ABOUT HALLOWEEN

Celts,  a tribal people who inhabited most of Western and Central
Europe in the first millennium BC. Among the Celts, Samhain marked

the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It was one of four Celtic holidays linked to important transitions in the annual cycle of seasons.

Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended into

the following day. So, Halloween is observed on the evening of

October 31 in most areas of North America and in some areas of

 Western Europe. It is symbolically associated with death and the
supernatural. Halloween falls on the eve of All  Saints' Day also known

as Allhallows or Hallowmas, a holy day in the Roman Catholic and
Anglican churches. Originally a pagan festival of the dead, All Saints'

Day was established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century to

honor Christian saints.  All Souls' Day a holy day established by the Catholic Church in the 10th century, is also closely linked to 

Halloween. All  Souls' Day, on November 2, is observed to help

purify the spirits of the dead.

Dressing in costume is one of the most popular Halloween customs,
especially among children. Traditional costumes usually represent

witches, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. However, costumes

inspired by contemporary popular culture, such as politicians or movie
characters, have become increasingly common in recent years. Adults
often  favor costumes with satirical or humorous overtones.

Trick-or-treating is another Halloween tradition, in which costumed
children go from house to house soliciting candy or other treats from

their neighbors. According to this custom, children greet each

homeowner with the cry "Trick or Treat," suggesting that some sort

of prank will be played unless treats are provided. Formerly,

trick-or-treaters vandalized the house if no treats were produced or

if the treats met with their disapproval. Since the early 20th century,
however, the threat of tricks has been largely ceremonial. Beginning

in the 1970s, the practice of trick-or-treating went into a sharp decline after unsubstantiated rumors  spread about homeowners distributing poisoned Halloween candy to children.

Many  parents also became concerned about their children

wandering through the neighborhood after dark.

Today, many parents accompany children when they go

 trick-or-treating.

Updated on October, 11, 2005

Page created on October, 08, 2001