Scare Up Some Fun On Halloween
Halloween History
The history of Halloween dates back a couple thousand years to the Celtic people who lived in what is now Great Britain and Northern France. The Celts lead by Druid Priests practiced pagan rituals on October 31st, a day that marked the change from Fall to Winter. The day now is a mix of these ancient Celtic practices, folk traditions, Harvest celebrations, along with Roman and Catholic rituals. The Catholic observance of All Saints Day gave rise to the observance of ‘All Hallows Eve’ for the night before November 1st which eventually morphed into the name, Halloween.
Although religion and superstitions surrounded the holiday, by the 19th century Halloween became a secular based Holiday. It is hard to say how an event filled with demons, witches and walking dead became a children’s and family holiday but it is now celebrated around the world. Many of the original observances of bon fires, costumes and bobbing for apples have remained. In most places kids dress up as ghosts and goblins, people decorate homes with black cats and spider webs while Haunted Houses are created just for the occasion.
Halloween activities now include adult and kids events, club nights, corn field mazes, jack-o-lantern carving and trick or treating. ‘Trick-or-Treating’ is still the main reason kids love Halloween… free candy! Also derived from a Medieval tradition, Children dressed in costumes go door to door begging for a treat with the threat of playing a trick on anyone who doesn’t add to their sack of sweets. The candy and food industries have taken advantage of Holiday and packaged every type of treat into small sizes that are perfect for parties and