What is Halloween? Let's figure it out together.

Currently, there are holidays that were previously celebrated in several countries, and then spread around the world. One of them - Halloween - is celebrated on October 31st. What is Halloween, and how did it come about? We'll figure it out.

From the history

Several thousand years ago , the Celts lived on the territory of Great Britain, Ireland, and Northern France. On November 1 they celebrated the New Year. This day was considered the end of the harvest and the beginning of the opening of a new season: dark and cold. The Celts were sure that on the night of October 31, November 1, the border between the world of the dead and living people is blurred.

The night when the spirits returned to the earth, called Samhain. The evil spirits destroyed crops and crops, but helped the priests to predict the future. Therefore, the Celts burned fires, made sacrifices. During the holiday people dressed up in animal heads and skins to scare away otherworldly guests.

"What is Halloween?" You ask. This is the same Samhain, but modern. Celtic lands were conquered by the Romans in 43 AD. E. After that, the national celebration was combined with two Roman holidays: Feralia (dedicated to death) and Pomona (in honor of the fruit goddess). The symbol of Pomona was an apple, it became an attribute of new rituals. The festival itself was later renamed Halloween.

First, the solemn date was celebrated in English-speaking countries, then Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the island countries of Oceania, Russia and the CIS joined.

What are Halloween Characters

The Day of All Saints has its own symbols. The most important is pumpkin-lamps. The history of their manufacture begins in the Celtic period: at that time the inhabitants made lanterns, which help souls to pass into purgatory. In Scotland, the turnip was an attribute for the lamp, and in North America it was replaced by a pumpkin. "The Lamp of Jack" - a pumpkin with a carved face that depicts an ominous grin, inside it - a lit candle. It is believed that such a fruit left at the dwelling will drive out evil spirits.

Another symbol is costumes. The characters of horror films are popular, the village scarecrows. The main themes are monsters, evil, death, occultism. Traditional colors - orange, black.

What is Halloween today

Nowadays both adults and children like to celebrate the holiday. The latter go to their houses in suits and beg for sweets. And those who refuse, do dirty tricks. Girls on this day are guessing at the sucked with apple peel or candle.

Already a tradition was the organization of attractions, populated by ghosts. Their goal is to frighten visitors. From "houses with ghosts" they are distinguished by the use of corn labyrinths and haystacks in symbolism. The holiday of Halloween only in the USA brings to businessmen 500 million dollars. The technical level of the organization is constantly growing.

There must be apples on the table. In many countries, fruit is prepared in syrup, apple caramel, and toffee. In North America they eat candy in the form of pumpkin (kandi pamkin) and in the form of corn (kendi korn). The composition, in addition to corn and pumpkin, includes sugar, artificial colors, binders, honey, marshmallows, low-fat cream.

A Halloween party can not do without a bread barbecue. When cooking, put a piece of cloth in the dough, peas, a coin, a wooden chip or a ring. What kind of object will get to the consumer - such is his future waiting (fabric - poverty, peas - to remain without a wedding, coin - wealth, wooden chips - family troubles, ring - early wedding).

A person can be evil or good. Plunging into the eerie-cheerful extravaganza of the holiday, he gets a chance for rebirth and understanding of the unknown. Having discarded the heavy burden of everyday problems, it is purified and reborn to life.