Halloween also is known as All-hallows Eve, is a holiday every year on the 31st day of October. When is Halloween this year? This year Halloween date is a Saturday, a weekend so you can just let down your hair and enjoy it with your friends and family. Before getting into details of the day, let us find out the History of Halloween.
History of Halloween
You will find that Halloween history traces back to Samhain, which is known as the pagan festival. What is Halloween all about?
Halloween facts also state that the Celts lived some 2000 years ago. Ireland, Northern France, and the United Kingdom are the places where the Celts lived. However, Halloween was celebrated then on November 1st.
This was the time when summer and the harvest season came to an end and it was the beginning of winter which is marked with cold and dark days. We usually relate dark and cold nights to death. There was a common belief that the night just before the New Year, the “boundary” that exists between the living world and the dead world became indistinct.
They also thought that since these spirits made their way to the world, it led to troubles and harm to the crops. Also, due to the presence of the outer world spirits, it was easier for the Celtic priests to make prophecies.
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What is the Origin of Halloween?
According to the stories about the origin of Halloween, huge bonfires were built. People got together and burnt crops and offered animals as part of sacrifices to the deities. For the sacrifices and burning of sacred bonfires, people adorned themselves with dresses that resembled the heads of animals. Also, on Halloween date, people were able to predict the future and fortune.
Samhain was observed on October 31st since the Celts believed that the dead came back to earth.
“All Hallows Eve” is the word from which “Halloween” is derived. The meaning of the word is “hallowed evening”.
Several hundred years ago, people dressed as saints. They used to visit different houses from door to door. This explains why you dress up weirdly and this is the essence of “trick-or-treating”.
Since it is a secular holiday, on Halloween date, you will find that there is more to just celebrating Halloween history. Right from wearing eerie costumes, to playing pranks, you will also find people begging for food at some places.
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Halloween parties are organized and different kinds of games, the main one being “bobbing for apples”. Aside from “trick-or-treating” and eerie costumes, Jack-O’-Lanterns is another creepy tradition to mark Halloween.
For Jack-O’-Lanterns, turnips are used and not pumpkins. There is a legend associated with it that says about a man who was known by the name Stingy Jack. He used to trap the Devil again and again and release him only when the Devil assured him that he would never go to Hell. After his death, the Devil handed him a carved-out turnip that had burning coal in it that would help light the way of Jack as he wandered the Earth as a ghost.
Halloween is a holiday and you can spend quality time with your friends and family. Prepare different kinds of dishes, arrange parties, and have fun with your near and dear ones.
