Metals, She Wrote: Trick or Treat!

Happy Monday, folks!

Can you believe it’s already the last week of October? Where has the year gone? It feels like the year has flown by, and we are one week away from one of my favorite holidays- Halloween.

Halloween is rich in traditions…even some involving our favorite topic- metals! Way back in the day, the Celtic people developed a festival called Samhain. This ancient people celebrated the new year on November 1. They believed the night before, October 31, the world of the living and the dead intertwined, allowing deceased souls to interact with those still alive. In response, the Celts left food at their doorsteps to keep ghosts out and donned masks to appear as ghosts, themselves, in case they had to leave their homes.

Years later, Pope Boniface IV combined the pagan beliefs of Samhain with a Christian holiday to celebrate heroes of the faith who had passed; he declared November 1, “All Saints Day,” to honor these Christian martyrs. The day was often referred to as “All Hallow’s Day,” and the day before, “All Hallow’s Eve.” This eventually became “Halloween.”

When the Irish began celebrating this new Halloween, they created several traditions (some we still use today). Children would dress up and travel from home to home, participating in an activity known as “guising.” Boys and girls would perform tricks for treats; they would tell jokes, do a “jig,” recite a poem, or entertain their audience in some manner in return for coins. That’s right; the first “treats” were actually coins!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Families incorporated coins into their holiday baked goods, as well. A barmbrack cake is the center of a tradition in which a rag, a coin, and occasionally other symbolic items were baked into the sweet, raisin filled bread. If you received the slice with the coin, you were said to have prosperity the following year. Another edible tradition sounds a little less appetizing to this copywriter. A dish called “colcannon” was created from kale, potatoes, and onions. Small coins were wrapped and cooked into the dish for lucky children to find. This sounds like an elaborate scheme to get kids to eat kale, if you ask me.

It’s funny how easy it is to find traditions incorporating gold and silver for nearly every holiday. I suppose that shows how much we love shiny things. 

What’s your favorite Halloween tradition? Would you give coins to those “guising” in your neighborhood?

If I ever win the lottery, I think I’ll treat the tricksters with these Proof Zombucks® Saint 1 oz Silver Rounds. This version of Liberty is just epic.

And, for my activist bullion buyers, check out our blog on the price manipulation scandal. I’m curious what your thoughts are!

Happy Stacking!

-J