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Hello Halloween! History and traditions of the most terrible holiday of the year. Halloween - the eve of All Saints Day: the history and traditions of the holiday

Halloween is probably the most popular holiday in English-speaking countries, after Christmas and Easter. Children simply adore it, because on this day you can wear interesting costumes, earn sweets and be naughty.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.

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Halloween: holiday ideas

The tradition of celebrating Halloween has its roots in ancient times. There are descriptions of the celebration even at the dawn of Christianity, because the action originally belonged to the ancient Celtic rites. Of course, then the meaning of the holiday was a little different - to protect yourself from the intrigues of the prince of darkness. Now this is everyone's favorite action with scary masks, carnival costumes and reckless fun.

Whatever it was, but the globalization of this holiday goes by leaps and bounds - now it is celebrated in all corners of the world. In Russia, the holiday is not so widespread - some cultural differences affect. For us, this is a holiday for urban youth who do not miss the opportunity to have fun.

Halloween attributes are known all over the world - these are scary stories, terribly beautiful costumes, a burning pumpkin and, of course, treats. Little children are looking forward to this holiday with special impatience - this is a great opportunity to play pranks, try on a new look, and stock up on sweets for the year ahead.

Preparations for Halloween begin long before the start of the celebration - tailoring and decorating a costume can take more than one month. And you should not forget about creating the appropriate atmosphere.

Preparing the house is a different story, because in the Anglo-Saxon countries simply incredible decoration is customary. A lot of scary pumpkins, cobwebs, gloomy figures, ghosts - this is not the whole list of home decor.

When celebrating Halloween, how to spend it is also important. On this day, only representatives of the older generation (and even then not all) sit at home. A lot of incredible events are held for children and young people - parties, competitions and just festivities. A person without an appropriate suit on the street is the exception rather than the rule.

History of Halloween

Initially, this holiday had a sacred meaning - it symbolized the eternal struggle between good and evil. Scotland and Ireland are still arguing over whose holiday it is and who has great rights to it. Indeed, for the first time Halloween was celebrated on the territory of these countries, and, as already mentioned, not at all as a celebration for children.

Drive away evil, protect their homes from various evil spirits - the true purpose of the holiday. A mixture of pagan and Christian rituals and beliefs led to the emergence of this unique celebration.

How did Halloween come about? Researchers from all over the world are still arguing about this. Some prove its connection with the Celtic Sowin, others point out that the celebration takes place on the eve of the great Christian holiday - All Saints' Day. When, according to legend, the gates of hell open and the lord of Darkness himself comes to Earth. Still others point out the similarity of the traditions of the celebration with the Irish Saiman.

But one thing is known for sure - the symbiosis of paganism and the Christian faith is not such a rare phenomenon, and Halloween is far from the first holiday that has controversial roots. An example is our Ivan Kupala, and Christmas and the Exaltation.

Where did Halloween come from?

Ireland and Scotland are the pioneer countries of this wonderful holiday. It was on their territory that the ancient Celts lived. And it is the Anglo-Saxon countries that are the place from which Halloween came to us. But be that as it may, they can only be thanked for this, because they opened to the world another way to have fun and profitably spend one holiday. The specificity of Halloween is such that it does not matter where it comes from - every nation will find something of its own in it.

Although Halloween was originally Celtic, the past centuries have done their job - it has really changed beyond recognition. And now no one is interested in whose national holiday it is and where the tradition of celebrating it came from. The main thing is just to have fun and add bright colors to gray everyday life. It is because of the lightness and unobtrusiveness that the Catholic world turned a blind eye to the clearly pagan roots of the triumph. Of course, they did not forget where he came from, but the main purpose of the holiday fit perfectly with the Christian canons. Halloween is a celebration of the victory of good over Satan himself and his terrible army - demons, vampires, werewolves and other evil spirits. It is the eternal struggle of dark and light forces that predetermines the sacred meaning of the holiday. This is also evidenced by what the main symbol of the celebration means - a burning pumpkin. This is not just an attribute - it is a guide for lost souls who cannot rise to the light. This is a kind of anchor for sinners, which protects them from direct falling into hell. Therefore, we can safely talk about a deeper and more important meaning of Halloween than just dressing up as unpleasant and repulsive characters.

