Many people think that Halloween is an American tradition, but in fact its roots lie in pagan rituals in Europe.
The tradition of celebrating Halloween or All Hallows' Eve on October 31st dates back to the time of the Celtic Druids. This is an ancient pagan New Year's holiday, previously called not Halloween, but Samhain, symbolized by the transformation of the Celtic summer goddess into the horned god of the winter solstice. It was believed that the spirits of the dead, demons and other beings of otherworldly origin appeared on this night. This is why the tradition of dressing up as various creepy creatures arose.
The main attribute of Halloween is Jack-o'-lanterns carved from pumpkins, but the first lanterns were made not from pumpkins, but from turnips.
An old Irish legend says that Jack-o'-lanterns were named after a man named Jack, who tricked the devil several times and was banned from both heaven and hell. The man was condemned to wander the Earth forever, and by waving a lantern, he tries to lead people out of their way ( "Stingy Jack," Irish folklore)
"Jack the Lantern" is a story about an evil but cunning blacksmith named Jack. He made deals with the devil and with God, but in the end God didn't want to let him go to heaven and the devil didn't want to let him go to hell. So the devil gave him a coal, which Jack put in a turnip, and that's how Jack's lantern was born."
✓ Samhainophobia is the fear of the holiday of Halloween.
✓ The tradition of dressing up as vampires and other creepy creatures on Halloween stems from the Celtic tradition of people dressing up as demons and spirits to ward off evil spirits from their lands. The Celts believed that those who dressed up would be able to ward off the evil spirits' evil intentions.
✓ The owl is a popular symbol of Halloween. In medieval Europe, owls were considered witches, and hearing this bird hooting mean that someone would soon die.
✓ Unmarried Scottish girls believed they would see their future husbands if they hung a wet sheet in front of a bonfire on Halloween night. Other girls believed they would see their boyfriends' faces if they glanced in the mirror while climbing stairs on Halloween night.
✓ The Village Halloween Parade in New York City is the largest Halloween parade in the United States. The parade attracts 50,000 to 80,000 participants and an estimated 2 million spectators.
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