GET READY FOR HALLOWEEN! HERE ARE SOME POPULAR HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS
The holiday of Halloween is celebrated annually on October 31. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain was the reason why Halloween exists. The origin is people celebrated Samhain a day before they celebrated the New Year on November 1 with light bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts.
In the eighth century, on November 1, Pope Gregory III selected that time to honor all saints, and All Saints Day included some of the traditions of Samhain. So, the evening before was known as All Hallows Eve and Halloween. Then, over time Halloween evolved and acquired an identity of its own. It is associated with trick-or-treating, festive gatherings, carving jack-o-lanterns, donning costumes, and eating sweet treats.
Before we enjoy Halloween, let’s find out what the popular Halloween traditions are.
- Trick-or-Treating
During Halloween, especially in the evening on October 31, children knock from house to house to collect candy by saying, “Trick or treat!”. Also, they will dress up as their favorite characters. It’s a fun way to celebrate and enjoy a Halloween party.
- Wearing Scary Costumes
One of the best parts of Halloween is when people go out of their way to dress up and show off their costume creativity! Scary costumes became the theme of Halloween parties because back in the past, during Samhain, to avoid evil spirits, the Celts began dressing up as spirits to confuse the ghosts, so they would be left alone. So, don’t be shocked if you see someone with masks and weird costumes during Halloween!
- Making Jack-o’-Lanterns
One of the United States’ favorite Halloween activities is carving or making pumpkin Jack-o’-Lanterns. You will often see it as decorations within and outside houses, which ward off spirits. Creepy carvings on pumpkins are supposedly based on a legend about a man named Stingy Jack who repeatedly trapped the devil and only let him go on the condition that Jack would never go to Hell. So that when he died, Heaven didn’t want his soul either, then condemned to wander the Earth as a ghost, and the devil gave Jack a lump of coal that was lit in a turnip carved to light his way.
- Lighting A Bonfire
The best way to exchange spooky stories is while lighting a bonfire. It’s a fun way for family and friends to spend quality time and get together on the night of Halloween! Early in the history, open towering flames were integral in lighting the way for souls seeking the afterlife. But these days, candles are more likely to be used than towering traditional bonfires.
- Orange And Black Colors
During Halloween, everything is based around the orange and black colors that stem from the pagan celebration of autumn and the harvest. Orange represents the colors of the crops, and black represents the death of the summer season. But, over time, other colors like yellow, green, and purple have been added to the Halloween color scheme.
Those are some popular traditions that occur during Halloween. Have you prepared your costumes for Halloween? Have fun on Halloween!
Reference:
Bhattacharyya, R. (2022, September 28). Get ready to be spooked! here are 11 popular Halloween traditions. Travel.Earth. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://travel.earth/halloween-traditions-from-around-the-world/
History.com Editors. (2009, November 18). Halloween 2022. History.com. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
Madeline Ames. (n.d.). 5 spooky Halloween traditions in the US – EF academy blog. EF Blog. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademyblog/5-spooky-halloween-traditions-in-the-us/
The Mag. (2019, September 20). 15 spooky Halloween traditions and their origins. Mental Floss. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58341/origins-15-spooky-halloween-traditions