The moment has arrived for which we wait for a whole year as it is the time for all of us to get into the spirit of one of the most spookiest and ghostly holidays of all time and yes we are talking about the festival of Halloween!
Halloween also known as the All Hallow's Eve is annually celebrated on October 31st. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the departed.
Halloween is celebrated worldwide however primarily it is celebrated in North America in the countries of United States and Canada. Although Halloween had its origins from many religious festivals over the time but now it is celebrated as a secular holiday which offers a great fun time of celebrations especially for children and teens.
| Event | Halloween |
|---|---|
| Date | October 31, 2022 |
| Day | Monday |
| Significance | Halloween is the biggest and scariest holiday of the year. |
| Observed by | United States |
Halloween History:
The word 'Halloween or Hallowe'en' dates from before the 16th century and draws from its early Christian past. In old Scottish, Hallowe'en translates as "All Hallows' (holy) Even" referring to "All Hallows' Evening," the day before All Hallows Day, a solemn occasion in which all of the Catholic Church's heavenly saints were honored. By the 18th century, the word Halloween shows up with the spelling we know today and it was at this time only Halloween celebrations for the first were starting to get into the United States.
Regarding the origins of Halloween, it is very interesting as Halloween that we know today has got influences from a lots of traditions and practices all across the world over a long time. For example, the Halloween tradition of bobbing for apples originated through the practice of the Roman invasion of England. As a part of Roman paganism, they brought an apple tree, symbolic of Pomona, Goddess of Plenty. During an annual festival, young marriage-minded people bit into apples floating in the water. According to beliefs, whoever bit the apple was next to marry. So this tradition was very prominent during the Roman era.
However it is actually the Celtic people whom we have to thank for introducing many common traditions which are very much followed in Halloween today. They were ancient people who lived in the areas of modern-day Ireland, northern France, and in the UK and followed an ancient Celtic religion. Halloween's pagan roots go back thousands of years to the Celtic Fire Festival of Samhain, which recognized the end of the harvest season and the start of their new year on November 1. During this festival the Celtic people used to wore many costumes and they used to lit fire as a bonfire as they believed that it helped them in keeping the spirits away. This festival was for the worship of the nature for good harvest.
As Christian influence on society began to grow around the 8th century, new customs and traditions were brought in and merged with those of the Celts. Christians would celebrate All Souls Day on November 2, which was a day to honor the dead in much the same way that the Celts did on Samhain. It was around this time that the evening before the celebration became known as All Hallows Eve. By the 12th century, these days had gained holy importance throughout Europe, and customs such as ringing the church bells for the souls of those in purgatory had become widespread. It is also believed that during the Middle Ages churches were too poor to display the relics of martyred saints and so churchgoers began dressing up as them every year instead. This could partly explain where the tradition of dressing up on Halloween comes from.
Halloween became popular in America in the 19th century, with enthusiasm for the holiday being brought across with the Irish and Scottish immigrants who were arriving at the time. The biggest change from Halloween's earliest roots is that it becomes more secular than religious. By the 1920s and 30s, Halloween parades and parties became a major part of the festivities. By the 1950s Halloween became a holiday that was primarily for the children. Trick-or-treating was commonplace as kids went around their neighborhoods in costume collecting candy. Halloween became increasingly embedded in popular culture and horror movies would often be released to coincide with the holiday.
Halloween Significance:
Halloween is now America's second-largest commercial holiday, with $6 billion being spent on it each year only Christmas is above it today. So you can understand that how important this holiday is in the United States. Numerous traditions such as trick-or-treating, costume parties, and watching horror movies all contribute towards a huge occasion that is celebrated throughout the country. This is a secular holiday so every American irrespective of their beliefs or cultures are welcomed during this festival and that's why this festival also offers a nice moment for all Americans to gather together despite all of their differences.
Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o'-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows' Eve in order to frighten evil spirits. The practice of hanging jack-o-lanterns originated from an Irish myth related to a man tagged 'Stingy Jack'. As per the myth, Jack invited the Devil for some drinks but didn't want to spend money. He thus persuaded the Devil to be transformed into a coin to buy drinks. But when the Devil turned into a coin, Jack kept it with a silver cross. Thus, Devil couldn't return to his original form.
The Christian Church traditionally observed Hallowe'en through a vigil. Worshippers prepared themselves for feasting on the following All Saints' Day with prayers and fasting. This church service is known as the Vigil of All Hallows or the Vigil of All Saints; an initiative known as Night of Light seeks to further spread the Vigil of All Hallows throughout Christendom. After the service, "suitable festivities and entertainments" often follow, as well as a visit to the graveyard or cemetery, where flowers and candles are often placed in preparation for All Hallows' Day. Today, Christian attitudes towards Halloween are diverse.
The traditions and importance of Halloween vary greatly among countries that observe it. In Scotland and Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include children dressing up in costume going "guising", holding parties, while other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays. In Brittany children would play practical jokes by setting candles inside skulls in graveyards to frighten visitors. Mass transatlantic immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America, and celebration in the United States and Canada had a significant impact on how the event is observed in other nations.
Overall Halloween is a great time of celebrations which brings families and friends together along with getting indulged in many fun activities like wearing scary costumes, asking for trick-or-treat, making scary decorations, having feasts, etc. In total it is a moment of the year which helps in bringing people together. It is most popular along kids and teens and that's why celebrating it also brings back nostalgic moments for many adults today reminding of them asking for candies and wandering in the streets. Bottom line, Halloween is a fun night filled with colors, candy and costumes.
Halloween Celebrations:
Popular Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films. So almost all of the fun activities which you can imagine takes place during Halloween and that's why it is very important event for the year especially for the full festive experience.
Some people also practice the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, although it is a secular celebration for most of the people especially for the ones who are not Christian by faith. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.
Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" implies a "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. The practice is said to have roots in the medieval practice of mumming, which is closely related to souling.
Halloween costumes makes a major part of the celebrations as well and were traditionally modeled after figures such as vampires, ghosts, skeletons, scary looking witches, and devils. Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princess. There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween. Some of these games originated as divination rituals or ways of foretelling one's future, especially regarding death, marriage and children such as bobbing of apples.
Telling ghost stories, listening to Halloween-themed songs and watching horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before Halloween, while new horror films are often released before Halloween to take advantage of the holiday.
Most Searched FAQs on Halloween:
1. When is Halloween celebrated?
Halloween is annually celebrated on 31st October.
2. What are popular Halloween colors?
Traditional colors used at Halloween are orange, black, and purple. But feel free to add in other colors too, like red, yellow, and brown, to represent fall colored trees.
3. What are traditional Halloween characters?
Halloween is filled with a whole host of characters. Meet vampires, mummies, witches and ghosts, black cats, spiders, monsters and skeletons. Sometimes this can get a little scary for young ones, so focusing on the more fun and playful aspects of the holiday can really help the little ones.