INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HALLOWEEN

Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HALLOWEEN

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HALLOWEEN

HISTORY

It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. A Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter (or the “darker half” of the year).
During the pre-Halloween celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return after the long winter.Druid priests would throw the bones into the flames and, hence, “bone fire” became “bonfire.”
People would wear costumes to ward off ghosts.They believed it was the time when ghosts and spirits came out to haunt, and the Celts would appease the spirits by giving them treats.Halloween took aspects of darkness , black color, evil spirits, and people rising from the dead and roaming the earth on this night.

Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated each year on October 31. Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.

 TRICK OR TREAT

The first known mention of trick-or-treating in print in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada.
In Britain and Ireland the tradition of going house-to-house collecting food at Halloween goes back at least as far as the 16th century, as had the tradition of people wearing costumes at Halloween.

Originally, you had to dance for your “treat.”
Children of all ages dress up in costumes and travel from house to house to receive treats. “Trick or treat!” the phrase is a subtle suggestion that if a treat is given, then the child will not perform a (mischief) on the owner of the house.

JACK O’LANTERN

According to Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths.
The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips or potatoes; it wasn’t until Irish immigrants arrived in America and discovered the pumpkin that a new Halloween ritual was born.

 HALLOWEEN COLORS

Black and orange are associated with Halloween.Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn.
Black is a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.Red – The Color of Blood. Green – Monsters and Slime.White – A Ghastly Color.Purple – A Witches Brew.

   DID YOU KNOW?

The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” ( wiccan were highly respected people at one time.)

 PUMPKIN

In the United States, pumpkins go hand in hand with the fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. An orange fruit harvested in October.

 CANDY

Halloween candy may divide us across state lines, but the U.S. can rally behind Skittles, Reese’s Cups and M&M’s, the top three most popular Halloween candies across the country, according to Candystore.com.

Mexico celebrates the Days of the Dead (Días de los Muertos) on (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) instead of Halloween. The townspeople dress up like ghouls and parade down the street
Both Anoka, Minnesota and Salem, Massachusetts are the self-proclaimed Halloween Capitals of the world.

 HALLOWEEN INTERESTING FACTS

Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.
In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is seen as an unwanted and overly commercial American influence.
REMEMBER SAFETY FIRST

PHOTO CREDIIT Unsplash.com & pixabay.com    

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