The history of Halloween, whose roots go back to pagan times, is shrouded in mystery - more than two thousand years ago on this night, people put on animal skins, gathered around bonfires built by Druid priests, and sacrificed animals.

Sputnik Georgia asked about the history of the holiday, its rituals and traditions, as well as how it is celebrated in 2019.

What kind of holiday is Halloween?

How Halloween came about is not known for certain - according to one version, the holiday is based on Celtic New Year, which in pre-Christian times was celebrated on November 1st.

According to legend, the Celtic tribes living in England, Ireland and Northern France divided the year into two parts - winter and summer. Accordingly, October 31 was considered the last day of the outgoing year, and also meant the end of the harvest and the transition to a new - winter season.

According to Celtic belief, on the last night - from October 31 to November 1, the line between the worlds of the living and the dead was erased, and the inhabitants of the other world safely entered the light of God. The Celts called this night Samhain or Samhain.

And in order not to become victims of spirits and ghosts, the Celts extinguished the fire in their houses and put on animal skins to ward off " uninvited guests"On the street near the houses, people left treats for the spirits, and they themselves gathered around the fires lit by the Druid priests and sacrificed animals.

After the sacrifice, people took the sacred fire home. The symbol of the holiday was a pumpkin. Not only did it signify the end of summer and the harvest, but it also scared away evil spirits with the sacred fire that was lit inside it.

This tradition was passed down from generation to generation until the 1st century AD. After the Roman invasion, the Celts living on the islands of Britain and Ireland were forced to abandon most pagan rites and customs and accept the Christian faith. However, the people remembered Samhain and passed on stories about it to their descendants.

All Saints' Day

By order of Pope Gregory III, it was moved in the 9th century to November 1 - with this the Christian church wanted to eradicate pagan traditions, but the opposite happened - Samhain began to be celebrated again.

In Old English, the pre-holiday night sounded like All Hallows Even, or abbreviated as Hallowe'en, and then even shorter as Halloween. This is how the modern name of this holiday appeared - Halloween.

© photo: Sputnik / Alexander Kryazhev

The Church struggled for a long time with the custom of frightening and appeasing evil spirits on this day, but the pagan holiday not only survived, but also inextricably merged with church holiday in the popular consciousness.

Thanks to emigrants from the Old World, Halloween became famous in America in the 19th century. Over time, it began to be celebrated in European and also in some Asian countries. In recent years, this holiday has become popular in the countries of the former Soviet Union, including Georgia and Russia.

The tradition of dressing up in costumes of various evil spirits on Halloween night has survived to this day and has become a favorite pastime - many go to special parties in clubs dedicated to the holiday, an integral part of which are amazing and scary carnival costumes.

At the same time, people use not only masks and clothes of the characters, but also completely recreate the image of the chosen hero, using makeup and accessories. On Halloween, the most popular are scary characters: vampires, monsters, witches, ghosts and other mystical heroes.

Halloween symbol

According to an ancient legend, a drunken blacksmith nicknamed Stingy Jack came to the tavern for a drink on All Hallows' Eve. In search of a new soul, the devil was there that day, who, having heard about the greed of the blacksmith, decided to buy his soul.

Jack, after some bargaining, agreed to sell his soul for drink, and Satan turned into a sixpence coin. But the cunning blacksmith was able to deceive the devil himself and, thereby, receive the promise of the evil one that he would never encroach on his soul.

And when Jack died, his sinful soul was not accepted, not only in hell, but also in heaven. And the blacksmith, unnecessary neither to the devil nor to God, wandered in search of shelter, lighting his way with a lantern carved from a hollow pumpkin, in which the remains of coals were smoldering.

Whether this was really unknown, but a pumpkin, with a very frightening face carved on it, which is illuminated from inside by a burning candle, remains the main symbol of the holiday, just like centuries ago.

According to tradition, people place pumpkin lanterns on their porches and windowsills - people believe that the fire will not only drive away uninvited guests from another world, but will also protect the house from envy, anger and negative energy.

In addition to vegetable lanterns, popular items for decoration are garden scarecrows, paper and plastic skeletons, cobwebs, candles and compositions of dried plants and leaves. According to tradition, the main colors of the holiday are all shades of orange and black.

Trick or treat?

Begging for sweets, one of the traditional entertainments for children on Halloween, became widespread in Western Europe and America at the end of the 19th century. On the holiday, children dressed up as various monsters knock on the doors of houses and shout: “Trick or treat?”, which translated means “Trick or Treat?”

