Halloween History
The traditional Halloween celebrations come round every October 31st, and these days those who enjoy the festivities the most are the children. Halloween is a time to dress up in fancy dress and take to the streets trick or treating. Some families go to a lot of trouble decorating their homes and front yards in a ghostly and eerie Halloween theme.
Halloween is an ancient Celtic festival, and has lasted down the ages most strongly in the Celtic communities in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. From those countries, with immigration, Halloween has spread around the world, especially to America. In recent times, the spread of popular American culture has generated fresh interest in Halloween to new places, such as Asia and Western Europe.
The early Celtic celebrations were pagan festivals about the changing seasons as winter approached. By tradition it was a time when people could communicate with the dead, and magic was about in the land. The early Christian church, as with many pagan cultures, absorbed these festivities into the Christian calendar. All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day, was designated on November 1st. All Hallows Evening, the night of October 31st, became known as Hallow E’en, later just Halloween, and the time for the customary celebrations.
Halloween was celebrated in each village, and there was usually a large fire to keep warm and entertaining games. The apple harvest was going on, and games such as trying to eat an apple on a string or floating in a tub of water with no hands, were favorites. Children would go from house to house to gather fruit, nuts and other foodstuffs for the festivities, which was the origin of the “treating” visits of today. Notably in Scotland, the children would sing or put on a performance in return for the treats they were handed. Nowadays the treats handed out are usually candies and sweets, and perhaps some coins.
Early on, Halloween “tricks” were secretive and often clever pranks played on some adults by children. The mischievous spirits that were said to be abroad on Halloween were blamed. This activity was especially popular in Ireland. A long time ago, tricks and treating combined into an ultimatum: give a treat or become the victim of a trick. This undesirable habit led to such unpleasantness as tossing eggs at houses and soaping windows, and more serious vandalism. Nowadays such unruly behavior is not often seen.
Halloween party venues are often decorated with a haunted house theme. To the pleasure of children, Halloween menu items often include tomato soup described as vampire soup, spaghetti renamed as cemetery worms, and the always popular long cookies tipped with sliced almonds and described as witches’ fingers. Pumpkins are made into carved jack-o-lanterns, and the pumpkin flesh used for pumpkin dishes, such as the pumpkin pie that is traditionally a feature of Halloween menus.
Over the last few years, the magical themes of the popular Harry Potter books have added fresh fun to costumes and decorations for children’s Halloween parties.
Halloween fancy dress parties have grown in popularity for adults too in recent years. They are a suitable reason to dress up and party. It appears the trend today is for any costume to be fine, not necessarily just the customary witches, ghouls, vampires and ghosts of Halloween. Costume design inspirations are now taken from many origins, such as well known films and television series. Some costumes are just smart, such as the seasonally relevant theme of a “leaf blower”, being merely of a leaf on a string hung from the brim of a hat where it can be blown.
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