Winter Solstice

The exorcism of the devils and the cult of the dead
The cult of the Dead (some times overlapping the concept beyond the Cult of the Ancestors) is considered to be the first, primitive, European religion, and has left important marks on the collective imaginary, expressed through cultural performances. This still happens today, in spite of the intolerance of the Catholic Church.
Its main active period lasts from the 1st of November to the 31st of January, in some places being prolonged till the 22nd of March. In this specific time, several rites take place.

Although dealing with death, it is presented as an alternative way to the return of life, or to the hope lying there. In its final phase the concept is already mixed with the understanding of the need for purification of the Earth, symbolized by rituals of preparation for its functions of inducing life on plants. The blending of life and death is characteristic of most of these rituals, due to the structural understanding of the nature of life itself as being tied to death. This is exemplified on the world of vegetation by seeds, which must putrefy and “die” before giving rise to new plants.

The night of 31st of October, the Samhain, or Celtic “summer end”, also called “witches’ night”, or the “souls’ night”, marks the end of the sacred time of Summer. In the same way, November 1st marks the entrance on the profane (death) time of Winter, populated by spirits or souls of the death, allowed to come to this world during this particular time.

The date of November 1st (All Saints’ Day) was twisted by the November 2nd (All Soul’s Day or the Day of the Dead). The old Celtic calendar pointed to the 1st of November as the beginning of winter, the time of the dead. This meaning was after changed by Catholic Church, in its attempt to extinct the cult, identifying it as the time of the evil.
At midnight on the 31st of October, it was believed that werewolves and other demons would come out of the sea, or out of the earth, in order to torment the living, until the next spring. In some parts of the Azores, during this time, was the habit of no one be out in the streets after midnight. On Pico Island, for example, in spite of the enthusiasm people have for parties and gatherings, during this time they would usually finish at 11:30pm, especially if it was a Friday and there was a full moon. When someone had to leave the house after this hour, he or she either should be protected by a white piece of cloth over the head, or should carry a torch-light, in order to be distinguished from the devils. The duration of this period varies. In Pico it lasts until February 2, when Candlemas or the Fest of Our Lady of Candles puts an end to it.

The Catholic Church maintained the pre-existing cult of the dead on the second of November, following All Saints’ Day, on the first. The special mass, the visits to the cemetery, the ‘Pão por Deus’ (souls bread) as a ceremonial begging for alms, and the donation of ritual food such as chestnuts and ‘caspiadas’ (small cakes of corn flour and fennel seeds), only made at this time of the year, and keeping the shape of the “tantric skull”, used by the Celts to drink a ritual funerary beverage, are common practices of this time of the year.

Children perform the ritual of begging at the doors where they receive these cakes or sweets and little money (eating the sweets will help the dead to recall ‘sensations’, and the money will allow them to cross the boundary river, to this world). Dead were buried with money in their pockets, for the same purpose, for crossing the river to their world.

November 11th (‘Saint Martin’s Day), celebrates a catholic saint, born in Hungary, in 316, known as the exorcist saint, by his power in repelling the devil (Catholic Church classified as devilish all the contacts with the dead).
This date recovers the memories of another type of death rituals and practices, the traditions of which present the other side, now forgotten, of opposing life to death. The main characteristics of Saint Martin’s festivities is the drinking of large portions of wine and the eating of special funeral-related foods, as well as the mentioning of obscenities and references to ritual sexual practices, as a stimulation of life.

Dionysius (Baco), God of Vegetation, also celebrated at this time of the tasting of new wine, was the symbol of rebirth. Wine was understood as propitiating a contact with the divinity. The chemical and symbolic nature of the wine allowed the rehearsal and domestication of disruptive situations as death is. It was believed that dinking large quantities of wine would also allow the showing on the drunks of some characteristics of the divinity. Processions of drunks on this day imitate religious ceremonies.

Although being a male ritual, some old women were allowed, which gave rise to libertine songs called “Velhas” (old women) very famous on the Terceira Island folkloric repertoire.
The ritual food used was pork meet. A ritual butchery takes place, killing and eating a pork, the totemic animal of the Celts related to the dead. It was believed that eating this animal (understood as the incarnation of the divinity) one would acquire the qualities of the divinity. At present time, chestnuts and (recently) sardines are substituting pork, but it is still possible to find the old habit of killing a baby pig.

Symbolizing the spirit of the Winter Solstice, most of the following ceremonies pertain now to Catholic repertoire, with an emphasis on hope for a better time:

November 21 (Presentations of the Virgin Mary in the Temple) and the following five dates:
December 8 (Immaculate Conception)
December 25 (Nativity)
December 28 (Day of the Innocents)
December 29 (Day of the Holy Family) and
January 1 (Mother of God), are all related to women or children, and the function of giving life.

However, underneath the surface, it is still possible to find vestiges of the cult of the Dead. When, on Christmas Eve, for instance one place is kept empty at the table, in memory of the dead, or when a dish is placed outside the door with a taste of each one of the different foods or, yet, when the table is kept on all night awaiting the visit of the deceased, the reason for these rituals and beliefs stems from the Cult of the Dead. In addition, the traditional songs known as the ‘Janeiras’ (January songs), which are heard in January, immediately after Christmas time, are evocative of death.

In S. Miguel Island the festivities of Our Lady of the Stars