History of Halloween Halloween, celebrated each year on October 31, is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that
History of Halloween
Halloween, celebrated each year on
October 31, is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that blended together over time to create the holiday we know today. Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity and life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Halloween has long been thought of as a day when the dead can return to the earth, and ancient Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghosts. The Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day and the Roman festival of Feralia all influenced the modern holiday of Halloween. In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. Although the superstitions and beliefs surrounding Halloween may have evolved over the years, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people can still look forward to parades, costumes and sweet treats to usher in the winter season.
present form has existed since Halloween XIX century, thanks
to the "efforts" of the European immigrants who brought the tradition of Halloween in the U.S.. With 20 years of the last century in the U.S. came the fashion for hooliganism during Halloween - igniting trees, smashing lamps, etc. Local Boy Scouts launched against such a development this campaign, and in time his tricks were replaced with masked and begging sweets.
By the way, the tradition of tinkering lanterns out of pumpkins, which put the candle has been seen as the Irish legend of Jack the blacksmith. Twice he managed to deceive the devil, and got him to promise not to take his soul to hell. But for all the sins of Jack and his road to Paradise was not. So he is forced to wander the earth in anticipation of the Day of Judgment, and lighting his way with a piece of red-hot charcoal, placed in an empty pumpkin for weather protection.
his grave Lies in his grave, lies in his grave Old
Roger is dead and he lies in his grave ( Heigh ho, lies in his grave They planted an Apple tree over his hand The apples grew ripe and they all tumbled down There came and old woman a-picking them up Old Roger got up and he gave her a knock This made the old woman go hippity-hop.