End of October is traditionally marked with a famous and beloved by many young people holiday Halloween. On this day in the USA and Europe the most amount of sweets is sold, tons of carnival dresses are bought, and the wildest costume parties are organized.
Especially children are looking forward to Halloween. This day they dress costumes of skeletons, witches and other spooky characters and go from door to door for treat-or-treating. To have fun and collect as much sweets as possible – that is what children love this holiday for.
Halloween is a holiday with rich tradition, with its roots starting in the ancient times. In the end of October ancient Celtics celebrated festival Samhain (the precursor to Halloween) – marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of cold dark winter that was associated with death.
Celtic people believed that on this day ghosts of the dead return to earth. That is how the tradition of dressing up as ghosts and monsters appeared. By disguising ancient people wanted to scare away real evil ghosts wandering the streets during Samhain. When Christianity came to England and other parts of Europe, 1 November became All Saints Day and the evening before was called “Hallows’ Evening”, that gave a present-day name to the holiday Halloween.
The tradition of treat-or-treating appeared in the medieval times when disguised poor people were begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the dead. Nowadays, disguised children go from door to door saying “trick or treat” and moved adults give them chocolate, bonbons, nuts and other sweets.
Halloween tradition colors are orange and black with orange symbolizing harvest and autumn, black – death and darkness, reminding that once it was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.
On Halloween children often carry jack-o’-lanterns in hands to frighten evil spirits. There is an Irish legend, that there was a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths.
Owls and cats are popular Halloween images too, because in Medieval Europe it was believed that on that holiday witches gather to sabbath, so they turn themselves into owls and black cats to avoid detection; and to hear an owl’s call meant someone was about to die. Other traditional images of Halloween are skeletons, spiders, ravens, ghosts, bonfires, candles and scarecrows. Decorated houses mean that children are welcome for treat-or-treating there.
We wish you a cheerful Halloween and, as English people say, have a SPOOKtacular, BOOOtiful and WOOOnderful Halloween!
