Halloween, also known as "Ghost Day", is an annual traditional festival in Western countries, held on October 31 every year. It originated from the ancient Celtic festival "Sahain", but also related to the "Feast of All Saints" of the Pope.
Sahain is the Celtic New Year, and in Celtic culture, the year is divided into two seasons: the light season and the dark season. November 1 was the beginning of the dark season, and the Celts believed that on this day, the line between the living and the dead was blurred and ghosts could return to earth. In order to prevent the invasion of the ghosts of **, people will wear terrifying masks and costumes to confuse evil spirits. At the same time, the Celts also held a grand feast on this day to celebrate the harvest and pray to their deceased loved ones.
All Saints' Day is a Roman Catholic holiday, and its origins can be traced back to the Roman Church in the early fourth century AD. At that time, **Religion was experiencing cruelty**, and countless believers gave their lives for their faith. To commemorate these martyrs, the early ** churches set up a special feast day to commemorate their sacrifices.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV designated May 13 as "the feast of all martyrs." Since then, with the expansion of the influence of the ** Church, the festival has gradually spread throughout Europe. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III changed November 1 as All Saints' Day and expanded the commemoration to cover all saints, including canonized saints and nameless saints.
Over time, though, Sahain and All Saints' Day gradually merged to form the modern Halloween. Many of the traditional customs of Halloween, such as makeup, begging for candy, jack-o'-lanterns, etc., originate from these two festivals.
The main traditional customs of Halloween include:
1.Dress up as a ghost
This is the most representative custom of Halloween. People will dress up in various scary or funny costumes and play the role of ghosts, wizards, vampires, zombies, etc. The origins of this custom can be traced back to the traditions of the ancient Celts. At the time, it was believed that on Halloween Eve, ghosts would return, so they would dress up in fancy costumes and disguise themselves as ghosts as a way to scare away real ghosts.
2.Trick-or-treating without sugar
This is one of the most popular events for Halloween. Children dressed up in various costumes, carrying jack-o-lanterns, knock on their neighbors' doors and shout "trickortreat!".Trick-or-treating without sugar）。If the host doesn't give candy, the kids will mischievous, such as soaping their doorknobs, tipping over their trash cans, etc.
3.Jack-o'-lantern
Jack-o-lanterns are another important symbol of Halloween. People would hollow out pumpkins, carve terrifying faces on them, and light candles inside. The origins of jack-o'-lanterns can be traced back to the ancient Celtic traditions. At that time, people would make lanterns out of turnips, turnips, or beetroot to scare away ghosts.
4.Hold a masquerade party
On Halloween Eve, costume balls are held in many places. People will dress up in all kinds of fancy costumes, go to balls, and celebrate with revelry.
5.Divination
On Halloween, many people also perform divination to ** the future. Common divination methods include:
Apple Divination: Place the apple in a basin of water and then have a person blindfold and bite the apple with their mouth. People who bite into the peel of an apple will get love in the coming year.
Make a wish: On Halloween Eve, write down your wish and place the note under your pillow. It is said that in dreams you will see scenes where wishes come true.
Halloween is a very popular holiday in Western countries and has gradually become popular in Asia in recent years. Its popularity is comparable to traditional Western holidays such as Christmas.