With October just around the corner, it’s a great time to review the Pagan Festival of Samhain and how it originated. Halloween originates from All Hollows’ Eve, which is an English term meaning “All Hallow Evening” and is the eve of All Hallows Day. It is a European pagan tradition, which was celebrated by ancient Celtics who placed skeletons carved from turnips or rutabaga on their windowsill to honor the departed and scare away superstitions. The name jack-o’-lantern can be traced back to an Irish legend, but didn’t get connected to Halloween until the first of the 19th century. Now, families who celebrate the holiday, do so by carving a comical or scary face into a pumpkin, placing a lit candle in it and setting them next to doorways. Traditional characteristics of this holiday are gothic and horror movies that depict the devil, vampires, Dracula, werewolves, zombies, mummies, black cats, bats, witches and spiders. Films are a great influence in this holiday and children in America dress up as their favorite scary ghoul or Disney character. There is a great selection to choose from in recent years giving kids more choices than ever before.
Trick-or-treating is customary for children to celebrate on Halloween, going from house to house collecting candy. Some families prefer to have parties that include apple dunking, pin the tail on the donkey and tell ghost stories. There are many outside attractions available such as haunted houses, corn mazes and hayrides. Don’t forget about the traditional treats that go with Halloween celebrations, such as candy apples, apple cider and donuts.
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