Where is Halloween celebrated? Halloween - the eve of All Saints' Day: history and traditions of the holiday

On the night of October 31 to November 1, the USA and Canada celebrate an ancient Celtic holiday, also called All Hallows' Eve. Recently, the holiday has also become popular in Europe and Russia.

The New Year celebration took place on the night of November 1st. On this night, according to the ancient belief of the Celts, the worlds of the living and the dead opened their doors, and the inhabitants of the other world made their way to earth. The Celts called this night Samhain or Samhain. In order not to become victims of spirits and ghosts, the Celts extinguished the fire in their houses and put on animal skins to scare away uninvited strangers. On the street near the houses, treats were left for the spirits, and the people themselves gathered around the fires lit by the Druid priests and sacrificed animals.

After the sacrifice, people took the sacred fire to bring it into their homes. The symbol of the holiday was a pumpkin. Not only did it signify the end of summer and the harvest, but it also scared away evil spirits with the sacred fire that was lit inside it.

Halloween is celebrated on the greatest scale in the USA and Canada, where it is most popular. In the 19th century, a huge number of Irish emigrated to the New World, bringing with them the traditions of Halloween. In the United States, Halloween is the holiday when the most candy is sold, and the second holiday, after Christmas, in terms of total pre-holiday sales. It even has its own capitals - Los Angeles and New York, where the most vibrant and colorful festivities and carnivals take place on this day.

American Halloween attributes: Jack-o-lanterns and begging for candy - Trik or trak. The ancient ritual of Trik or trak (“Treat or treat”) has become a favorite game of children, who dress up in monster costumes and go to neighbors’ houses, scaring adults, who, in order to appease the “ghosts,” pay them off with sweets.

Even though Americans have been celebrating Halloween for more than two centuries, the holiday is not official. However, this does not stop New World residents from spending a lot of money every year on pumpkins, decorations, candles and greeting cards.

In Germany, Halloween is celebrated no less colorfully. Frankenstein's Castle in Darmstadt (Hesse) attracts thousands of people dressed in monster costumes on the night of November 1, and local residents believe that it is on this night that the owner's ghost appears on the castle roof.

In France, the most impressive processions take place in the Paris suburb of Disneyland and in the city of Limoges, where more than 30 thousand people come annually. This is where the most memorable parades of goblins, vampires and ghosts take place, lighting their way with jack-o'-lanterns.

In China, Halloween is known as Teng Chieh - the day of remembrance of ancestors. On this day, the Chinese place food and water in front of photographs of deceased relatives, as well as a lantern to illuminate the path for the souls of ancestors traveling on Halloween night.

In Russia, Halloween appeared quite recently and its popularity does not yet compare with the popularity of the American holiday, but it has already gained its traditions and its fans. There are many of them among young people who celebrate it noisily and cheerfully in clubs and discos. Many club-type entertainment establishments prepare various Halloween parties for their guests on the last day of October.

Conducted in October 2012, more than half of Russians (64%) have an idea about the Halloween holiday, but do not celebrate it. According to the study, only 9% of Russians intended to celebrate Halloween, and 27% of respondents know nothing about All Saints' Day.

Representatives of traditional religions in Russia are playing games with evil spirits, which, according to them, is alien to Russian culture and is only suitable for atheists and “fooling around” youth.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The popular holiday of Halloween today has a rich history. The ancient traditions of this day are still honored in many countries.

Nowadays, when we hear the word “Halloween,” we think of creepy fancy dress costumes and jack-o-lanterns. There are many films dedicated to Halloween, and almost all of them are scary to watch without a cheerful company nearby. Every year the scope of this holiday increases, but the traditions and history of Halloween are still alive, and their echoes can still be heard.

History of Halloween: origins and origins

The history of Halloween is quite confusing and shrouded in the darkness of secrets and mysteries. As scientists have found out, the birth of this day was given by the Celts: their holiday Samhain lies at the origins of Halloween. Samhain was a pagan ritual festival that was celebrated back in the 10th century in the territory of the modern British Isles, namely Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is believed that at this time the Celts took care of the souls of the dead, as the gates between the worlds opened, and the dead could wander the Earth all night.

