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Halloween

admin — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:20:20 +0000

Halloween is an internationally recognized holiday celebrated on October 31st.

Traditional activities include Halloween festivals, costume parties, trick or treating, bonfires, viewing horror films, visiting haunted houses and participating in traditional autumn activities like hayrides that have haunted themes.

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Origins of Halloween

admin — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:20:01 +0000

Halloween was originally called Samhain.
It was a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and the British, Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century.

Other western countries took up the holiday in the twentieth century.

According to Celtic belief, the bright half of the year ended around November 1st or at the time of the first frost. That day is referred to as Samhain or “end of summer”. As the Roman calendar was adopted, the date began to be celebrated independently of the Moon’s phases.

As October 31st is the last day of the bright half of the year, the next day is associated with the beginning of winter and is associated with death or the slaughter of livestock for winter meat.

The Celts believed that October 31st, the separation from the living and the dead became blurred and the residence of the dead or spirits was accessible through burial mounds. The mounds were opened twice per year-on Samhain and on Beltane, the beginning of summer.

Halloween in Today’s Time

admin — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:19:35 +0000

Halloween is now celebrated in many parts of the western world, particularly in English-speaking countries.

The term Halloween is shortened from All-hallow-even as it is the evening before All Hallows’ Day or “All Saint’s Day”. It was a day of religious festivities in Northern Europe until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saint’s Day from May to November 1st.

In Ireland, the name of the holiday was All Hallows’ Eve although the term is seldom used today. In Ireland, the festival is known as the night of Samhain.

In Scottish Gaelic, it is called Samhain and in Welsh, it is known as Calan Gaeaf. Halloween is also called Pooky Night in parts of Ireland, named after puca, a mischievous spirit.

Many European traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is the most potent.