Those who want to see costumed children on the threshold of their home decorate the porch with Halloween symbols, and those who do not want to participate in the general fun simply put a basket on top filled with a sweet treat.

© photo: Sputnik / Alexander Kryazhev

"Zombie Parade" on Halloween Eve in Novosibirsk

The tradition of begging for food during church holidays, despite its modern spread, goes back to the Middle Ages. In those distant times, the poor sang prayers under the windows of the townspeople on holiday, in the hope of receiving food or money.

This tradition was first combined with Halloween in Great Britain in 1895, when children in one of the villages dressed up in costumes and went to their neighbors' houses, begging for sweets.

Halloween Traditions

An integral part of Halloween are "ghost attractions." In the USA, where such attractions have become widespread, they are held every autumn. The first such entertainment was organized in 1915.

At the same time, the technical equipment of these peculiarly frightening parks is constantly growing - thick fog, ominous sounds and rustles, mysterious music, creaks and special effects They are here for one purpose - to scare visitors.

The theme of Halloween is also widespread at Disneyland in all the parks of the corporation on this holiday thematic attractions are set up, where the decorations change every year.

In North America today they make special sweets for Halloween called “Candy Corn” and “Candy Pumpkin”. Sweets are mainly prepared from sweet molasses, gelatin, sugar and natural juice, in the form of pumpkin or corn on the cob, the recipe of which has remained virtually unchanged since the beginning of the 20th century.

In Ireland, they traditionally bake special bread, “barmbrack,” for Halloween. This is a sweet bun with raisins, in which various objects are hidden - a ring, a coin, a pea, a piece of wood and a scrap of material.

By the item you receive, you can find out your destiny, so a ring means an imminent wedding, a piece of wood means loneliness or divorce, a pea means celibacy, fabric means failure in money matters, and the coin is wealth.

Similar bread, cut into buttered toast, can now be found throughout the United Kingdom. In its factory versions, objects representing the future are made of plastic or edible material.

Halloween is second, after Christmas and New Year, in the ranking of the most commercially profitable holidays. In America alone, more than 2.5 billion dollars are spent on preparing for the holiday.

In France, the most impressive Halloween processions take place in the Paris suburb of Disneyland and in the city of Limoges, where more than 30 thousand people come annually. This is where the most memorable parades of goblins, vampires and ghosts take place, lighting their way with jack-o'-lanterns.

In Germany, Halloween is celebrated no less colorfully. Frankenstein's Castle in Darmstadt (Hesse) attracts thousands of people dressed in monster costumes on this night, and locals believe that on this night the owner's ghost appears on the castle roof.

In China, Halloween is known as Teng Chieh - the day of remembrance of ancestors. On this day, the Chinese place food and water in front of photographs of deceased relatives, as well as a lantern to illuminate the path for the souls of ancestors traveling on Halloween night.

The darkest Halloween in the world is considered to be in Mexico. Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead at this time and go to the graves of their ancestors. There is no talk of any fun.

Fortune telling on Halloween

Usually on Halloween they carried out various fortune-telling about the betrothed, about the upcoming wedding and even possible death.

In Scotland, for example, girls cut the peel from apples so that it was as long as possible and threw it over their shoulder. In the fallen peel one could guess the name of the betrothed.

Another popular fortune telling was that a girl in a dark house with a candle in her hand should climb backwards up the stairs, and then hold the candle in front of the mirror. In the mirror, the girl was supposed to see her future husband, but she could also see her death.

In addition, that night before going to bed, the girl needs to eat a piece of herring without drinking anything. Whoever brings her a cup of water in a dream will be her betrothed.

It is also believed that if you put an apple under your pillow on Halloween night and make a wish, and in the morning, when you wake up, eat this apple, your wish will definitely come true.

The material was prepared based on open sources

But also a theme for most Russian parties. In the United States, October 31 is the second largest holiday after Christmas and New Year. In Russia and European countries this is a relatively new tradition, but nevertheless every year more people they dress up in the most unusual costumes and organize street processions. How did it all begin and where did this holiday come from?