Halloween: holiday date

October 31 is the day Halloween is celebrated in 2017. Although this holiday has no special binding to the year. November 1 is All Saints Day, on the eve of which the celebration is held. It is noteworthy that what date Halloween is celebrated was known even before the beginning of the Christian faith - it was on this day that the famous Celtic Souin took place. It was the triumph of good over evil. It was believed that on this day the Lord of Darkness is trying to steal the Sun and plunge the Earth into darkness and chaos. To do this, he allegedly opens the gates of hell and releases all evil spirits. To disperse the darkness, the ancient Celts burned bonfires and by this they tried to support the forces of light in their difficult struggle. And scary costumes are just a way to scare away evil spirits. When Halloween is celebrated, dressing up is a must.

The Catholic Church gives similar ideas - on the eve of All Saints' Day, the devil sends tempting demons to Earth who have only one night to confuse and confuse believers. But be that as it may, both Saiman, and Souin, and All Saints Day are celebrated on the same date. October 31 is the day when the celebration of the most controversial, but also the most fun holiday takes place. It is the last hours of the second autumn month - this is the time when in 2017 you can properly break away and flaunt in the most repulsive way.

Halloween: The Feast of Death

All Saints' Eve in many countries is perceived as the day of the triumph of death. The commemoration of the dead on October 31 is a tradition that has come since the time of the Roman Empire. It was believed that on this day all the dead can return to Earth for several hours to their relatives and friends. Moreover, initially there was no mystical component here - just a tribute to the memory of ancestors.

The Catholic Church is quite calm about the holiday - it is considered ordinary tomfoolery without any sacred background. The clergy often hold small theatrical performances in their parishes, in which they clearly show the triumph of good over evil.

But Orthodox priests are not so loyal - many consider the holiday to be satanic and strictly forbid their parishioners to celebrate it. On the one hand, they are certainly right - a pagan holiday, but on the other hand, no one takes it seriously. Everything is considered funny, albeit a little creepy. Halloween has long lost its sacred meaning and it is difficult to call it demonic, because all evil spirits are funny kids and adults.

To celebrate or not to celebrate is a Shakespearean question, it is extremely relevant and applicable to Halloween. Of course, people of deep faith will choose the second option. On this day they will stay at home, and with condemnation they will look at the raging youth. By the way, there are a majority of such people in Russia - it’s very difficult to say whether it’s good or bad, but in any case, you can’t take this terrible holiday with all seriousness.

The remaining few percent of Halloween fans can afford to relax a little on this day - there is absolutely nothing reprehensible about this. Silly and creepy costumes, grinning pumpkins with candles inside, and lavish parties that are more like a coven. On this day, everything is possible - to demand sweets, arrange pranks, joke and tease friends. It is also a great opportunity to try on a new image for yourself - creepy or funny, frightening or seductive, simple or fatal. By the way, if you have a negative attitude towards costumes of various evil spirits, then for Halloween you can choose something else - dolls, politicians, fairy-tale characters, aliens, robots - everything will do. In principle, any bright ones will be appropriate here.

Halloween is an excuse to relax a bit, meet up with friends and have some fun. And it doesn’t matter at all what sacred meaning this day had before - the main thing is only what you believe in now.

Quote from ABOVE

I was always biased towards Halloween, until I found out an amazing thing: this holiday was still among the ancient Aryan-Celts! I had to dig into the blogosphere and this is what I came up with. The page http://blogs.mail.ru/mail/amira29/75D9F0C53A6F60EA.html, unknown by author, helped a lot.

