Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, primarily in western countries, to mark the eve of the Christian feast of All Hallows' Day (Feast of All Saints). This day is observed in honour of the saints of the church. Historians believe that the tradition of Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of “All Hallows' evening”) originated with an ancient Celtic festival where people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts.
As such, to this day, the Halloween tradition continues, with people donning costumes, serving each other “trick-or-treat”, carving jack-o-lanterns, and engaging in festive gatherings to ward off all evil.
Why is Halloween celebrated?
According to one theory, the tradition of Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of a bountiful harvest for the summer and the beginning of the “dark, cold winter”, which was associated with death and decay at the time. Therefore, it was on the boundary night between summer and winter that the Celts celebrated Samhain when they burnt huge bonfires dedicated to their deities and prayed to protect themselves from evil spirits during the coming winter.
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It is believed that this Samhain tradition, with pagan roots, eventually got Christianised as All Hallow's Day. Other academics believe that the tradition began originally as a Christian holiday. In many of the western countries where the tradition spread, it evolved as a secular celebration where people engage in joyous celebrations to mark the age-old tradition against spirits.
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Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31?
The Celts – who lived 2,000 years ago mostly in an area that now lies in northern France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland – believed that on the boundary night between this summer and winter period, the limit between the worlds of the living and the dead were blurred. They believed that on the night of October 31, the ghosts of the deceased returned to the world, which eventually became a convenient date for the festival since the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1.
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Halloween is one of the oldest holidays known to the civilized world. Although it stems from religious beliefs, it is celebrated today as a cultural holiday by people from different religious backgrounds.
This festival is celebrated differently in several countries around the world. Many countries have different names for the celebration and do not celebrate on October 31st.
In the United States, Halloween is celebrated on October 31st and is popular among children and adults. Telling horror stories and horror movies are popular entertainment, as well as carving pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns. Children dressed in costumes go trick-or-treating, which involves going door to door, knocking and calling out “trick or treat,” and receiving candy in return. Canada and Ireland both have similar traditions.
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Mexico and other Latin American countries celebrate Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. The celebration lasts three days, from October 31st to November 2nd, and is designed to honour the dead. Many families construct an altar in their homes to honour their late family members and make a feast with their favourite dishes for their spirits to enjoy. Food and candy are often made in the shape of skulls and skeletons for the celebration.
In some European countries and many others worldwide, the popularity of Halloween has increased in the last 30 years. Countries like Greece and Poland have seen more young people engaging in pumpkin carving and attending costume parties.
Lets gear up for this exciting festival, who knows one may witness a miracle. Happy Halloween !!
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