History of Halloween

Where did the tradition of dressing up in costumes on this day and going to neighbors' houses, offering "trick or treat" come from? In fact, several centuries ago it was not just a holiday, but a mandatory annual ritual with its own strict rules. The history of Halloween dates back to the birth of England, Ireland and France. In those days, the year was not divided into 12 months, but consisted of only two parts - winter and summer. Since the population of the countries was predominantly pagan, there was a legend that every winter the Sun God was captured by Samhain, who, in turn, was the lord of darkness. Therefore, it was on October 31 that the Celts prepared offerings to the dark knight in order to appease him so that he would return the sun back.

Also, Halloween, the date of which fell at the end of the harvest season, was a symbol of the transition to a new life. In winter, all living things died and found themselves under the snow, but then were reborn again. In addition, it was believed that Samhain lived in a white desert, where peace and tranquility reigned. After a hard time at work, for the Celts, winter was a period when they could take a break from hard work and devote time to family.

Another legend associated with the lord of darkness says that it is on this night that he opens the gates to other worlds and allows you to see the past and future. Just as summer gives way to winter on this day, the Celts hoped that life would change its course and bring them good luck the following year.

Rituals

In Ireland, it was customary to gather in the main city of the country - Tara. During the holiday, a huge feast was held, which began early in the morning and ended only the next day. Fans of Samhain extinguished the fire in their houses, and lit it again only from the sacred fire of the Druids. The priests consecrated the flame, and with it all the Celts, promising them prosperity and good luck.

According to legend, Halloween is a time when other creatures can enter the real world: spirits, demons, goblins, witches and other mystical creatures. To prevent dangerous creatures from attacking local residents, the Celts dressed in costumes corresponding to these images and went from house to house, threatening residents and demanding food from them.

After the lands of England were captured by the Romans, the holiday remained, since its date coincided with the Roman celebration of the goddess Pomona, who was responsible for all living plants on earth. Gradually, the traditions mixed, and the Halloween pumpkin, which is still popular today, appeared in the ritual.

Where did the name of the holiday come from?

This is a holiday dedicated to those saints who do not have their own day to celebrate. In medieval English, the day before November 1 was called All Hallows Even, or All Hallows Eve, after some time the phrase was shortened to Hallowe'en, and ultimately acquired the now well-known form of Halloween. Despite the fact that he tried in every possible way to eradicate pagan festivals, For some reason, Halloween has caught on so much that it has become one of the most popular days of the year.

Pay off, otherwise I’ll put a spell on you!

Treat or Punish has become a popular gaming tradition. Its meaning is known to everyone. On October 31, children put on Halloween costumes and start going to townspeople's houses asking residents for candy.

Of course, it is not necessary to give little witches and other creatures candy, but otherwise you can expect not the most pleasant punishment. In ancient England, little holiday heroes smeared the handles of their front doors with soot if they were refused. Now you may find your house pelted with eggs or toilet paper. Of course, this doesn’t happen in Russia, but in the United States this is a fairly common phenomenon, so city residents prefer to buy as many goodies as possible in advance.

Jack

Jack's Lantern is another tradition and an integral attribute that must be included in the Halloween scenario.

It all started with one cunning Irish blacksmith. Jack tricked the devil twice by making a deal with him. He remained the owner of his soul, but, unfortunately, this did not help him. When Jack died, because of his sinful life, the gates of heaven did not open for him. Therefore, the stingy blacksmith was forced to wander the earth until the end of centuries, awaiting the Day of Judgment. The only thing he got in the afterlife was a small coal, which was protected from rain and wind by a familiar vegetable. This is how the now famous Jack-o-lanterns, or the well-known Halloween pumpkin, appeared.

How is Halloween celebrated in other countries?

In China, on this day it is customary to remember deceased ancestors and place a flashlight and food in front of their photographs. In this way, the Chinese help their deceased relatives illuminate their path in the afterlife. On the evening of October 31, city residents gather and set sail on paper boats, which are then set on fire. The smoke is believed to help souls ascend to heaven.

In Germany, on the night of November 1, residents dress up as monsters and head to Frankenstein's castle. Many are sure that it is on this day that a crazy alchemist appears on the roof of the building.

France is famous for its fantastic parades. Every year, more than 30 thousand tourists and residents of the country dress up in Halloween costumes and go to the suburbs of Paris, Disneyland and Limoges. Thousands of goblins, ghosts, vampires and witches put on the most colorful shows.

Halloween script for students

In Russia, it is customary not to go from house to house, collecting candy and scaring visiting guests with unusual decorations. Most often carried out themed parties in clubs or cafes. Let's consider one of the options for holding such a themed party.

