Saturday 18 October 2008

Halloween - Trick Or Treat?

Where did Halloween come from? Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic harvest festival, in Ireland and ancient Britain, when the spirits of the dead were thought to revisit their homes in the forms of ghosts, goblin, demon and witches.

In the 9th century, the Catholic church observed November 1st as "All Saints Day" on honor of all the saints in heaven and the secular version is celebrated on October 31st became known as "All Hallow's Eve."

How did Halloween come the united States? Halloween was first introduced to the United States in the last century by Irish immigrants as a secular occasion for trick-or-treating and making mischief.

Trick-or-Treating: The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging for candy from door to door goes way back to the Middle Ages. This resembles the medieval practice of "souling" when poor people would go door to door receiving food in return for prayers for the dead.

Why do we wear Halloween costumes? This tradition is called guising because off all of the disguises worn by children in Scotland and northern England. This practice like trick-or treating only arose in the twentieth century.

Candy Apples a favorite treat: Because the holiday comes in the wake of the annual apple harvest, candy apples (also known as toffee, taffy or caramel apples) are a common Halloween treat. Apples are rolled in a sticky sugar syrup and sometimes rolled in nuts.

Religious perspective: In Ireland, Halloween is far more traditional with cultural and historical significance than in the United States. In North America, Christian attitudes are quite diverse. Some consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith and offer an alternative to Halloween as a fall or harvest festival.

To see crazy costumes people wear during Halloween, visit Halloween: Trick-or-Treat

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