The History of Halloween in the UK
People in the British Isles celebrated a festival called Hallowe’en. It usually started October 31st and finished on November 1st. This festival was believed to have origins in the gaelic festival of Samhain. This festival was regarded as the season of the dead. It was a time when the boundary between this world and the next could easily be crossed. Offerings were made to the spirits or fairies. In some places, people wore masks, either to imitate or hide ugly faces, often because people feared that the dead would not only be seen, but might also eat them.
Halloween was first celebrated in ancient greece (biblical era).
Halloween began as a pagan festival where people honored their dead ancestors. People would dress up in costumes and carry out various rituals around the gravesites of their ancestors.
In Britain, the Celtic tribe of druids called Samhain was the last day of summer. On this day, they believed the barrier between our world and the underworld was at its thinnest. Since darkness could travel easily through the thin barrier, it was thought that spirits were free to roam and cause mischief.
The Celts would hold festivals to ward off evil spirits and encourage good ones. One of these festivals was Samhain, pronounced “Sow-in”. On October 31, each year, the Druids would gather together to pray and sacrifice goats to the gods.
They believed that goats were sacred animals that helped them communicate with the spirit realm. After sacrificing the goat, they would wear masks that had horns similar to those of the goat.
All witches and wizards wear black robes.
It is said that all witches and wizards wear black clothing because it is dark enough to hide from ghosts and ghouls. Witches and wizards have been depicted wearing black garbs since medieval times.
Witches and wizards believe that Halloween is the time when they can work magic without being noticed. If someone sees a witch or wizard perform some type of sorcery, then the person will know who did it. However, if no one saw the spell performed, then nobody will ever find out about it.
Most children choose not to celebrate Halloween.
Most Christian families do not celebrate Halloween. When Halloween was invented, Christianity was still very popular. Many Christians objected to using Roman Catholic symbols. Because of this, many Christian churches decided not to use Halloween celebrations.
However, Halloween celebrations have expanded much beyond just Christianity. A lot of Muslims and Eastern religions also celebrate Halloween. There are even pagan religions that celebrate Halloween.
Why do we call jack o lanterns pumpkins?
In the old days, pumpkins were a symbol of prosperity and fertility. Pumpkins were carved into jack o lanterns because they looked like faces. Jack o lanterns represented prosperity and happiness.
Pumpkin seeds were often thrown into wells to bring good fortune to future generations. These seeds came from the rind of the pumpkin. This is why we say something bad won’t happen if you eat pumpkin seeds.
What does candy corn represent on Halloween?
Candy corn represents the color orange. Orange is a bright and vibrant color that makes us feel happy. Candy corn also represents food. Food represents good feelings in the body. You should only eat things that make you feel good.
Halloween Costumes
It’s traditional for people (especially children) to dress up at Halloween. In the past this wasn’t done just for fun, it was thought that the costume would confuse any evil spirits so they wouldn’t play any pranks on you.
Nowadays Halloween costumes can range from cute to downright scary. The simplest costume has to be draping a white sheet over your head and making a couple of holes for the eyes, but a lot of people go all out as vampires, witches, or a character from a horror film.
The top 10 costumes in 2021 were as follows:-
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Some people even like to get their pets in on the act:-
Images and Symbols Associated with Halloween
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