinced that the area is frequented by vampires.

Twilight Eclipse
In THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.

“HAPPY HALLOWEEN” - BEATSMEDIA!

Posted in: News, Special | Posted on October 29, 2010 by Rachel