The History of Halloween

Halloween is one of the oldest holidays in the world. In this strange holiday, the Celtic tradition of honoring evil spirits and the Christian tradition of worshiping all saints intertwined.
The history of Halloween dates back thousands of years, from the Celtic Samhain festival, the Roman Pomona Day and the Christian All Saints Day.
Centuries ago, the lands of modern Britain and northern France were inhabited by Celtic tribes. They were pagans and worshiped the sun god as the supreme god. The Celts divided the year into two parts - winter and summer. Throughout the winter, the sun god was held captive by Samhain, lord of the dead and prince of darkness.
The Samhain festival, which was celebrated on November 1, is the time when winter begins. At this time, summer gave way to winter, day to night, life to death, and all barriers between the material and supernatural worlds were removed, the gates between them opened for one night. At this time, all the unfulfilled hopes and plans of the dead returned to earth again, and their souls descended to their homes. The souls of the dead could take on different guises, the evil ones moved into animals, and the most dangerous ones into cats. On this day, all evil spirits descend to the earth.
On the night of October 31 to November 1, druids - spirits of wildlife - gathered in oak groves on hilltops (the Celts considered oaks to be sacred trees), lit bonfires and made sacrifices to evil spirits to propitiate them. And in the mornings, the Druids gave people coals from their fires, so that they kindled the hearths of their houses. The fire of the Druids warmed the houses during the long winter and protected the house from evil spirits.
At night, the girls guessed. You can throw two chestnuts into the fire of the druids. If the fruits burn nearby, then the girl will live in friendship and harmony with the sweetheart, if they roll in different directions, their paths will go in different directions. A girl could see her future husband by sitting in front of a mirror at midnight with an apple in her hand. A fallen candlestick was considered the worst omen. `Evil spirits want to put out the fire in the house`, the Celts believed.
At the beginning of our era, the Romans conquered the Celtic territory, bringing with them their traditions and holidays. On the night of October 31 to November 1, they celebrated the Day of Pomona, the goddess of plants.
In the 9th century, when Christianity spread to the territory of Great Britain, these ancient traditions were mixed with another holiday - the Catholic All Saints' Day - All Hallows Even, or All Hallows Eve. Later it was called Hallowe`en, and eventually Halloween.
Today, from the ancient pagan holiday, a set of funny and fascinating traditions remains. On this night, it is customary to dress up in costumes of evil spirits and arrange masquerades. In my opinion, one should not miss a rare chance to feel like a witch or a demon. An integral symbol of Halloween is a pumpkin head. The inside is removed from the pumpkin, the face is cut out and a candle is inserted inside. The pumpkin symbolizes at the same time the end of the harvest, the evil spirit and the fire that scares it away. So strangely concentrated ancient beliefs in one subject. On this night, children knock on houses shouting: `Treat or trick!` - `Treat or regret it!`. If you don't make a sacrifice, these little evil demons can play cruel tricks on you, such as smearing soot on door handles.
It is a pity that behind these entertainments the ancient meaning of Halloween is forgotten. Halloween intrigues with mystery, with its mythical significance. This holiday is an attempt to understand the connection between our world and the other world. Halloween is a transition, a gateway from one world to another. This gate, like any other, is paradoxical. Being between two worlds, they belong at the same time to both of them - and to neither of them.

Samhain is the gateway to winter. We still tend to perceive winter with dislike and disgust. Everything that lives seems to die. However, the arrival of death is, by definition, the arrival of life. The white desert where Samhain lives is extraordinarily beautiful. She is freed from everything superfluous, superficial. His time is the time to throw off the burden of worries and vanities that have accumulated over the summer and have lost their meaning, following the example of trees that are freed from leaves that have outlived their time. After all, if the trees do not shed them, the dead leaves will not give them the opportunity to come to life again in the spring.
Legend has it that on this night Samhain opens the gates to the past and the future. Two elements become available in the present. This is the time when a person is not limited by the cell of his time and can realize his place in the web of eternity.
However, the transition to another space or time is usually painful. The gate is well guarded. Witches and demons - the heroes of Halloween - are the shadows of the gate keepers. From our side of existence, they seem to be frightening embodiments of evil.

halloween traditions

Today, from the ancient pagan holiday, a set of funny and fascinating traditions remains. On this night, it is customary to dress up in costumes of evil spirits and arrange masquerades. Agree, not often you have a chance to feel like a witch or a demon. An integral symbol of Halloween is a pumpkin head. The inside is removed from the pumpkin, the face is cut out and a candle is inserted inside. The pumpkin symbolizes at the same time the end of the harvest, the evil spirit and the fire that scares it away. So strangely concentrated ancient beliefs in one subject. An indispensable attribute of Halloween is the rite "Trik or trak" ("Dirty or gift"). On this night, children knock on houses shouting: “Treat or trick!” - "Treat or be sorry!". If you don't make a sacrifice, these little evil demons can play cruel tricks on you, such as smearing soot on door handles.
Following Celtic legends, on the night of October 31 to November 1, druids - spirits of wildlife - gathered in oak groves on hilltops (the Celts considered oaks to be sacred trees), lit bonfires and made sacrifices to evil spirits to propitiate them. And in the mornings, the Druids gave people coals from their fires, so that they kindled the hearths of their houses. The fire of the Druids warmed the houses during the long winter and protected the house from evil spirits.
The Celts believed that on the night of the New Year, the border between the worlds of the dead and the living opens, and the shadows of the dead visit the earth in the past year.

In order not to fall prey to the dead shadow, people put out the fires in their houses and dressed up as scarily as possible - in animal skins and heads, hoping to scare away the ghosts that crawled across the open border. The spirits were put out treats on the street so that they would be satisfied with this and not break into the house. On this night, predictions were made, animals were sacrificed, and then everyone took a tongue of sacred flame into their house to light the winter hearth.
If you really want to see a witch, there is one sure remedy - go outside at midnight, dressed upside down, and walk backwards. Have a nice meeting!

