Something I noticed about Nightmare Night · 6:57pm Aug 6th, 2014
Since this is relevant to my next chapter of Lord Barleycorn, I had to rewatch Luna Eclipsed last night, and something occurred to me. Aside from a few pictures of Jack o'lanterns on the foal's trick or treat bags, there are no obvious Jack o lanterns present in the episode, leading me to wonder just how different Halloween is from Nightmare night (obvious differences aside, IE ponies, Nightmare moon).
One one hand, it makes sense there would be differences. Halloween is a mish-mash of ancient traditions that were mellowed and changed with the times, and I doubt the ponies would have had, or even needed people like the druids to tell them when to plant their crops and when the barriers between the living and spirit worlds were thinnest.
As such, it also makes sense they wouldn't have Jack o'lanterns (at least in the form and name we attribute to them) as the story of Jack, the wicked man who was cast out of heaven, then hell, and doomed to wander the earth with a carved turnip (early Jack'o Lanterns were turnips, but became pumpkins as the tradition came to america) would have no place in Equestria.
I'd like some opinions on this, as well as any corrections if I did indeed miss any such lanterns in that episode (and a time stamp if possible so I can see for myself)
Well doesnt really have to be a wasted oumpkin sjnce they can just toss it into a cake or a.pie or just outright eat it before the night is out. And the thing is albeit it non canon, there are many things that go bump in the night, when the veils are weak. Who is to say that Luna herself might not know of these actual forest spirits or have not met or befriended a few before her banishment?
And while they might not have needed druids or whomever to tell them when and where to plant their crops, other factors can be considered, such as pegasi weather control.
2348645 Not bad ideas, that's all food for thought.
2350127 Well, I mentioned the druids because I actually find the history of holidays interesting. Halloween isn't as amalgamated as christmas is, but it's had an interesting ride on the tides of social change.
But yes, its very possible that Luna knows about the things that go bump in the night, but I doubt Nightmare Night also has the thinning of the spirit world too. Luna didn't seem to treat NN different from other nights until she started to enjoy herself (where it became a means to reach out to her subjects).
I also would bet that the Earth Ponies never needed to be told when to plant considering their connection to the earth.
2348645 I approve of this "Court of Pumpkins" idea. Author: add it.
2350252 True enough I suppose.