Happy Halloween

cat eyes







Customs and superstitions gathered through the ages
go into the celebration of Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, on
October 31, the Christian festival of All Saints. It has its
origins, however, in the autumn festivals of earlier times.
PumpkinPumpkin
The ancient Druids had a three-day celebration at the
beginning of November. They believed that on the last night of
October spirits of the dead roamed abroad, and they lighted
bonfires to drive them away. In ancient Rome the festival of
Pomona, goddess of fruits and gardens, occurred at about this
time of year. It was an occasion of rejoicing associated with
the harvest; and nuts and apples, as symbols of the winter
store of fruit, were roasted before huge bonfires. But these
agricultural and pastoral celebrations also had a sinister aspect,
with ghosts and witches thought to be on the prowl.
witchwitch
Even after November 1 became a Christian feast day
honoring all saints, many people clung to the old pagan beliefs
and customs that had grown up about Halloween. Some tried to
foretell the future on that night by performing such rites as
jumping over lighted candles. In the British Isles great bonfires
blazed for the Celtic festival of Samhain. Laughing bands of
guisers (young people disguised in grotesque masks) carved lanterns
from turnips and carried them through the villages.
Witches HatWitches Hat
In the United States children carved faces on
hollowed-out pumpkins and put lighted candles inside to make
jack-o'-lanterns. Halloween celebrations today reflect many of
these early customs. Stores and homes display orange and black
figures of witches, bats, black cats, and pumpkins. People
dressed in fanciful outfits go to costume parties, where
old-fashioned games like bobbing for apples in tubs of water
may be a part of the festivities. Children put on costumes and
masks and go from house to house demanding "trick or treat."
The treat, usually candy, is generally given and the trick
rarely played. Some parents feel this custom is dangerous.
There have been numerous instances in which sharp objects or
poisons have been found in candy bars and apples. To provide
an alternative to begging for candy from strangers, many
communities schedule special, supervised parties and events
at Halloween. The United Nations has used the Halloween observance
to collect money for its children's fund.
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Excerpted from Compton's New Century Encyclopedia
and Reference Collection II
Copyright (c) 1995 Compton's NewMedia, Inc.

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