Another Halloween Story

Halloween is one of the most ancient holidays on our planet.
The Halloween holiday (Halloween or Savin - Samhain), or as it is also called (Hallow Evening) which translated into Russian means - the eve of All Saints' Day, is celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1, in this unusual holiday intertwined at first glance conflicting customs, the Celtic tradition of praising dark spirits and the Christian tradition of worshiping saints.
The first holidays were organized by people over a thousand years ago, the founders of this holiday are the Celtic Samhain festival, the Roman day of Pomona and the Christian All Saints Day.
In the ancient lands of present-day England and in the cold parts of France lived the Celtic tribes. These tribes were pagans and, like all pagans, they worshiped the elements of nature, their most revered god was the Sun.
With the advent of winter, November 1 - the sun god was captured by (Samhain) Souin - this is the lord of the dead and the prince of darkness.


The Celts also believed that the (correct) day begins at sunset, and on this night the mysterious doors of the dark world opened, all barriers between our material and other worlds were removed, and the inhabitants of the dark hell fell to us on earth, the door between the worlds opened just a one night.
At this most mysterious time, all the unfulfilled plans, the hopes of the dead again came back to the mortal earth, and their wandering souls returned to their homes. All the souls of the dead usually took on different magical guises - evil spirits were placed in the bodies of animals, but the most evil demons in black cats.
To appease these demons, terrible scenes took place - bonfires were lit and sacrifices were made.

On the day of Samhain, all otherworldly energy lands on earth.
To see their betrothed, the girls sat down in front of a clean mirror, exactly at midnight, holding an apple with one hand.
It was also believed that if a candlestick fell in the house, this is a "bad" sign (dark spirits are trying to put out the source of fire in the house) the Celts believed in this.
Even in our time, some of these will take, still live.
From the first days of our era, the victorious Romans conquered all the Celtic lands, bringing with them new seeds of their traditions and religious holidays. The Romans themselves celebrated at night from October 31 to November 1 "Pomona's Day" it was their goddess of living plants.
As time passed, when the Romans conquered all the lands of the Celtic tribes, in these territories the Celtic holiday "Samhain" was replaced by a new holiday of the conquerors - the day of "Pomona" - the goddess of living plants. Since the Romans themselves celebrated the Day of the Dead on this day, both holidays were smoothly intertwined and were celebrated from both sides without any problems.
The holiday in the form in which we know it today was established by the efforts of the Catholic Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, when Pope Gregory the 3rd, and Gregory the 4th, postponed the Catholic holiday "All Saints' Day" (All-Hallows-Even, sometimes also called ~ All-Hallows-Eve) from May 13 to November 1.
As a result, the Halloween holiday began to be called Hallowe~en, and in its final form - Halloween.
There are two opposite versions of why on Halloween holiday, small children dressed in horror stories go from house to house and play (as in Russia and Ukraine with Belarus):
1. Children, wearing masks of evil spirits, knock on all houses and shout: Treat or it will be worse! - collect sweets (victims) that should propitiate them. And if you do not bring your sacrifice to them, these little evil spirits can make a terrible joke on you, for example, cover the handles of doors or windows with black soot.
2. Donating various goodies (sweets, cookies) for children is considered as a good deed, which, with good prayers for the departed, should facilitate the existence of all those who are in the dark corridors of hell.

