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The history of Halloween
Americans spend an estimated 6 billion USD on Halloween annually, including candy, costumes, and decorations
With the entire buzz around Halloween, the 'scariest' night of the year is finally here. As it turns out, people have been wearing Halloween costumes for nearly two millennia. But they have added plenty of modern twists to this ancient tradition.
However, even after celebrating Halloween for so many years now, there are still many who don't know why exactly it is celebrated.
The festival, which takes places on 31 October 2019 is most commonly known as Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening) but is also referred to as All Halloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve.
It is the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day, - also known as All Saints' Day.
Why is Halloween celebrated?
The origin of the festival is disputed as there are both pagan and Christian practices that have evolved into what Halloween is like today.
Some believe it originates from the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain, meaning 'Summer's End' which celebrated the end of harvest season.
Gaels (ethnic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man) believed that it was a time when the walls between our world and the next became thin and porous, allowing spirits to pass through, come back to life on the day and damage their crops.
Places were set at the dinner table to welcome the spirits. Gaels would also offer food and light bonfires to ward off the evil spirits.
1. The term 'jack-o'-lantern' was first applied to people, not pumpkins.
2. Back in 1663, the term meant a man with a lantern or a night watchman. Just a decade or so later, it began to be used to refer to the mysterious lights sometimes seen at night over bogs, swamps, and marshes.
3. These ghost lights, called jack-o'-lanterns, hinkypunks, hobby lanterns, corpse candles, fairy lights, will-o'-the-wisps, and fool's fire, are created when gases from decomposing plant matter ignite as they come into contact with electricity or heat or as they oxidize.
4. Before this scientific explanation became known, people used to tell stories to explain the mysterious lights. In Ireland, back in the 1500s, those stories often revolved around a guy named Jack.
The story of Stingy Jack
Why do people go trick-or-treating?
Source: indiatoday.
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
Americans spend an estimated 6 billion USD on Halloween annually, including candy, costumes, and decorations
With the entire buzz around Halloween, the 'scariest' night of the year is finally here. As it turns out, people have been wearing Halloween costumes for nearly two millennia. But they have added plenty of modern twists to this ancient tradition.
However, even after celebrating Halloween for so many years now, there are still many who don't know why exactly it is celebrated.
The festival, which takes places on 31 October 2019 is most commonly known as Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening) but is also referred to as All Halloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve.
It is the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day, - also known as All Saints' Day.
Why is Halloween celebrated?
The origin of the festival is disputed as there are both pagan and Christian practices that have evolved into what Halloween is like today.
Some believe it originates from the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain, meaning 'Summer's End' which celebrated the end of harvest season.
Gaels (ethnic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man) believed that it was a time when the walls between our world and the next became thin and porous, allowing spirits to pass through, come back to life on the day and damage their crops.
Places were set at the dinner table to welcome the spirits. Gaels would also offer food and light bonfires to ward off the evil spirits.
1. The term 'jack-o'-lantern' was first applied to people, not pumpkins.
2. Back in 1663, the term meant a man with a lantern or a night watchman. Just a decade or so later, it began to be used to refer to the mysterious lights sometimes seen at night over bogs, swamps, and marshes.
3. These ghost lights, called jack-o'-lanterns, hinkypunks, hobby lanterns, corpse candles, fairy lights, will-o'-the-wisps, and fool's fire, are created when gases from decomposing plant matter ignite as they come into contact with electricity or heat or as they oxidize.
4. Before this scientific explanation became known, people used to tell stories to explain the mysterious lights. In Ireland, back in the 1500s, those stories often revolved around a guy named Jack.
The story of Stingy Jack
- Stingy Jack often described as a blacksmith, once invited the devil to join him for a drink. Jack didn't want to pay for the drinks from his own pocket and tricked the devil to turn himself into a coin that could be used to buy the drinks
- Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put the devil in his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented him from changing back into his original form
- Jack eventually freed the devil, but made him promise that he wouldn't seek revenge on Jack, and wouldn't claim his soul when he died
- Later, Jack again tricked the devil by convincing him to climb up a tree to pick some fruit, then carved a cross in the trunk so that the devil couldn't climb back down
- Jack freed him on the condition that the devil once again not take revenge and not claim Jack's soul
- When Stingy Jack eventually died, God did not allow him into heaven, and the devil, keeping his word also rejected Jack's soul at the gates of hell
- Instead of letting him in, the devil gave Jack a single burning coal to light his way and sent him off into the night
- Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the earth with it ever since
- The myth was brought over by Irish families and since turnips were hard to come by in the US, America's pumpkins were used as a substitute to guide lost souls and keep evil spirits like Jack of the Lantern away
Why do people go trick-or-treating?
- The origin of this tradition dates back thousands of years to pagan times when people dressed in disguise to avoid being recognised by ghosts
- People also began to leave food and drink outside to protect their homes from evil spirits
- Eventually, some started taking advantage of the offering
- They started dressing up, going from door to door to ask for provisions in exchange for protection from the spirits
- This ancient tradition became known as mumming - an early form of trick-or-treating
- Another tradition which set the precedent for trick-or-treating is 'fouling'
- Children and adults called themselves 'soulers,' collecting food or money in return for prayers said for the dead
- Another version was 'guising,' which saw people go from door to door and doing a small performance in exchange for treats
- Trick-or-treating was brought to America by the Irish and became popular during the early 20th century, but died out during World War II
- By 1952, it became popular again
Source: indiatoday.
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights