| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
Excerpted from Compton's New Century Encyclopedia
and Reference Collection II
Copyright (c) 1995 Compton's NewMedia, Inc.
-----------------------------------
| Holidays Home | Halloween Home |
| Site Wars Halloween Trick or Treat Pages |
| Treats page 1 | Treats page 2 |
| Treats page 3 | Treats page 4 |
| Treats page 5 |
| Home |
| Michele |
Links |
Sign Language |
| Adoptions |
Animals
| Say No To Drugs |
| Holidays | History |
All graphics and
pages are copyright © 1997 - 2008 Pages 4 Ever
(except where noted). Do not take, copy, steal, plagiarize or use in any
way, shape or format without the express written permission of Pages
4 Ever.
Pages 4 Ever
Family
Sweety Pie
Outdoors
Special Occassions
Travel
Faith
Animals
Organizations/Causes
Poetry
Recipes
Collectibles
U. S. History
9/11/2001 Tribute
Fun
Jokes
Awards
Links
Some backgrounds and graphics made from clipart acquired from ArtToday, Boxed Art,
friends, my own imagination, and/or
graphic CD collections that I have purchased. If you find anything on this site
that you have copyright to, and can prove it, please let me know and I will
gladly either remove it or place a link back to you, whichever you prefer.
If you should find any broken links, please drop us a line and let us know the
exact URL the broken link is on. Thank you.