The further development of the Halloween holiday is banal, like everything connected with America: this holiday migrated from the British Isles throughout the English nation, first to America, as well as Canada, Australia.
A very important attribute of this celebration is the pumpkin, namely the pumpkin head. Usually, all soft insides are removed from a ripe pumpkin, then a peculiar face is created with a knife, and a burning candle is placed inside, there are different versions of where this symbol of the Samhain holiday came from:
The orange pumpkin is a symbol of the completion of the harvest from the fields, it is also a symbol of the evil spirit and the fire that scares it away. It is strange, but it is precisely such a plexus of ancient signs that has gathered in one object.
Wandering fiery pumpkins with candles inside, legends say that these are supposedly wandering souls that are lost between heaven and hell.
According to another legend, they say that the druids planted similar glowing pumpkins to scare away dark spirits from their homes.
Another version worthy of attention, the true source of the origin of the tradition with pumpkins, is the legend of a drunkard named Jack, who signed a deal with the devil himself.
It's sad that most of us, while having fun in the intricate costumes of the Autumn Festival, forget the main essence of Halloween. After all, this mysterious holiday gives us a real opportunity to learn and understand a significant connection between the real and other worlds. Halloween Day is not only about moving doors from different worlds. These mysterious doors, like most others, are amazing. Existing between completely different worlds, they own both Ini and one of these worlds at the same time.
Samhain is the door to winter. Most of us perceive winter as something unpleasant, cold with a feeling of cold fear. There is a feeling as if everything living around is suddenly slowly but surely dying.
But we also know that with the coming of death comes new life!
The pristine white valley, where the Samhain holiday was born, looks extraordinarily beautiful. There is nothing superfluous in it, everything is in its place. The time of Samhain is the time when there is a shedding of problems and worries that have gathered over the whole summer and lost their purpose, as in the example of trees that shed their leaves that have lived their life span. After all, if shrubs and trees do not throw off their leaves, old and dead leaves simply will not allow young ones to come to life in a new spring.
The ancient legend of the druids reminds us that this mysterious night of Samhain opens the doors to a fabulous, distant past and a magnificent future that awaits us. And two different elements at this time become accessible at this moment. This is the time when people can understand and realize their destiny in the string of eternity.
Only moving to another space usually empathizes with a slight feeling of pain. Doors to another world are sensitively guarded, protected. Halloween spirits are the very guards of enchanted doors. From our world, they all seem to us terrible creatures of otherworldly space. But if the doors have already been passed, how then and what can be seen by looking back? The answer to this question is on the surface - just look at all the people in the mysterious grimacing masks when the new Halloween holiday comes.
Halloween is traditionally celebrated on the night of October 31st to November 1st. In the evening, children dressed in various costumes go from door to door and collect sweets. This holiday is part of the culture of Western countries, but is celebrated mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and Puerto Rico, and is gaining popularity in Australia and New Zealand. Russia is no longer lagging behind.
The celebration of Halloween originates from the Celtic culture of Ireland, Britain and France, originally called Samhain and was a pagan Celtic harvest festival. In the 19th century Irish, Scottish and other immigrants brought their traditions and holidays to North America.
At the end of the 20th century, many Western countries also began to celebrate this holiday as part of American culture.
During this holiday, religious holidays were previously held in the pagan traditions of various northern European countries. This was until the moment when Pope Gregory III moved the celebration of this old Christian celebration of All Saints' Eve to November 1st in order to give Halloween a Christian interpretation.
In some parts of Ireland, this holiday is also called "Pooky Night", presumably after the mischievous and rebellious spirit of Pooky.
Halloween is often associated with the occult. In the cultures of many European countries, it is said that Halloween is one of the threshold periods of the year when the spiritual world can make contact with the real world and when magic gains strength (this is mentioned, for example, in Catalan mythology about witches and Irish stories about Sodhe) .
In Ireland, a huge bonfire is lit. Masked little kids receive treats from their neighbors in the form of fruits, nuts and, of course, sweets during the "Halloween Party", while adults "chop innocent things over confused victims."
In Scotland, children or adults dressed in fancy dress instead of the phrase "trick or treat" say the following: "The sky is blue, the grass is green, we can celebrate Halloween." They roam the neighborhood in groups and must impress the owners of the houses they visit with songs, poems, magic tricks, jokes, or dances to earn their treat.
Traditionally, they are offered nuts, oranges, apples and dried fruits.
In England, "trick or treat!" is quite common. However, in general, the celebration is based on various forms of petition, as in America.

Halloween also has other names:
All Hallows Eve (All Saints' Eve)
Samhain
All Hallowtide
The Feast of the Dead (Festival of the Dead)
The Day of the Dead (Day of the Dead)

A few facts about Halloween:
In Welsh, Halloween is "Nos Calan Gaeaf".
"Halloween" is correctly spelled as "Hallowe"en".
It was previously believed that black cats protect the magic of sorceresses from negative forces.
Pumpkin can actually be replaced by any vegetable from the cucurbit family.
About 99% of pumpkins sold are used to cut holes for eyes and mouths and place a candle inside.
The world's largest pumpkin was grown in 2004 and demonstrated at the Pumpkin Festival in Port Elgin (Ontario, Canada). After weighing in October, her weight was 1446 pounds (almost 656 kg).
The record for the fastest pumpkin cleaning is held by Jerry Ayers of Baltimore, Ohio, USA. He cleaned all the insides and cut out the eyes and mouth in just 37 seconds!
The very first head was carved into a turnip.
The doorbell is rung to scare away evil spirits.
If you see a spider on this day, then it may be the spirit of a deceased lover who is just watching you.
To meet a witch, on Halloween night you need to put on your clothes upside down and walk down the street backwards.

