HALLOWEEN
- RJ Digital Web Tech Pvt LTd
- Oct 17, 2019
- 3 min read
Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (also known as All Saints' or Hallowmas) on 1 November and All Souls' Day on 2 November, thus giving the holiday on 31 October the full name of All Hallows' Eve (meaning the evening before All Hallows' Day).
About 1,000 years ago, the Christian church introduced a new holiday, on November 2, called All Souls’ Day, in memory of the dead. To keep things straight, this means that there was Samhain being celebrated on October 31st by the Celts, while All Martyrs (Saints) Day and All Souls Day were celebrated on November 1 and 2, respectively, by the Christians. Remember, they were also attempting to stamp out pagan rites and traditions in the British Isles. All Saints Day was sometimes known by another name, All-Hallows, so the day before it became known as All-Hallows Eve, which gradually changed to Halloween.
Samhain was in honor of summer’s end, and the usual approach of winter, the cold, dark and dangerous season where life was promised to no one. This transition between summer and winter was a sacred day, as it was believed that the spirits of the dead were able to cross into the world of the living on that particular High Holy Day.
As the tide of power and spiritual influence shifted towards Christianity and away from paganism, particularly once the New World was discovered, this holiday period at the end of October and beginning of November became widely known as Halloween. Samhain remains sacred and observed by some around the world, especially those with Celtic roots or pagan beliefs, but Halloween has certainly won the battle of name recognition and broad acceptance!
What Exactly Is Halloween?
“Halloween is a beloved autumnal holiday observed in numerous countries around the world, and while Halloween traditions may differ around the world, the end of October and the beginning of November have been significant celebrations for a very long time.
As a child rising up in an American suburb, as soon as the first leaves began turning yellow, scheming and planning for the best holiday of the year would begin. Costumes had to be dreamt up, parties had to be planned, and houses had to be decorated with spider webs, demons and zombies clambering out from beneath the front yard. It was hard not to salivate at the thought of all the free candy that would be passed out from the most generous neighbours on the night of October 31st – Halloween!
What do we do at Halloween?
Halloween is usually celebrated by both adults and kids. Some families celebrate by having costume parties and playing special games like bobbing for apples and telling ghost stories. Sometimes children go "trick or treating" - knocking on doors in their trusted neighbourhoods collecting candy.
Why is Halloween celebrated in America?
Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is a time when magic is most potent and spirits can make contact with the physical world. In Christian times, it became a celebration of the evening before All Saints' Day. Immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought the holiday to the United States.
Halloween a holiday in USA?
Halloween, the Eve of All Satins' Day is not a federal or state holiday. Federal holidays are spelled out in the 1968 Uniform Holidays Bill, which grants federal employees a three-day weekend on Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day.
In which country is Halloween most popular?
As one of the world's oldest holidays, Halloween is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe, but it is in North America and Canada that it maintains its highest level of popularity. Countries celebrate Halloween: Austria. Belgium.
Why do we celebrate it?
Halloween became commercialised over time from the influences of pop culture and is celebrated by both children and adults, whether they are going to parties or carving pumpkins.
Trick or treating was coined by the Americans, who evolved the British tradition of “souling” or “guising” to the main event for children as we know it today.
A Final Word
As one of the oldest holidays in the world, Halloween continues to capture the imagination of adults and children alike—and send shivers down their spine! There is a long, complex and often controversial history behind Halloween’s evolution from a sacred pagan festival to a whimsical excuse for candy-grabbing in American outer edge, but one thing can be said about this holiday—it is a yearly reminder that we can (and should) respect the memory of the past.
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