We drove past the local park today where folk were setting up for a party ... we were fairly sure it was a Halloween event (even though it is a bit early) because they were putting up orange and black balloons and crepe paper. How did orange and black come to be seen as Halloween colours? Black we get because of the "sinister" component but what about the orange ... the colour of pumpkins we decided. Because Halloween comes so quickly after the Americans' Thanksgiving, we figured there would be lots of pumpkins left over to use as decorations ... and then slowly rot away to nothing.
Well, we were close but not close enough. Black is "sad" rather than sinister - at that time of year the veil between the living and dead is said to be thinner and folk would offer tributes to the departed and wear black to honour them. Orange is not to do so much with pumpkins as the change of seasons with the trees turning orange ... that and the fires that would be lit to sustain folk during winter. Hmmmm ... practical.
Next time: why red and green are the colours of Christmas. (Just joking.)
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