ANCIENT
ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN
Straddling
the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween
is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated
with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires
and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope
Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs;
the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain.
The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween.
Over
time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by
child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries
around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people
continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet
treats.
TODAY’S
HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS
The
American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably dates back to the
early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens
would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in
return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The
distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the
ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice,
which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children
who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and
money.
The
tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic
roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time.
Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the
short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was
believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they
would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by
these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so
that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep
ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their
homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW : HALLOWEEN ( VIDEO - HISTORY.COM)
Comentarii
Trimiteți un comentariu