Time:
October 31st is Halloween
Origin:
The Celtic peoples lived over 2,000 years ago in the place that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France. Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. For the Celtic peoples, the New Year was celebrated on November 1st of every year. This date marked the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter. And this time of year often associated with human death.The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred as the dead searched for the afterlife. Thus, on the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth to cause mischief and trouble.
Traditions:
Many of the traditions associated with Halloween can be traced back to the ancient festivals of Samhain, such as costuming, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving.
People have been making Jack-o-lanterns on Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man known as “Stingy Jack.” Stingy Jack one day invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Not wanting to pay for the drink, he tricked the Devil into turning himself into a coin, and then put the Devil into his pocket next to a cross that prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack freed the Devil after the Devil promised not to bother Jack or, should he die, claim his soul. Eventually, when Jack did die, God would not take him into Heaven, and the Devil, who had promised not to claim Jack’s soul, could not take him into Hell. Thus, the Devil sent Jack’s spirit into the night with only a burning candle to light his way. Jack put the candle into a carved turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then simply as “Jack-o-lantern.”
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