The host welcomes the guests and briefly tells the history of this legendary holiday. After which he invites those gathered to hide from evil spirits under masks.

Witches coming out

The presenter tells the guests the following story: “Since a passage opens on this night, witches enter our place and arrange their own coven. Since ancient times, people have tried to catch at least one such witch; a certain ritual was even invented for this. To appear before you real witch, on Halloween you need to go outside with your clothes turned inside out, and then you will definitely meet a mystical creature on your way. We found real witches especially for you. Let's welcome them!"

After this, the witches come on stage, perform the Sabbath dance and pose for photos. Halloween is starting.

After the dance, the host tells another story related to the origin of the pumpkin lantern and about the Irish blacksmith Jack. Next, everyone can try themselves in creating the most unique flashlight. A professional decorator shows what unusual things can be carved from pumpkins.

When the winner is determined and has already received his memorable prize, the host of the evening tells the audience about the remaining mystical creatures that may appear before their eyes at any moment. Mummies, mermaids and other creatures appear on the stage. At this time, hired stylists give everyone the most unusual Halloween makeup, so by the end of the evening all guests turn into witches and goblins.

After dancing, carving pumpkins and other things, the most awaited competition is announced “ Best suit on Halloween". At the end of the evening, cake and other treats are brought out onto the stage for the students.

Scenario for children's Halloween

Halloween is primarily a children's holiday, since no one likes to dress up as fairy-tale characters more than children.

Little pranksters believe in miracles, so for them such a party can be no less exciting than New Year or a birthday. Moreover, it is not necessary to dress up your child as a witch or goblin, it can be anyone fairy tale hero and a character from your favorite cartoon. How to spend a fun children's Halloween?

It is better to tell the pranksters in advance about what this holiday is all about. It is very important that all children's party participants carefully prepare and dress in unusual costumes. You can go to a joke store and buy dummies of worms, eyes and other things. Such paraphernalia will help you fully feel the celebration. And, of course, we must not forget that you will definitely need to apply makeup for Halloween. Moreover, such makeup is done both for children and adults.

It’s better to decorate the room not too ominously, don’t get carried away, the holiday is still for kids, so don’t scare them too much. It would be optimal to decorate the apartment with cobwebs on which toy spiders will sit. You can also hang black balloons. Small children should be warned in advance that all this is not real, but just a performance.

Jack?

Of course, for children's party You will definitely need the main Halloween attribute - a pumpkin lantern. For this you will need:

• Buy a fairly large pumpkin.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off its upper part.
• Use a spoon to scoop out all the pulp and brush the vegetable vegetable oil so that the pumpkin does not dry out.
• Draw the eyes and cut out the sinister grin.
• Place a candle inside the lantern.

Halloween costume options for a child

Of course, you can buy a ready-made suit in a store, but quite often they are made of low-quality material and do not look very attractive. In addition, the cost of such an outfit can reach 5000-7000 rubles, and next year the child will outgrow it and will have to buy a new one. Therefore, it is better to sew the suit yourself. So, the most favorite characters that children love to dress up as:

• A vampire. For this look you will need to sew a cape, buy a mouth guard with fangs and white face makeup.
• Koschey. An ordinary black leotard with skeleton bones drawn or embroidered on it is suitable for this.
• Shrek. For such a fat man, you will need a lot of foam rubber or other filler to make the monster as believable as possible.
• Spider-Man. Spiderman also wears tights, but in addition to this, he needs a mask.
• Princess or fairy. Girls love to dress up as little queens. This outfit will suit any fluffy dress, which will be useful in the future for holidays in kindergarten and birthdays.
• Witch. Evil or good witch On Halloween, he will definitely wear a tall hat.

You can sew a costume together with your child, who will most likely be very interested in joining this exciting process.

We brew potions and other holiday dishes

Little pranksters can be invited to brew a “real” witch’s potion. For this you will need:

• half a liter of milk;
• 1 banana;
• 1 kiwi.

Mix all the ingredients in a mixer with a scary laugh. Of course, the mixture will not look very attractive, but that’s what the potion is for. The cocktail will taste nutritious and sweet.

You can also prepare “swamp jelly”, which will require a mixture for making Kiwi or Tarragon jelly.

A few more secrets for preparing a terrifying menu for children:

• If you put them in liquid, they will swell and look very nasty.
• Tomato juice can be called "Vampire drink".

These dishes can be used in competitions, for example, to determine who dares to eat any of the above.

