Halloween By Teish Summary
Teish shares her experience of Halloween, where her neighbor Mr. Buck invited kids inside his house and then scared them dressing up in white sheet with a rifle and a rope. Children who witnessed Mr. Buck's appearance were scared and ran out the house screaming and crying, including Teish. Later, Teish adds that Mr. Buck was dressed in the hood and cloak of the Ku Klux Klan (Carnival of the Spirit, 166).
In addition to that Teish talks about what she was taught (Dick and Jane), and how it was completely different from her life, from her situation. Then goes on comparing the season (autumn) in the book to her own world of wind and rain. She says that autumn was special for Halloween and Thanksgiving, when the environment of the community was
spooky with all the myths and decorations and costumes, and the kitchen festival of deep cooking. (Carnival of the Spirit, 165).
Teish describes Halloween as “White madness” (Carnival of the Spirit, 167), and also says that she completely discarded Halloween till 1980s and only started to celebrate it again after her conversation with Starhawk. Where Halloween is considered the time to address ugliness, deformity, and death and it is celebrated as a culture to exorcise the collective darkness of the society. As she found this new meaning in Halloween, she started celebrating Halloween again to bond with her pagan sisters (Carnival of the Spirit, 168).
Teish says that African tradition greets ancestors as they greet the day and that it is not limited to a specific time of the year. She describes of her involvement and responsibility of sweeping the cemetery, picking up trash etc. She also mentions leaving fresh flowers on graves as tribute to Oya and the ancestors (Carnival of the Spirit, 168).
Teish has expanded her spiritual family and included people of different ancestral background and traditions, where “Each tradition adds its cultural flavor to the ceremonies.” (Carnival of the Spirit). These rituals are performed in traditional African form of respecting one’s ancestor. One must understand the African view of life and death to appreciate the rituals for ancestral honor.
In addition to that Teish talks about what she was taught (Dick and Jane), and how it was completely different from her life, from her situation. Then goes on comparing the season (autumn) in the book to her own world of wind and rain. She says that autumn was special for Halloween and Thanksgiving, when the environment of the community was
spooky with all the myths and decorations and costumes, and the kitchen festival of deep cooking. (Carnival of the Spirit, 165).
Teish describes Halloween as “White madness” (Carnival of the Spirit, 167), and also says that she completely discarded Halloween till 1980s and only started to celebrate it again after her conversation with Starhawk. Where Halloween is considered the time to address ugliness, deformity, and death and it is celebrated as a culture to exorcise the collective darkness of the society. As she found this new meaning in Halloween, she started celebrating Halloween again to bond with her pagan sisters (Carnival of the Spirit, 168).
Teish says that African tradition greets ancestors as they greet the day and that it is not limited to a specific time of the year. She describes of her involvement and responsibility of sweeping the cemetery, picking up trash etc. She also mentions leaving fresh flowers on graves as tribute to Oya and the ancestors (Carnival of the Spirit, 168).
Teish has expanded her spiritual family and included people of different ancestral background and traditions, where “Each tradition adds its cultural flavor to the ceremonies.” (Carnival of the Spirit). These rituals are performed in traditional African form of respecting one’s ancestor. One must understand the African view of life and death to appreciate the rituals for ancestral honor.