History of Halloween: Halloween is annually celebrated on October 31. It is a festival of costumes, spooky decorations, trick-or-treating, and supernatural connections. The origin of Halloween roots back to the Celtic celebration of Samhain which usually marks the end of the harvest season and indicates the beginning of a new year. Halloween is a time for community, creativity, and celebration and this article will help you with the complete history, origin, tradition and culture of the Halloween festival.
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What is the Origin of the Halloween Celebration?
Halloween, also known as All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve is a festival with a perfect blend of ancient and modern traditions and culture. Its rich history includes a vivid portion of Celtic, Roman and Christian traditions.
Celtic Origins: Halloween is a part of the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain celebrated on November 1. The day before Samhain is Halloween succeeded by All Soul’s Day on November 2. It is believed that on Halloween there is no boundary between the world of living and dead. A most common practice to observe Halloween is to light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off evil spirits.
Roman Influence: The invasion of Romans into Celtic territories assimilated varied traditions to the celebration of Samhain. One of the new additions includes the Feralia festival which was usually celebrated to remember and honour the lost souls. This new addition gave new values and a better meaning to the celebration of Halloween.
Christian Influence: Halloween was hugely influenced by Christian beliefs and practices. Pope Boniface IV during the 7th century established All Saint’s Day on November 1 to remember Christian martyrs. It was originally planned for May but later was moved by the Celtic Festival of Samhain. And since then, All Saint’s Day became popular as All Hallows’Eve and eventually to Halloween.
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Halloween: Culture And Traditions
Halloween, lately has become a global celebration with a bunch of unique traditions and rituals. Being influenced by popular culture, the festival became commercialized and became a multifaceted holiday. Some of the famous traditions of the Halloween festival are:
- Carving Jack-o’-Lanterns
- Seeing Ghosts
- Wearing Scary Costumes
- Trick-or-Treating
- Black Cats
- Black and Orange
- Bobbing for Apples
- Pranking
- Lighting Candles and Bonfires
- Candy Apples
- Bats
- Devouring Candy
- Candy Corn
The modern-day celebration of Halloween is celebrated with spooky and creative costumes. People decorate homes with carved jack-o’-lanterns, and Halloween-themed parties or visit neighbours for trick-or-treating. Also, the day embraces the spirit of spending time with friends and families. So, do not forget to watch your favourite classic horror movie, visit haunted attractions and play Halloween games. Happy Halloween!
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