Happy Hallowe'en Everybody!!!
How and when did Hallowe'en start? What is it really all about??
Well, Hallowe'en (a contraction of the title "All Hallows' Evening") or Halloween, is a worldwide celebration on the eve of All Saints' Day.
Every year on the evening of October 31st people all over the trick-or-treat, attend costume parties, carve pumpkins into Jack-o'-Lanterns, light bonfires, visit haunted attractions, play pranks, go apple bobbing and basically tell scary stories and watch horror films!!
This celebration is thought to have been partially influenced by the Christian Holy days of All Saint's Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd. These Holy days were a time for honoring the saints and praying for the recently departed, who hadn't reached Heaven yet. All Saints' Day was introduced in 609 and by the end of the 12th century both All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day had become Holy days of obligation across Europe and involved the tradition of ringing bells for souls in purgatory and "souling", the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes as a means for praying for these souls.
All Saints' Day is actually a public holiday in many countries, including Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Spain and Portugal but the main tradition here is not trick-or-treating but placing candles on the graves of the departed on the evening before (October 31st) and praying for them.
In the Netherlands, this holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday in November, but it is not a public holiday.
In Finland and Sweden, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the Saturday between 31st October and 6th November.
In Mexico, on October 31st, All Hallows Eve, children invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. On November 1st,All Saints Day, the adult spirits will come to visit. On November 2nd, All Souls Day, families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta is filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations. This holiday is called Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) or Día de Muertos.
The custom of wearing costumes was linked to the belief that the souls of the departed wandered the Earth until All Saints' Day and All Hallows' Eve (Hallowe'en) was their last chance of seeking vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. So, in order for the living to avoid such vengeance, people would wear masks or costumes to disguise their identities thereby avoiding getting recognized!
The imagery of Hallowe'en is derived from many sources, including national customs and horror literature. Images of frightening ghosts, skeletons, witches, spiders, bats and carved pumpkin lanterns are used to decorate houses for Hallowe'en. Themes of death, evil, mythical monsters and the colors orange and black are tied to this day.
On the lighter, more fun side of Hallowe'en, trick-or-treating is a custom most children look forward to.
On the evening of Hallowe'en children dress-up as scary symbolic Hallowe'en creatures like ghosts, witches, skeletons, goblins, vampires and draculas, or as their favorite characters from fiction such as superheroes, princesses, etc. and they go (in costume) from house to house asking for treats with the question: "Trick or Treat?"
The word "trick" is used as a threat to perform mischief on the homeowners if no treat is given, but this is rarely the case since most people are willing to treat their trick-or-treaters!! Some give extra-special treats to the more elaborate costumes!
Other games played on Hallowe'en, include the spooky revelation of finding out who a woman's future husband will be!
One way to do this is by eating a salted herring before bed without a drink of water. It is said that the woman's future husband will appear in her dream, offering her water to quench her thirst!
Another way (for the more courageous) is by sitting in a dark room with one lit candle. The candle should be placed in front of a mirror and the woman should sit in front peering into the mirror as she either combs her hair or eats an apple. A few minutes later it is said that the face of the man she will marry will appear over her shoulder!!! Scary!!!!!!! 😱😱😱😱
Find out more by researching exactly what you find most intriguing... and Beware of the ghouls and ghosts on this day!!!
Happy Hallowe'en!!! 💀👻😱👀🍬🍭😁😜
How and when did Hallowe'en start? What is it really all about??
Well, Hallowe'en (a contraction of the title "All Hallows' Evening") or Halloween, is a worldwide celebration on the eve of All Saints' Day.
Every year on the evening of October 31st people all over the trick-or-treat, attend costume parties, carve pumpkins into Jack-o'-Lanterns, light bonfires, visit haunted attractions, play pranks, go apple bobbing and basically tell scary stories and watch horror films!!
This celebration is thought to have been partially influenced by the Christian Holy days of All Saint's Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd. These Holy days were a time for honoring the saints and praying for the recently departed, who hadn't reached Heaven yet. All Saints' Day was introduced in 609 and by the end of the 12th century both All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day had become Holy days of obligation across Europe and involved the tradition of ringing bells for souls in purgatory and "souling", the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes as a means for praying for these souls.
All Saints' Day is actually a public holiday in many countries, including Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Spain and Portugal but the main tradition here is not trick-or-treating but placing candles on the graves of the departed on the evening before (October 31st) and praying for them.
In the Netherlands, this holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday in November, but it is not a public holiday.
In Finland and Sweden, All Saints' Day is celebrated on the Saturday between 31st October and 6th November.
In Mexico, on October 31st, All Hallows Eve, children invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. On November 1st,All Saints Day, the adult spirits will come to visit. On November 2nd, All Souls Day, families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta is filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations. This holiday is called Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) or Día de Muertos.
The custom of wearing costumes was linked to the belief that the souls of the departed wandered the Earth until All Saints' Day and All Hallows' Eve (Hallowe'en) was their last chance of seeking vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. So, in order for the living to avoid such vengeance, people would wear masks or costumes to disguise their identities thereby avoiding getting recognized!
The imagery of Hallowe'en is derived from many sources, including national customs and horror literature. Images of frightening ghosts, skeletons, witches, spiders, bats and carved pumpkin lanterns are used to decorate houses for Hallowe'en. Themes of death, evil, mythical monsters and the colors orange and black are tied to this day.
On the lighter, more fun side of Hallowe'en, trick-or-treating is a custom most children look forward to.
On the evening of Hallowe'en children dress-up as scary symbolic Hallowe'en creatures like ghosts, witches, skeletons, goblins, vampires and draculas, or as their favorite characters from fiction such as superheroes, princesses, etc. and they go (in costume) from house to house asking for treats with the question: "Trick or Treat?"
The word "trick" is used as a threat to perform mischief on the homeowners if no treat is given, but this is rarely the case since most people are willing to treat their trick-or-treaters!! Some give extra-special treats to the more elaborate costumes!
Other games played on Hallowe'en, include the spooky revelation of finding out who a woman's future husband will be!
One way to do this is by eating a salted herring before bed without a drink of water. It is said that the woman's future husband will appear in her dream, offering her water to quench her thirst!
Another way (for the more courageous) is by sitting in a dark room with one lit candle. The candle should be placed in front of a mirror and the woman should sit in front peering into the mirror as she either combs her hair or eats an apple. A few minutes later it is said that the face of the man she will marry will appear over her shoulder!!! Scary!!!!!!! 😱😱😱😱
Find out more by researching exactly what you find most intriguing... and Beware of the ghouls and ghosts on this day!!!
Happy Hallowe'en!!! 💀👻😱👀🍬🍭😁😜
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