Halloween
What is Halloween?
Halloween is a holiday that takes place every year at the end of October to honour everything eerie and haunted. Historically, the occasion started as a religious celebration in which Christians set aside the day to remember the deceased, including saints and martyrs. With time, Halloween has become less of a religious holiday and more of a secular one.
Why not investigate Halloween in July if you and your children enjoy Halloween and don’t want to wait until October to celebrate it?
When is Halloween 2022?
The date of Halloween in 2022 is Monday, October 31.
What is the history of Halloween?
More than 2,000 years ago, the Celtic holiday of “Samhain” served as the basis for Halloween (October 31st – November 1st). Celtic people celebrate this holiday to signal the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. It was believed that many people at the time were terrified of malevolent spirits. In order to fend off evil energy, they would dress up in elaborate costumes, hold bonfires, sacrifice animals, and create noise in the streets.
All Saints’ Day, also known as “All Hallows’ Day,” was brought to the Celtic people on November 1st as a result of the Catholic Church’s expanding influence. This day was set aside to honour the memory of the deceased. The previous evening before this festivity, “All Halloween is currently known as All Hallows’ Eve. All Hallows’ Day and Samhain’s customs have converged over time.
The Great Potato Famine in the 19th century drove countless numbers of Irish emigrants to America. These people brought their customs and love of Halloween with them when they migrated. Many Americans adopted these traditions, which contributed to the growth of the Halloween celebrations.
10 ways to celebrate Halloween
- Trick or treating.
- Apple bobbing.
- Watching spooky documentaries or having a Halloween movie marathon.
- Eating candy.
- Reading scary stories.
- Wearing a Halloween-themed costume. This could be anything from a frightening fictional character to a celebrity you love. There are no limits!
- Hosting a Halloween party.
- Pumpkin carving and creating your own jack-o’-lantern.
- Attending local events such as hayrides, haunted houses and attractions, graveyards, or forest walks.
- Attending a church service and honoring loved ones who have passed away.
Three interesting facts about Halloween:
- In the early 18th century, the idea of vampires like “moroi” (a female phantom/vampire) first emerged. Folklore in Romania at the time held that after death, people may rise again. The 19th-century gothic book “Count Dracula” by Bram Stoker stoked readers’ interest in vampires and Transylvania.
- According to a National Retail Federation survey on buying trends, Americans will reportedly spend more than $2 billion on sweets for Halloween in 2019 alone!
- According to an Irish folktale, “Stingy Jack,” a drunken man who struck a deal with the devil, served as the inspiration for jack-o’-lanterns. Jack was forced to roam the streets with a hollowed turnip to light his path as a result of their disastrous agreement.