And, of course, we must not forget to take memorable and funny photos during the holiday. Halloween is a very colorful holiday, so the pictures will turn out very cool. To top off the fun, you can give the kids prizes and ask them to tell you about their characters and what they liked about the party.

Finally

The night of November 1st is becoming very popular all over the world, and every year residents of many countries happily transform into the most unimaginable characters. Halloween is a wonderful holiday for children and adults, since it is on this day that kids can grow older, and parents can go back to childhood and make their forgotten dreams come true. Girls can turn into princesses, catwomen or ancient Greek warriors. Men can dress up as heroes of their favorite films or characters from popular comics.

For Russians, Halloween is a relatively new holiday. In fact, its history goes back to ancient times. Many people associate Halloween with rampant evil spirits (and often with good reason), but in fact, this holiday was originally very Puritan. The current Halloween is a modified holiday of the ancient Celts called Samhain. Once upon a time they inhabited a fairly vast territory of Europe, but they left a particularly significant mark on the lands of what is now Great Britain, Ireland and Northern France. From there the holiday called Halloween began.

And it was formed due to the fact that the Celts, who divided the year into two equal halves, considered the first period - from May to October - good and bright, and the period from November to April - cold and, accordingly, a time of evil and darkness. The night from October 31 to November 1 was the boundary between these two periods of the year. By the way, the night from April 30 to May 1, popularly called Walpurgis, is a mirror reflection of Samhain, when goodness and light supposedly return to earth. According to the Celts, on the night of Samhain, an invisible door opened between our world and the world of spirits, through which deceased relatives could look in to visit their living descendants. But along with them, all sorts of evil spirits could penetrate into the human world. And the Celts took many measures to protect themselves and their homes from all these monsters: they gathered around fires with their Druid priests, made sacrifices to their pagan gods, and put on animal skins. To scare away evil spirits, they brought fire from a sacred fire into their homes.

How Samhain turned into Halloween

With the advent of Christianity in Europe, pagan holidays were supplanted. And then they began to completely replace them with new ones - Christian ones. The reason for fun remained, but the meaning changed radically. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III decided to move All Saints' Day to November 1. And October 31st became the eve of this holiday. In English it sounded like All Hallows Eve, which was later shortened to the laconic Halloween. It is not clear whether pumpkins figured in the original Halloween traditions. According to some versions, it was a turnip or rutabaga.

Halloween these days

However, the old pagan traditions were never eradicated. And today, many continue to associate Halloween not with Christian saints, but with the pagan belief that on this night the boundaries between worlds are erased. Ancient traditions, having undergone some transformation, still exist. Only instead of animal skins, it is customary to wear costumes on Halloween. Moreover, they were often so terrible that any evil spirits, it was believed, would certainly be horrified and run away. In many countries, spirit treats are now given to children who go from house to house in colorful costumes. And the sacred fire is still brought into the house in lanterns carved from pumpkins. By the way, it is not clear whether pumpkin figured in the original traditions. According to some versions, it was a turnip or rutabaga.

Halloween in Russia

Halloween came to us in the 90s, and has not yet acquired traditions similar to those that exist in Europe or America, where Halloween has been celebrated for centuries. However, many nightclubs also host Halloween parties on the night of November 1st. The presence of a costume at such parties is encouraged. Pumpkin lanterns are also a must. Halloween is celebrated on a special scale in Hollywood. Everyone considers it a duty to attend the main Halloween party in Beverly Hills. Despite long history holiday, special outfits for it began to be prepared relatively recently.

This custom was first recorded just a hundred years ago, at American costume parties on the night of October 31 to November 1. And at first it was entirely images of ugly, emaciated people. It all looked far from festive and quite frightening. It's a different matter now! People happily dress up in costumes of vampires, witches, werewolves, fairies - as well as queens, pop culture figures and even (shhh!) sexually themed role-playing costumes. And the custom has turned into a traditional international holiday.

Halloween: choosing the right symbol

• PUMPKIN. The first and most important symbol of the holiday. In all forms: on Halloween, it is customary to eat a pumpkin, use it to decorate a festive interior, or give it as a symbolic gift. And, of course, make a lamp out of it.
• JACK-O-LAMP is the correct name for a pumpkin with a carved ominously grinning face with a burning candle inside. By the way, the tradition of making jack-o'-lanterns comes from the Celtic custom of creating lanterns that help souls find their way to purgatory.
• VILLAGE SCARECROWS. They are distantly related to the theme of the holiday, but are directly related to the autumn theme, when peasants celebrated the harvest festival. It was necessary to put the scarecrows that had served their time somewhere, so they made scarecrows out of them.
• BLACK AND ORANGE. Traditional holiday colors. Black - because of the sinister Halloween theme, orange, of course, because of the pumpkin.

