What kind of holiday is this?

Terrifying music that tickles the nerves, costume parties, evil spirits roaming the streets of the city… A day when everything secret can come out. Girls try on images of witches and fortune tellers, and boys try on skeletons and monsters from the afterlife. Houses turn into mysterious crypts from the most mystical fairy tales. Pumpkins become ominous candlesticks and indispensable elements of decor. Yes, we all know this – Halloween! It is customary to celebrate it on the night from October 31 to November 1.

How did the idea of ​​celebrating Halloween come about?in?

Halloween traces its roots back to the ancient Celts. It is customary to consider the ancient Samhain as the beginning of the modern holiday. According to the pagan beliefs of the Celts, Samhain belonged to the four main calendar holidays.

In many Celtic peoples, the first of November was the beginning of the new year, and that is why the border between the worlds of the living and the dead was considered erased. One of the Irish sagas tells us that on this day, kings and chieftains gathered and organized national festivities.

During such festivities, it was customary to bring gifts to the hosts (most often they were carcasses of pigs or other livestock). One of the rituals was the lighting of the fire – on the eve of the holiday, all the fires around were extinguished and a new one was lit. Human skulls were hung on the walls of houses and around to scare away evil spirits.

It was believed that by Samhain it is necessary to finish all the started affairs and enter the new year cleansed. On this night, the forces of chaos could make their way to the world of the living.

The sacrifices dedicated to this holiday cannot be left without attention either. Meat and bones of domestic animals were usually sacrificed. In this way, they received help from the gods and showed their affection for them.

Later, with the advent of Christianity, the Samhain holiday changed its name to All Saints’ Day. With the change of name, the traditions of the celebration have also changed, but on the foundation of ancient celebrations. Already in the 16th century, on the evening of October 31, they began to wear cloth masks and beg for sweets, going from house to house.

Instead, full-fledged thematic costumes and the carving of scary pumpkins appeared only at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Currently, the biggest fans of this holiday are the USA, Great Britain, Canada and Ireland. In Ukraine, All Saints’ Day or Halloween began to be celebrated only in the 1990s. Every year, the traditions of the celebration are replenished with new and exciting ideas.

Halloween in history

• ancient celts

  Halloween traces its roots back to the ancient Celts. It is customary to consider the ancient Samhain as the beginning of the modern holiday.
• the advent of Christianity

  With the advent of Christianity, the Samhain holiday changed its name to All Saints’ Day.
• 16th century

  Already in the 16th century, on the evening of October 31, they began to wear cloth masks and beg for sweets, going from house to house.
• XIX-XX
  on the edge

  Full-fledged thematic costumes and the carving of scary pumpkins appeared only at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.
• 1990
  ?

  In Ukraine, All Saints’ Day or Halloween began to be celebrated only in the 1990s.

Statistics

According to an online survey of residents of large cities in Ukraine, 49% are sure that this holiday is not Christian and therefore do not celebrate it, and 19% prefer fun and noisy celebration of this holiday. 10% consider Halloween a waste of money and 9% against any noise after 11 p.m. An interesting fact is that 7% of respondents are not against making money from selling pumpkins. But only 6% of people do not have a clear position regarding the holiday.

Frequent Questions and answers about Halloween

How to celebrate Halloween?

For those who are crazy about various parties, bright and unusual costumes, it’s a holiday Halloween – just a find! People who believe in the existence of everything otherworldly and unclean also find their outlet on this day.

1. Preparations begin even before the holiday. Houses are decorated with artificial webs, scary decorations in the form of witches, skeletons and spiders.
2. In the yard, pumpkins are displayed in the form of carved faces with candles or lanterns in the middle to scare away evil spirits. You can make such decor yourself from materials at hand or buy ready-made thematic products. In any case, the decorating part adds even more fun and sets the festive mood.
3. Halloween gives an opportunity to try on the most daring images. And how much positive thinking brings about your costume and future make-up! On this day, most establishments usually have appropriate decor and arrange entertainment events with a mandatory dress code. Therefore, absolutely everyone will be able to find a party to their taste.
4. For the younger generation in Ukraine, the so-called game “Life or Candy” is gaining more and more popularity. Children dress up in fancy costumes and visit strangers’ houses and jokingly ask for candy. In turn, benevolent hosts treat them with sweets, thereby protecting their home from brawlers.
5. Do not forget that you can surprise your loved ones with a themed dinner. Before the holiday, the choice of pumpkins becomes simply huge, so you can easily bake pies, cupcakes and various strange sweets. Their aroma and bright orange color will certainly not leave you without attention.

Postcards for Halloween

More Halloween cards

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Why do we love this day?

Despite the relative youth of the celebration of Halloween in Ukraine, the holiday has a fairly large number of supporters. Someone feels closeness with their ancestors on this day, for someone it is another reason to get together with family or friends. It cannot be denied that the amount of positive emotions that Halloween gives us is simply incredible!

When will we celebrate? Halloween?