October 30- Nov 05 is the 44th week of the Gregorian calendar. Within this week we have the Solar Term of Frost Descent, the micro-seasons of "Light Rain Showers"(Oct 28 - Nov 01) and "The Maple and the Ivy Turn Yellow (Nov 02 - Nov 07), along with the celebrations of Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, and Halloween. The haiku for this week came from Basho, Izen, Issa, Reichhold, and Kerouac.
The 24 Solar Terms - Frost Descent
The 24 solar terms were created by farmers in ancient China (206 BCE and 24 CE) to help guide their agricultural activities. Each solar term is 15 days long and is based on the climate around the city Xi'an, which was the capital of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). (2)
Frost Descent (Oct 24 - Nov 07) is the 18th Solar Term of the year. It is also the last solar term of the season of autumn. An alternative translation of this season is First Frost.(3)
Foods associated with this time of year are persimmons, apples, pears, and chestnuts.(4)
The 72 Seasons
The 72-season calendar was established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. Each season lasts for about 5 days and offers "a poetic journey through the Japanese year in which the land awakens and blooms with life and activity before returning to slumber."(5)
This week contains the micro-seasons of "Light Rain Showers"(Oct 28 - Nov 01) and "The Maple and the Ivy Turn Yellow" (Nov 02 - Nov 07).
"The Maple and the Ivy Turn Yellow" is considered the last micro-season of autumn. This season notices that the leaves have transitioned from their summer greens to the yellows, oranges, and browns of autumn. You can read more about this season here.
Astronomical Season
November 05, the last day of week 44, is 43 days past the autumn equinox (Sept 23, 2023) and 46 days until the winter solstice (December 21) in the Northern Hemisphere. This means we are in the astronomical season of autumn, and there are about 135 days until spring and the vernal equinox (Mar 19, 2024).
Samhain
Samhain (pronounced SAH-win or SOW-in in English) is a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is traditionally celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1. Samhain, along with Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh, is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals.
Samhain is seen as a time when the boundaries between the physical and spiritual world are the thinnest. It is believed that during this time the spirits of the dead revisit their earthly homes. Those who celebrate Samhain engage in various activities that either provide protection from malevolent spirits or honor their ancestors. Some of these activities are:
- lighting bonfires to symbolize protection and purification,
- wearing costumes and masks to disguise oneself from wandering spirits,
- carving turnips or pumpkins into lanterns (nowadays, the famous Jack-o'-lanterns),
- feasting on seasonal foods like apples and nuts, and
- participating in communal dances and storytelling sessions that honor the ancestors.(5)
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead", is a celebration of life and death held from October 31 to November 2.
The roots of this tradition go back thousands of years to "the Aztecs and other Nahua people living in what is now central Mexico."(6)
Much like during Samhain, on the Day of the Dead, it is believed that the border between our world and the spirit world dissolves, and the souls of those passed return to the world of the living to visit their loved ones. The spirits of children who have passed are said to be able to return at midnight on October 31st, while adult spirits can do the same on November 2.
Those who celebrate the Day of the Dead "treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased's favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on the ofrendas built in their homes."(6)
An ofrenda is a traditional home altar used during Day of the Dead celebrations. You can read more about the ofrenda here.
Halloween
Halloween, which is celebrated on October 31st, has its origins in the Christian celebrations of All Souls Day and All Hallows Eve, along with incorporating parts of Samhain. The authors at the History Channel provide this concise explanation of the evolution of Halloween.
"The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats."(7)
It took a while for Halloween to develop into the tradition it is today. In fact, Halloween wasn't widely celebrated in the United States until the mid-1900s.
Seasonal Haiku
In The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words as selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, the autumn kigo that seem most relevant for this week are "lantern", "scarecrow", and "autumn contemplation". These kigo are found in the Humanity section of this list.
In A Dictionary of Haiku, Jane Reichhold lists many potential kigo for this week. "All Saints Day", "black cat", "ghosts". "Halloween", "haunted houses", and "jack-o-lanterns" are all potential kigo found in the Occasions section of her dictionary.
With all this in mind, let's read some haiku.
Basho
I would like to use that scarecrow's tattered clothes in this midnight frost (translated by Sam Hamill)
this jewel his soul will return to Black Feather Mountain the moon of sacred law (translated by Jane Reichhold)
Waking in the night; the lamp is low, the oil freezing. (tranlsated by Robert Hass)
Izen
I've just got to know the scarecrow and now we part (retrieved from Haiku Enlightenment, G. Rosenstock)
Issa
a rush of red leaves blown against him... scarecrow (translated by David. G Lanoue)
holding a lantern tidying up... evening cool (translated by David. G Lanoue)
Jane Reichhold
light from the pumpkin's grin a full moon
no one home
yet a face grins on the porch
Halloween
going into dark times
children dressed as grown-ups
begging
Jack Kerouac
Cat eating fish heads - All those eyes In the starlight
This one may not really fit with the season, but I couldn't resist!
Haiku invitation
This week's haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu referencing the celebrations of Samhain, the Day of the Dead, or Halloween.
Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can't wait to read what you write!
Thank You For Your Support!
About the Haiku
Basho's haiku were retrieved from "Matsuo Bashō's haiku poems in romanized Japanese with English translations" Editor: Gábor Terebess. Issa's haiku were retrieved from David G. Lanoue's Haiku Guy. Jane Reichhold's haiku were retrieved from Dictionary of Haiku. Jack Kerouac's haiku were retrieved from Book of Haikus. Izen's haiku was retrieved from Haiku Enlightenment: New Expanded Edition; Gabriel Rosenstock.
References
- "ISO 8601"; Wikipedia
- "24 Solar Terms"; ChinaHighlights.com
- "Glossary ("24 Sekki" or 24 Solar Terms)"
- "Japan's 72 Microseasons"; Nippon.com
- "Samhain"; New World Encyclopedia
- "Day of The Dead"; History.com
- "History of Halloween"; History.com
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