The Celts, who lived 2000 years ago in Ireland, Great Britain, and Northern France, celebrated the New Year on November 1st. This day marked the end of the harvest season and opened a new season: cold and dark, associated with the process of fading life - death.
The Celts believed that on New Year's Eve, the boundary separating the world of the living from the world of the dead was blurred. On the night of October 31 to November 1, they celebrated Samhain - the day on which the spirits of the dead return to Earth.
In 43 AD, the Romans conquered most of the Celtic lands. As a result, during the 400-year intervention, Samhain was combined with two Roman holidays: Feralia (Feralia) and Pomona (Pomona). The first - Feralia - celebrated at the end of October, was dedicated to death. The second - Pomona - was celebrated in honor of Pomona - the goddess of trees and fruits. The symbol of Pomona was an apple - an attribute that has survived to this day and is included in modern Halloween rites.
In the 800s, Christianity began to be imposed on the Celts. Pope Boniface IV - approved November 1 as All Saints' Day, trying to distract the Aryan-Celts from the druidic rites: eradicating "paganism". November 2 later became the Day of Souls - when the dead were commemorated. However, the traditions that have been preserved in the people's memory have not been completely defeated.

Thus, neither the stubborn Catholics nor the Protestants of America, who stole, like everything else, the idea of ​​​​the holiday, failed to emasculate the Vedic Aryan essence from it, WITH WHICH I CONGRATULATE YOU.

Many modern people, celebrating various holidays, do not even realize how ancient history this or that tradition has. Of course, over many centuries, customs can change significantly, so it is sometimes difficult to judge the origins of their occurrence.

origins

The history of Halloween dates back to pre-Christian times. It is believed that this is a Celtic holiday, which is celebrated at the turn of the seasons. We can say that this is a kind of pagan new year.

The ancient Celts were pagans, that is, they worshiped the forces of nature. And one of the most important was, of course, the God of the Sun, who gives people warmth and light. However, with the onset of November, the god of darkness and death Samhain came into his own, pushing the god of the Sun. On the same night, the gates were opened separating the world of the dead from our world and otherworldly forces could influence the living.

To scare away evil spirits, the priests performed special ceremonies: they laid huge bonfires and made sacrifices. And in the morning, the coals from the ritual fire were distributed to people so that they could light their hearths with their help. The sacred fire, born from a particle of the sacrificial fire, was supposed to protect the dwellings from evil throughout the year.

Roman influence

After the Roman legions captured the Celtic lands, they began to actively spread their own traditions. Instead of a day dedicated to Samhain, they began to celebrate a holiday in honor of the Roman goddess. This holiday among the Romans was associated with the remembrance of the departed ancestors. Therefore, the meaning of the holiday has not changed much, and the traditions are closely intertwined.

Christian influence

After the spread of Christianity, the Church was very active in eradicating pagan traditions. However, sometimes the actions of the Church had the opposite effect.

The origin of the Halloween holiday in the form that is celebrated today in most countries today is associated with the decree of the head of the Catholic Church to transfer the holiday in honor of All Saints' Day to the first day of November. This significant event took place in the VIII century. And since then, the pagan holiday has been closely intertwined with the Christian, and acquired the name that we use to this day. The fact is that the word "Halloween" is a distorted phrase, which is translated from English as "Evening, in honor of all Saints."

Around the 16th century, new customs appeared. Children dressed up in masks and costumes and went to neighboring houses, begging for treats and sweets.

It was believed that it was impossible not to treat children dressed in masks of evil spirits. Giving sweets to uninvited guests, the inhabitants perform an action that replaces pagan sacrifices, that is, they “pay off” from evil spirits.

It must be said that those tenants who were greedy and did not give treats to the mummers could literally pay. It was believed that in this case, uninvited guests could misbehave, cover the windows in the house with paint or make a mess in the yard.

After the mass emigration of the inhabitants of Ireland to the American continent, the holiday began to be widely celebrated in America, and in our time it is more popular in the United States than in European countries.

And what about the pumpkin?

Even people who have never celebrated Halloween in their lives know that the main symbol of the holiday is a pumpkin. And especially the lanterns carved from this vegetable. Why did this symbol appear, because the history of the holiday seems to have nothing to do with gardening?

However, the appearance of this symbol is quite natural. Firstly, the holiday is held at the turn of the seasons, when agricultural work is already fully completed, so the pumpkin can be a symbol of a good harvest and a full winter. In addition, the orange color of this vegetable symbolizes the sun, and it is the daylight that evil spirits are most afraid of.

