Halloween is one of the most popular festivals, which is being celebrated on 31st of October every year. When you hear the word Halloween, pictures of games, parties, Halloween costumes and trick or treating would definitely come into your mind.
People who live in United States are the biggest celebrators of Halloween. However, it is being celebrated in many other countries in the world as well. Halloween is a festival that is associated with a rich history. In other words, the origin of Halloween dates back to about 2000 years. About 2000 years ago, Celts were organizing sacred ceremonies. These ceremonies were organized on the eve of October 31st because the objective of the event was to celebrate the upcoming New Year. At that time, these religious ceremonies were called as Samhain.
Celts strongly believed that 31st of October was a special night of the year. They believed that the spirits of dead people come back to earth on this day. They also believed that the comeback of these spirits can give life to a lot of troubles. This gave life to the concept of Halloween. As you can see, Halloween was not about Halloween costumes or candy at that time. It was more of a life and death situation at that time. Celts believed that their gods are in a position to provide enhanced protection to them against the spirits of dead. As a result, they started lighting fireplaces in the honor of gods. In addition, they wore lavish costumes, which are made out of animal heads and skins on the eve of 31st October. They believed that these activities would help them to get the attention of gods, which can keep them away from all sorts of danger.
The concept of Halloween changed when the Celts were conquered by Romans. Along with time, the celebrations changed, but people preferred having all of them on 31st of October. By the 20th Century, Halloween became one of the most awaited celebrations in United States. In the meantime, it received much attention from many other religions across the world as well. As a result, people in all parts of the world started celebrating Halloween according to a one common theme.
In today’s world, people celebrate Halloween in many different ways. On the night of 31st October, people love to dress themselves in scary looking costumes. Once they get into the Halloween costumes, they go from one house to another with trick or treating. Children enjoy the Halloween celebrations more than anyone else. However, it is important to keep in mind that Halloween fun is not just limited to children. People who belong to all age categories can think about enjoying this special day. On the Halloween day, people take a moment to look back at the long lost tradition as well. As a result, the idea about the history and significance of Halloween is being transferred from one generation to another along with time.
