By, Carol Fisher Linn
Darker nights lead into Halloween. Even Illusionist Harry Houdini couldn’t escape the “thin time”.
2000 years ago, October 31 was the time of the ancient Celtic festival (Samhain) when, in the deep night hours, the boundary between the living and the dead began to blur. It was a “thin time” when the spirits crossed over into the human world, or, oops, in the case of illusionist Houdini, his mortality crossed over into the spirit world.
Of course, the Catholic Church had to control this pagan Celtic behavior, so in the 8th century the church designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day and October 31 as All Hallows’ Eve. Alas, the church did not have the last say because All Hallows’ Eve morphed into Halloween.
November 1st this year is also the end of Daylight Savings Time at 2am when all clocks move back one hour. Returning to Standard Time, we all reclaim our lost hour of sleep from the March 8 jump forward. Have you ever wondered where you go when you fall asleep? Especially on Halloween night? After all, ancient and spiritual traditions view sleep as a temporary detachment of the soul, or a shift into the unconscious mind. Are you sure you want to reclaim that extra hour on Halloween night? You may choose to remain awake all night so you don’t enter that “thin time.”
It’s truly a tricky time of year. The veil is thinner than ever. Are you ready? Apparently, Houdini was not. To refresh, Houdini was a world-renowned escape artist – The Handcuff King. At age 52, one-hundred years ago he collapsed on stage in Michigan after performing the final show of his life in agony. Shortly after, he died on 31 October 1926.
Somehow, it seems appropriate that the famous conjurer, the death-defier, slipped his earthly bonds on All Hallows Eve, the most mysterious night of the year. Of course, speculation immediately arose. What killed him? On Halloween? On the record, he died from peritonitis which may or may not have been exacerbated by blunt force trauma to the abdomen delivered by a challenging college student. Houdini claimed he could withstand any blow to the abdomen and literally accepted the student’s challenge which likely led to his demise.
But then, of course, there is the theory that the spiritualist movement cursed him in some way. You see, he was convinced Spiritualists, seances, spirit communications, etc. were all staged and made it his calling to become the Spiritualists’ nemesis. One must wonder what Ellicottville’s leading Spiritualist, Beals Litchfield thought of that. Houdini would have been in his prime when Beals died in 1895. Did he curse Houdini before he himself crossed over to the spirit world? One can only speculate.
Providing a fitting end to the great illusionist’s life, Houdini was buried in Glendale, Queens, in the very same casket he had used in many of his stunning performances. The Society of American Magicians for whom he was president for seven years until his death, no longer holds a “Broken Wand’ ceremony at his gravesite. The broken wand is a symbol that his magic is gone. Currently, they hold it in early November on his date of death aligned with the Jewish calendar (after all, he was Jewish, born in Budapest, Hungary 3/24/1874 – Ehrich Weisz). The official Houdini Séance this year, which celebrates 100 years after his death, is being held at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.
Since Buffalo NY, mostly Shea’s and other Buffalo theaters, were visited very frequently by Harry Houdini, along with visiting local police departments where he challenged officers to restrain him, the Buffalo/Amherst area is hosting a 100-year anniversary Harry Houdini centennial event and séance on Halloween at the Center for inquiry WNY headquarters, 1210 Sweet Home Road, Amherst. Register online ($15) at the Center’s page at Visit Buffalo Niagara. It is a family event (with lunch) from 10am-3pm. There will be speakers and a skeptical scavenger hunt through the CFI headquarters and libraries, DIY ghost photography and a costume contest with a séance at the conclusion of the event. Anyone interested in the occult or the “thin time” experienced on Halloween should try to attend.
If you choose to stay local but still want to have your Halloween fright, enjoy your local trunk or treat, find a ghost tour, or attend the ghost investigation at the Salamanca American Legion from midnight to 2am on Halloween hosted in part by the owners of the Wildwood Sanitarium. Happy spooky Halloween!