In the Celtic tribes, it was customary to make lanterns from turnips (pumpkins were not grown in Europe in those days). Such lanterns were installed along the road to show the spirits the way.

There is a legend that with such lanterns made of vegetables, lost souls wander through the swamps. In particular, the soul of the cunning Jack, who managed to deceive the devil himself, forcing him to make a promise after Jack's death not to take his soul to hell. But since they didn’t take Jack to paradise either, he has to wander the earth, illuminating the path with a ghostly flashlight.

It was precisely the immigrants who left for America that started making lanterns from pumpkins. And since it is much easier to process a pumpkin than the same turnip, the tradition has spread to other countries. Moreover, the tradition of making pumpkin lanterns is relatively recent, it spread at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Holiday today

Today, few people are interested in the historical significance of the holiday. Halloween has turned into a fun carnival, during which people try on various scary looks and have fun all night until dawn.

Moreover, in many countries the holiday has become not so much religious as commercial. By this day, giant pumpkins are specially grown, they are in great demand. According to statistics, it is on the eve of Halloween that the most sweets are sold. Even before the New Year and Christmas, sales are not so significant.

In addition, the trade in costumes, carnival masks and other attributes of the holiday is flourishing. Themed holiday parties are organized in clubs, cafes and other entertainment venues. Although, of course, many people celebrate this holiday at home with friends.

Holiday in Russia

In Russia, Halloween began to be celebrated relatively recently - in the 90s of the last century. And although the Orthodox Church is extremely negative about Halloween, a lot of people, mostly, of course, young people, like it. Most of those celebrating do not take into account the religious background of the holiday, considering it just a fun carnival.

Despite the relatively recent appearance of the holiday in Russia, our people have already managed to create their own traditions. For example, a custom has appeared to exchange souvenirs with relatives and friends, although in the USA and Europe it is not customary to make any gifts other than sweets on this day.

Halloween is steadily approaching. On October 31, candles in carved pumpkins will be lit in many countries of the world, kilograms of sweets will be eaten and specially prepared creepy costumes will be put on. Or vice versa, funny - after all, Halloween is not so much scary as a fun holiday.

In our country, the annual Halloween battles of parents on the topic of whether to celebrate or not are already in full swing. Some consider it "American devilry", others are already looking for a prettier pumpkin on the market.

Arguments of those who are "against"

Halloween opponents are most often indignant for the following reasons:

  • The holiday is strange and alien, imposed by American fashion. We have many memorable dates of our own, but instead of them we adopt foreign ones. Soon the cherry blossoms in Japan will begin to celebrate!
  • It's a stupid holiday. And this is the mildest definition for a night with dressing up as witches and all sorts of practical jokes.
  • Categorical: demonic, associated with evil symbols of death and vile subcultures. And in general, demons are summoned there.
  • Some believe in the high-profile insinuations in the press that Halloween increases children's fears and presents the subject of death in a negative way.

Irina, son 5 years old: “We do not celebrate and never will! Not our holiday at all. I don't understand why there is such confusion."

Olga, daughters 17 and 13 years old, son a year old: “We have forgotten about our traditions, we are celebrating a holiday that is not at all Russian. Where is our Ivan Kupala? Why not a replacement for Halloween? So we also instill these habits in children, oh where our country is heading ... "

A word to those who are "for"

Parents from another camp are only too happy to celebrate a “foreign” holiday and introduce children to it. Contrary to the opinions of Halloween haters, they:

  • They understand that in this cloudy time there is not enough fun for everyone - both children and adults.
  • They perceive Halloween as a family holiday - it's so great to make a funny costume with the children and treat yourself to unusually decorated goodies.
  • They agree that the holiday is already everywhere. It is held in schools, themed parties rumble in clubs, store shelves are full of paraphernalia, social networks are full of pumpkins and ghosts. It's very hard to keep up.
  • On the contrary, they consider Halloween a good occasion to remember fears, death, and even remember the dead. And talk on this topic with the child, gently leading to its correct perception.

Elena, sons 7 and 4 years old: “We celebrate every year. We love carving pumpkins with kids. They shine beautifully around the house like lanterns.”

Alena, daughter 5 years old: “We are already celebrating the second year. She told the story of the holiday in the form of a fairy tale, noted that it is celebrated in the West (the change of the season from summer to winter among the Celts). From paraphernalia we have a Jack lantern, we make ghosts from balloons (glue noses \ eyes), thematic sets, we change into a pussy, we watch cartoons.


