Do You Know Halloween?
Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated annually on the night of October 31. Many believe that Halloween originated in the Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts, who were located in Ireland, the UK and the northern parts of France, celebrated their New Year on the first of November. And Samhain was celebrated the night before the New Year. Today it is celebrated in many western countries including Ireland itself, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden among others. Halloween is also known as Samhain, summer’s End, All Hallow’s Eve, Witches Night, Lamswool, and Snap-Apple. It originated in Ireland, and is said to be one of the world’s oldest holidays. As to the celebration ways, there are many to be listed, including trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costumes, parties, “haunted house” tours, carving pumpkins (Jack-o’-lanterns) and reading / watching scary stories / movies.
Origins
2000 years ago, the New Year, Celts marked summer’s end, harvest time, and the start of dark, cold winter months, which were associated with death by these people. On October 31, the night before the New Year, the Celts celebrated Samhain, they believed, this day was when the ghosts of the deceased came back to earth because the boundaries between the living world and the dead world blurred.
Trick or Treating
As a Halloween-related customs, trick or treating can be traced back to Samhain celebrations 2000 years ago. The Celts believed that on October 31, the Lord of Death (Saman), would call together all the souls that had died the previous year to travel to the afterlife. As part of their activities during this time, the Celts would offer food to Saman so as to persuade him to be temperate when he was judging their ancestors, which is seen as a precursor to what we now see Halloween celebrations as “trick or treating” today, as the villagers would be offering food to other villagers (beggars). However, this changed with time passed, and the Villagers’ children became the beggars, going from house to house to receive fruit, baked products and money.
Trick or treating is an activity that’s usually reserved for children to carry a pumpkin lantern; they proceed from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as sweets, chocolates and snacks, as asking the question, “Trick or treat?” The “trick” part of “trick or treat” is a threat to play a trick on the homeowner or his property if no treat is handed over. Trick or treating is now said to be the most popular way of Halloween celebrations.
The trick or treat activity is extremely popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada. Because of the great impact and influence of American culture on the world, it is also spreading quickly to other countries.
Carve a Pumpkin
Whether you are alone or with friends and family, carving a few pumpkins virtually on Halloween night should be an indispensable activity. But there are some tips to remember. First, preparing a large spoon or an ice-cream scoop, a thin bladed knife and some newspaper. Then getting started to curve, when you use the knife to cut out the top, the hole should be large enough to allow you to scoop out the guts (seeds and stringy membrane) with the spoon or scoop. Besides angle the knife so that the lid and hole can match with each other in shape. This will prevent the lid from falling into the hole. Next, you use a marker or crayon to paint eyes, nose, mouth, even the teeth if you like, as well as the pre-marked line around the pumpkin body swiftly.
Halloween Jokes
There are some Halloween jokes by convention. For examples:
1. What happened to the guy who couldn’t keep up payments to his exorcist?
He was repossessed!
2. Why does Texas no longer have Halloween or Thanksgiving? Because the witch took the turkey to Washington!
3. Why do male ghosts have so much trouble dating? Women can see right through them!
Halloween Pranks
In order to have a wonderful Halloween time, there are a few Halloween pranks for you to refer to, you can try on friends, family members or anyone for happy!
Halloween Myths
The celebration of Halloween has been in itself founded on myths.
These are a mix of ancient and new Halloween myths and superstitions:
1. On Halloween night, if an unmarried girl keeps a rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under her pillow, people think it likely that on that very night, she will dream of her future husband.
2. During Halloween, if an unmarried girl carries a broken egg in one glass and takes it to a spring of water, she will be able to catch the glimpse of her future husband; if she puts some spring water in the glass, she will also see the reflection of her future kids.
3. If you hear someone’s footsteps behind you on Halloween night, don’t turn around, because they think it’s the dead that are following you. If turn around, you may end up dead soon.
4. If no one speaks at the table during Halloween dinner, the spirits will be encouraged to come to the table.
As the 2nd largest commercial holiday! Halloween has been always influence people’s culture by its customs and activity, and is also acknowledged and celebrated by more and more places.
