423. SPECIAL BULLETIN: The 2024 Halloween Pipes Drop October 1 @ 6:00 pm EST
Public Service Announcement The 10th Anniversary PPN Pipe of the Year is going into production this week and should be ready for purchase in early November. The Google sign-up form will be available as soon as I receive the samples and put up photos for your consideration. A Google form for the matching Zippo Sterling Armor lighter will be posted simultaneously. THE 2024 HALLOWEEN PIPES ARE ALMOST HERE by D. H. Billings Hundreds of years before a particular Nazarene taught us how the poor and the meek are blessed—and even before the Celts first came to the small island just west of Britannia—ancient pagans gathered each fall for a festival (Smith, 2020). They gathered together to mark the end of the summer, the beginning of the "Dark Days" (Moody, 2023), and to celebrate the harvest (Smith, 2020). This festival began around October 31, lasted three days, and was called Samhain (pronounced "Sow-in") (History, 2023). As the millenia progressed and as the Celts arrived in Ireland, the beliefs and rituals surrounding Samhain evolved. The Celts believed that during the time of this festival, the veil between the physical and spiritual realms was lifted (Smith, 2020); and as they feared that the Faeries who would cross over into our realm would take their children into the spiritual realm, they built great bonfires to keep these spirits away. They also disguised their children so that any of the Faeries who did come around would not recognize them as being human (Moody, 2023). As Christianity spread across Ireland, the Catholic Church moved the holiday of All Saints Day (also called All Hallows Day, their celebration for those who had passed on) from May 13 to November 1. This effort of syncretism ended up merging traditions from the two holidays together, effectively creating something new (Smith, 2020). The fishtails create a great aesthetic, which, in combination with specific bowls and stem bends, add a great Gothic touch By the time the 15th century rolled around, many of the traditions we now associate with All Hallows Eve had started to emerge (Smith, 2020). People carved lanterns out of turnips in order to keep Jack of the Lantern (a deplorable soul believed to steal from the living) away, and the practice of trick or treating had begun in an effort by the Catholic Church to encourage people to share their food with the poor and less fortunate (Moody, 2023). Of course, as time continued to progress, things continued to evolve. All Hallows Eve became known as Halloween, turnips were replaced with pumpkins, disguises turned into fun costumes, and feeding the poor was transformed into passing out candy (hopefully Reese's). On top of that, most of the religious connotations disappeared and some random guy with a William Shatner mask became the mascot for the holiday. That all being said, I grew up in a ridiculously fundamentalist Christian home where most secular things were banned. Rock music, toy guns, The Legend of Zelda, Star Wars, Star Trek,…