Here are a few of the enjoyable holiday displays from our area.:
Historians trace Halloween customs back to a Celtic belief that on November 1 the souls of the dead returned. This became associated with the holy eve (“hallow” “een”) of the Christian All Saints Day, when saints and other dead are supposed to be remembered.
Costumes were worn, bonfires and Jack o’ lanterns (made of turnips) were lit and skeletons exhibited on October 31 to scare off any evil spirits that might take the opportunity to return with the holy dead. (Images taken in Blue Hill and Brooklin, Maine, on October 28 and 27, 2023.)