As we found out, not all parents understand what Halloween is and where it came from. Therefore, here are some facts from the site

  • This holiday is not entirely stupid. All of its components had a specific hidden meaning. For a child, learning more about Halloween is also a useful cognitive immersion in the culture of another country. By the way, he will probably learn the language of this very country, and in the process of learning he will certainly encounter traditions and customs.
  • "American holiday" is a misconception. It is originally Celtic. The Irish brought him to the United States with them, and modern Americans are only guilty of loving him very much and infecting other countries with their example.
  • Halloween is not so foreign to us. In ancient times, Veles Night was celebrated in Russia at the end of October. Moreover, it is quite similar: they richly furnished the table and ate kutya, defended themselves from evil spirits and remembered their ancestors.
  • Initially, this is really a pagan holiday, and let you read about sacrifices and other horror stories, its main meaning is to protect against evil spirits. All these disguise and paraphernalia - to protect themselves. Some see the negative in this as well, but is it fair?

Whether you like it or not, the demonic masquerade at the end of October has already become as familiar to us as a bouquet of red tulips in early May or a bowl of dried Olivier on the table after the New Year.

Of course, we still won’t celebrate completely “how is it there”: imagine that the children from your entrance dressed up in strange costumes and call all the apartments in a row, threatening petty pranks if they don’t give out sweets. Doubtful? Of course, many of us don't even know our neighbors very well. At the same time, no one bothers to make a fun costume with a child, put a very healthy pumpkin porridge on the table (which a child is unlikely to eat with pleasure at normal times), bake cookies in the form of fingers and spiders, light candles and watch a thematic cartoon.

MASTER SHADOW THEATER WITH OWN HANDS

Moreover, even if after reading the text you are still categorically against Halloween - alas, your child will still encounter it. Now the holiday is celebrated in many schools, especially in English classes and educational institutions with an emphasis on English. There, Halloween songs and rhymes are corny inscribed in the program, you can’t dodge. It is also significant that on many forums where a heated debate begins between “down with Satanism” and “well, it’s fun”, someone posts their photos from the holiday, and the participants begin to rejoice just as violently at the spectacular image of a mother witch or a baby pumpkin.

To summarize: whether to celebrate Halloween or not is, of course, up to you. However, you should still understand where this holiday came from, and correctly convey it to the child. If you present this evening to the children as a nice family fun, it will become exactly this fun. Look around, perhaps you miss the holiday in these cold gloomy everyday life?

Halloween. An interesting, unusual and so adored holiday in English-speaking countries, but still distant and in many ways incomprehensible to us Slavs. To what and to whom does he owe his appearance? When and where was it celebrated for the first time? Let's figure it out.

What associations does Halloween evoke in you? Surely all of them can be described in just a couple of points: pumpkin lanterns, children dressed in costumes of various evil spirits and, of course, the notorious phrase: "Candy or death!". So, for Americans, British, Canadians, this list will be about the same, for most people, Halloween has become just a fun event with the same paraphernalia. About like New Year for us, because few people know its history, right?

The Jack-O-Lantern seems to be 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, its history goes back at least 1200 years (the first documentary mention dates back to the 8th century AD). It goes back to pagan times, to the traditions of the ancient Celts. Among the Celts who lived on the territory of modern Ireland and Scotland, it was customary to divide the year into two parts: dark and light (roughly speaking, for winter and summer). October 31 was considered the last day in the outgoing year and, accordingly, the end of its bright part, by this time all field work should be completed and the entire crop harvested.

The advent 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 freely roam the wide world. Treats for former ancestors were usually left on the threshold. At the same time, in order to protect themselves from malevolent spirits, people went to little tricks: turnips or rutabaga with scary faces carved out (then without lights) were left on the porch of the house, fire was extinguished in the houses, 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 ancestors, conduct rituals, predict the future... In a word, Samhain was not just a holiday, it was both a harvest festival and a New Year's holiday and a day of honoring the dead.

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

The very same word "Halloween" appeared only in the middle of the XVI century. Its etymology is extremely simple - Halloween is a Scottish abbreviation of the English phrase "All Hallows Even", which literally translates as "All Saints' Evening".

Around the same period, a tradition of begging for treats developed. In large noisy companies, children and adults went from one house to another, demanding refreshments and offering some kind of entertainment in return. There were no Jack-o'-lanterns (pumpkin lanterns) and especially monster costumes at that time, these seemingly classic Halloween attributes appeared only at the end of the 19th century, and already in America.

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

This is such a difficult story of this holiday: it has survived the centuries, has changed beyond recognition in many ways, but at the same time retained its true identity.