Halloween

HALLOWEEN

What is Halloween? Halloween, or

Hallowe’en... is a holiday that's celebrated annually on the night of October 31st in different countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and other parts of the world.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The word ‘Halloween’ comes from the name of a holiday held in 800 AD called ‘All Hallows’ Eve’, the day and evening before ‘All Saints’ Day’, celebrated on November 1st ;

In ancient times, October 31st was the eve of the Celtic New Year. On this day, the Celts held the festival of Samhain in honour of the Celtic lord of the dead;

The celebration of Samhain also marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the cold, dark time of the year.

Celebration’s significance Halloween’s day is

often associated with orange and black, and strongly associated with symbols like the jack-o'-lantern;

Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, reading scary stories, and watching horror films.

Halloween customs 

Jack-o’-lantern According to an Irish

legend, Jack was a man who could not enter heaven because he was a miser. He couldn’t enter hell either, because he had played jokes on the devil, so, instead, he was doomed to wander around with a lantern until Judgement Day;

Bonfire Fire was very important to

the Celts. In the old days, people lit bonfires to scare evil spirits away.

‘Trick or Treat!’

On October 31st , dozens of children dressed in costumes go from door to door asking for treats, or else a trick would be played on them;

As they give each child a treat, the owners of the house exclaim over the costumes and try to guess who is under the masks.

Dressing Up

On Halloween, when it was believed that Ghosts came back to Earth, people would wear masks to avoid being recognised by them;

Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches and devils. Costumes are also based on themes other than traditional horror, such as those of characters from television shows, films, and other pop culture icons.

Costumes On Parade

Apple bobbing

Apple bobbing, or Duck-apple, was a Roman festival held on the same day as Samhain for remembering Pomona, the goddess of the trees and fruits ;

The contestants, sometimes blindfolded, must take one bite from one of the apples without using their hands.

Halloween symbols on display…

Witches flying on broomsticks;

Pumpkins;

Spider webs;

‘A Hauntingly Delightful Celebration!’

Bats; Owls; Black cats; Pirates Spooky

graveyards. Goblins; Vampires; Haunted houses.

Halloween Superstitions

On Halloween, journeys must be finished before sunset;

Unmarried women put a sprig of rosemary and a sixpence under their pillow on Halloween night to dream of their future husband;

If the flame on a candle goes out on Halloween night, then you have a ghost visiting you;

If you ring a bell on Halloween, evil spirits will fly away;

If you happen to see a spider on Halloween, then the spirit of a loved one is watching over you.

Halloween Jokes

Q: What do you call a witch who lives at the beach?

A: A sand- witch• Q- What is a vampire’s favourite holiday? A: Fangsgiving Q: What happens when two vampires meet? A: It was love at first bite Q: What would the skeletons say before eating? A: Bone appetite Q: Where do vampires keep their money? A: In a blood bank

Halloween Wishes Have a Fangtastic Night! Have a Frightfully Spooky

Halloween! Have a Spooky Day! I witch you a Happy Halloween!