All Hallows' Eve, known to most as Halloween, is celebrated throughout to the globe. On the nights from October to November, children go begging for sweets, young people throw parties, wearing themed costumes, and decorative pumpkins are sold in stores.

history of the holiday

Halloween has a long history. Ireland is considered the birthplace of the holiday. The traditions of celebrating All Saints' Day originated with the ancient Celts. Samhain is considered the most distant relative of Halloween. This pagan holiday was associated with the end of seasonal agricultural work. The celebration of Samhain occurred at the end of October and lasted a whole week. The Celts believed that at this time the door to the world of the dead opened, and the souls of the deceased wandered on earth.

In the 8th century, the Celts developed a holiday known as All Saints' Day. This celebration has similarities to modern Halloween. Since then, both holidays began to be celebrated simultaneously until they became one.

The holiday has been called Halloween since the 16th century. The name comes from the English version of the name All Hallows-Even, which received a Scottish abbreviation. Over time, the holiday began to become more and more similar to modern Halloween. People began going from house to house begging for sweets in the 16th century. In the 19th century, the custom of dressing up in scary costumes appeared. At the same time, they began carving faces on pumpkins for the holiday.

Halloween Traditions

This mystical celebration is known for its special customs. Like Halloween itself, its traditions have roots in other holidays. On the night from October 31 to November 1, it is customary to tell fortunes and tell horror stories. Famous entertainments include catching apples from the water without using your hands. But the most common traditions are begging for sweets, as well as preparing themed costumes.

Asking for sweets, going from house to house, began in the Middle Ages, but the tradition was more connected with Christmas. Poor people knocked on doors and begged for Christmas cookies and other goodies. In return for this, the poor promised to read prayers for the deceased relatives of their owners. The tradition was widespread in England, and according to some sources also in Italy.

The custom of trick-or-treating only became part of Halloween in the 20th century in the United States. Then the famous phrase “trick-or-treat” appeared in Russian, known as “trick or treat”. This means a frivolous threat to the owners if they do not give sweets.

The second well-known tradition - themed outfits and costumes - originates from carnival or costume parties. Halloween costumes began to be worn at the very end of the 19th century in Scotland. In other countries, the custom began to spread by the beginning of the 20th century.

The initial costumes were monotonous and consisted of black clothes and masks with pale, thin faces. Over time, the costumes changed. People began to depict monsters, evil spirits and supernatural beings. They often dressed up in costumes of vampires, witches, and zombies. These days, people in costumes don't just portray monsters during Halloween. This could be an image of a celebrity, a magical creature, or a character from a comic book or movie.

Symbols

The main and well-known attribute of Halloween is a pumpkin with a scary face carved on it and a candle inside. Not everyone knows that this lamp has a name - “Jack Lantern”. The holiday attribute received this name because of the old Irish legend about the cunning blacksmith Jack. He was able to deceive the devil, and he had to promise Jack that he would not take him to Hell after death. When the blacksmith died, the road to heaven was closed to him. Then Jack went to hell, but the devil did not let him in. The road from hell was dark, and the devil gave the blacksmith an everlasting coal to help him. Then Jack put it in a turnip carved into a lantern. Such lanterns began to be made back on All Saints' Day, although the material then most often was rutabaga, not pumpkin. It was believed that the lamp helped souls reach purgatory. They also believed that a lantern near the house would ward off evil spirits.

Halloween symbols include costumes of monsters, mainly Frankenstein, witches, zombies, vampires and mummies. The colors of the holiday are black and orange. Garden scarecrows are also considered decoration symbols.

Halloween Dishes

Halloween is famous for its themed festive table, or rather with their sweets. Most of the delicacies are made from apples, which are presented in various forms: baked apples, caramelized apples, apples in syrup, apple-flavored candies and lollipops. Pumpkin is a common ingredient in dishes. Pies are baked from it or cookies are made. Pumpkin-shaped candies are also not uncommon. In Ireland, a bread called barmbrack is prepared for the holiday. The peculiarity of the bread is that a small thing is baked in it. She can predict the future of whoever gets caught. For example, a ring spoke of an upcoming wedding, while a pea, on the contrary, meant that marriage was still a long time coming.

