24 Out 2018 ILC Batalha
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Halloween”? Haunted houses? Jack-o-lanterns? Costumes? Spooky stories and films? But how many of you know about the true origins of this celebration?
The holiday was marked by the ancient Celts from Britain and Ireland. These believed that on the last night of October, the spirits of the dead roamed the Earth. Later, the Christian church named 1st November All Saints’ Day (also called All Hallows), a special holy day to honour all of the Christian saints. The night before All Hallows was called Hallows Eve which was later changed to Halloween.
Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would visit the earth on Halloween. They worried that evil spirits would cause problems or hurt them. So on that night, people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They thought if they dressed this way, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them. Poor people would also visit the houses of wealthier families and received soul cakes in exchange for prayers and children would ask for food or money.
Today, children dress up in costumes like in the past but instead of worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house, knocking on doors saying “trick or treat”. The owners of the houses give sweets or something special to each trick or treater unless they want a trick to be played on them.
So get your costume ready and enjoy your night! We know we will ...
Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would visit the earth on Halloween. They worried that evil spirits would cause problems or hurt them. So on that night, people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They thought if they dressed this way, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them. Poor people would also visit the houses of wealthier families and received soul cakes in exchange for prayers and children would ask for food or money.
Today, children dress up in costumes like in the past but instead of worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house, knocking on doors saying “trick or treat”. The owners of the houses give sweets or something special to each trick or treater unless they want a trick to be played on them.
So get your costume ready and enjoy your night! We know we will ...