Halloween originated in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-win), a celebration of the dead and the world of the supernatural. It was believed that at this time of the year, the barrier between the physical and the spirit worlds could be breached.
Today we are surrounded by barriers that seek to divide the peoples of the world. But perhaps our separate traditions and beliefs are only thin membranes. Here are seasonal recipes from two of Stratford’s cultures: Canada’s Favorite Cook Book (1902) and The Beth Israel Sisterhood Cookbook (1957). The latter is part of a recently discovered, unpublished manuscript entitled, “Stratford’s Jewish Experience from the 1860s to the 1950s” by Jack Leonard Segal.