Music

Like Halloween itself, its theme music is known for its mystical mood. Two of the most popular songs of the holiday, “This is Halloween” and “Monster Mash,” are distinctive Halloween anthems. "This is Halloween" is the soundtrack to Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was written by Danny Elfman and the song has been translated into several languages. "Monster Mash" was written by Bobby Pickett in 1962. The music of the Midnight Syndicate duo is also often associated with Halloween. The group even has an album written specifically for the horror holiday.

Halloween celebration

Modern Halloween began to be widely celebrated, of course, in its homeland - England, Ireland and Scotland. Very quickly in the 19th century, the holiday spread throughout Canada and the United States. Then many countries, primarily English-speaking ones, began to adopt the custom. Halloween has long been celebrated in Europe and Central Asia. Over time, many of these countries developed their own “folk” Halloween traditions. For example, the Irish are known for staging pyrotechnic displays during the holiday. In Russia, Halloween, as a rule, is not celebrated with all its traditions and customs. There was even an initiative to ban Halloween, as it is considered a pagan holiday of evil. However, every year the traditions of celebration penetrate more and more into the country. Halloween is popular among the younger generation. By the end of October, shops are selling themed costumes, and clubs and bars are throwing nightly parties to celebrate the holiday.

Halloween. An interesting, unusual and much-loved holiday in English-speaking countries, but still distant and largely incomprehensible to us Slavs. To what and to whom does he owe his appearance? When and where did you start celebrating for the first time? Let's figure it out.

What associations do you have with Halloween? Surely they can all be described in just a couple of points: jack-o'-lanterns, children dressed up in costumes of various evil spirits and, of course, the notorious phrase: “Candy or death!” So, for Americans, British, Canadians, this list will be approximately the same; for most people, Halloween has become just a fun event with unchanged paraphernalia. It’s kind of like the New Year for us, because few people know its history, right?

Jack-o'-lantern is seemingly the most classic attribute of the holiday, but in its current form, the custom of carving evil faces in pumpkins arose only at the end of the 19th century in the United States.

However, Halloween is one of the oldest holidays in the world, with a history dating back at least 1,200 years (the first documented mention dates back to the 8th century AD). Its roots go back to pagan times, to the traditions of the ancient Celts. Among the Celts who lived in the territory of modern Ireland and Scotland, it was customary to divide the year into two parts: dark and light (roughly speaking, into winter and summer). October 31 was considered the last day of the outgoing year and, accordingly, the end of its bright part; by this moment all field work should be completed and the entire harvest harvested.

The arrival of the new year, called Samhain by the Celts, was celebrated on the night of November 1st. According to old legends, once a year, it was on this night that a portal opened between the world of the living and the world of the dead: the souls of the dead could walk freely around the world. Treats were usually left on the doorstep for past ancestors. At the same time, in order to protect themselves from unfriendly spirits, people resorted to little tricks: turnips or rutabaga with scary faces carved out were left on the porch of the house (at that time without lights), the fire in the houses was extinguished, everyone dressed in animal heads and skins. On this night, it was customary for the entire settlement to gather around the fires and talk about their ancestors, perform rituals, predict the future... In a word, Samhain was not a simple holiday, it was at the same time a harvest festival, a New Year's holiday and a day of honoring the dead.

At the end of the 7th century, all British peoples were converted to Christianity, old pagan holidays were abolished, and customs were eradicated. However, what happened was not exactly what the Roman Church expected. The Catholic holiday All Saints' Day, which began to be celebrated in Britain in 610 on November 1, slowly but deeply began to intertwine with pagan Samhain - this is how the beginnings of Halloween began to form.

The word “Halloween” itself appeared only in the middle of the 16th century. Its etymology is extremely simple - Halloween is a Scottish abbreviation of the English phrase "All Hallows Even", which literally translates as "All Hallows' Evening".

Around the same period, the tradition of begging for treats developed. In large noisy groups, children and adults walked from one house to another, demanding food and offering some kind of entertainment in return. There were no Jack-o’-lanterns, much less monster costumes, at that time; these seemingly classic attributes of Halloween appeared only at the end of the 19th century, and already in America.

The tradition of begging for sweets on Halloween eve appeared only in the middle of the 16th century.

This is the complicated history of this holiday: it has survived centuries, changed in many ways beyond recognition, but at the same time retained its true originality.