HaLLoWeEn
Halloween started more than 2,000 years ago. It began with the ancient Celtics festival of Samhain. Sainhain was the lord of the dead. Sainhain calls together the wicked souls which has live in the bodies of animals during the year. Samhain marks the beginning winter or the beginning of the darker half of the year because it's the start of the dark and cold winter and it's when a lot of people dies.It's held between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice (October 31- November 1) The Celts believes the night before the new year, the world of the living and the dead becomes one. The living dead will return to earth to cause damage and ruin crops. The Druids builds a huge sacred bonfire for the people to burn crops and to have animals sacrifices to the gods hoping they would protect them from the evil spirits. During the celebration, the Celts wore animal heads and skins as costumes. Those who wore the costumes tries to tell people about their fortunes. Once the celebration is over, the Celtics re lit their bon fire to help protect them during the winter.Not just the celtics who celebrate on October 31st. The romans too! Romans worships different type of gods. On October 31st, in the honour of Pomana, the goddess of fruits trees, romans held a special fest.
The use of "trick or treat" and jack-o-lanterns" came from the Irish hundreds of years ago. The Irish farmers would come to houses and beg for food in the name their gods. Those who gave them food would promise them good-luck through out the year while those who don't, they would make threats. The original saying " You treat me or I'll trick you!" The story of jack-o-lanterns started long ago with the Celtics. There once a man named Stingy Jack. He was a bad man. One day, Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, instead he manage to trick the devil into turning himself into a coin to pay. As Jack decided to keep it, little as the devil know there was a cross in Jack's pants to prevent him from turning back to his real form. There he was trapped until he promise to not brother him until another year and when he died he will not take his soul. The next year, the devil got tricked into picking a fruit up in the tree and while he was there, he got stuck because Jack carve a cross into the tree. The devil was free after he promise Jack not to bother him for 10 more years. After that, Jack died. God didn't let him in heaven because he was wicked. The devil can't take his soul into hell either because of his words. So instead Stingy Jack was to wonder the earth with a burnt coal.
People make jack-o-lanterns to scare away the (evil) spirits. It was turnips and potatoes, but now its pumpkins.
HOW HALLOWEEN BECAME WHAT IT IS TODAY!
It all started with the celtics with their tradition. In year 1000 A.D, Pope Boniface 1V made November 1 a day to honor the saints and martyrs calling it All Saints' Day. Rumors says Pope Boniface wanted a more church related type name. Thats when the the Samhein festival is now called All-Hallows-Eve. Trick or treat came to be was by irish celts coming village to village asking for food exchanging it for prayers. Souling they called it. In England, kids would go around asking for pennies. In Scotlaond, they would perform little entertainment for goodies. Now adays, kids would go up to houses, knock on peoples' door and say trick or treat for candies.
This is where the costumes comes in. In the past people dress up to disguise themselves amoung the spirits just in case they have bad intentions with them.. It is said that the souls of the dead can't go to the next world until All Saints' Day. And thats the day where spirits can also take care of unfinish business againt their ememies.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!
(even though it's a little late)
http://www.holybible.com/resources/halloween.htm
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