But it cannot be said that the Celts dedicated Samhain only to evil spirits. For example, the word "Samhain" comes from the Celtic name for November, which means it could be a festival of the harvest or the end of summer. From this time on, winter began in the Celtic calendar.

A number of scientists believe that Samhain received a negative connotation later, when Christianity supplanted paganism, and in some places, on the contrary, intertwined with it. Halloween suffered a second fate. The monks considered the Celtic celebration an unclean revelry, the rituals of scaring away ghosts - demonic possession, and gradually the holiday changed a lot. And since its date coincided with All Hallows' Eve, the name Halloween comes from the Scottish abbreviation of the English phrase "All-Hallows-Eve", "All Hallows' Eve".

The essence of Halloween

Modern Halloween is a carnival, fun night (or even more than one). Halloween traditions may have changed, but each has its own origin story.

Candies or life. On the evening before Halloween, children demand candy from all their neighbors, dressing up as little ghosts or witches. “Trick or treat”, “trick or treat” - the words can be different, but the essence is the same: in a humorous form, children ask adults to give them more candy, otherwise it will be bad.

Costumes. It is believed that the ancient Celts used creepy clothes and masks to scare away evil spirits from their homes. So you can take this method into service: hang a scary mask above the entrance to your house, outside, on Halloween night from October 31 to November 1, and not a single poltergeist will definitely come near you. The first Halloween costumes were not at all elegant or festive: they depicted either thin people or very frightening evil spirits. But now the Halloween outfit has evolved. So don't forget to think about your holiday costume - dressing like a zombie is not at all necessary, you can be both a pretty witch and a brave fighter against evil.

Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin. An invariable attribute - a Halloween pumpkin - accompanies All Hallows' Eve. You might be surprised to learn how scary Halloween pumpkins can be, and you might also get a few ideas to try. The history of the Halloween pumpkin is almost as fascinating as the history of Halloween itself. Initially, faces on vegetables could be carved for ceremonies and rituals. So a smiling apple with a funny face may well decorate a Halloween table. Why is the pumpkin called “Jack-O-Lantern” and “Jack-O-Lantern”? According to legend, many centuries ago, the cunning rascal Jack deceived the devil himself, and he did not let him into hell by throwing coal after him. And now Jack wanders, lighting his way with the coal that he put in the pumpkin, and will wander until the Day of Judgment.

Festive table. Of course, any pumpkin dishes will be appropriate. You can bake pumpkin pie, or you can prepare pumpkin porridge in the morning. Very often, all kinds of apple desserts are prepared for Halloween, for example, jams or caramel apples. You can simply decorate the table with a ghost or witch theme.

Have a lot of fun by throwing your own Halloween at home: laughter and joy reduce negative energy. We wish you a happy Halloween, and don't forget to press the buttons and

26.10.2016 13:22

The main attribute of the festive decoration on Halloween is, of course, the pumpkin. And for her to look decent -...

One of the most mysterious holidays is Halloween. On the one hand, this is a carnival, during which you can have fun until you drop, on the other hand, in most cases, guests choose the darkest and most terrible images - monsters, revived dead people.

However, the characters of the Halloween holiday are so diverse that it is difficult to even say which costume is not suitable for this holiday.

Fairy tale characters

It is not at all necessary to disfigure yourself with terrible makeup and drench yourself in artificial blood. Romantic images may be quite appropriate. For example, white angel, fairy, elf.

It is especially recommended to choose pleasant images for children. Kids can dress up as fairy tale characters. Girls make cute princesses, Snow Whites, Little Red Riding Hoods. Boys can be offered costumes of gnomes, foresters or heroes from “The Wizard of the Emerald City” - the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman.

You can use animal images, offering kids images of a cat, a tiger cub, a bear cub.

Sexy characters

Women, in principle, do not tend to disfigure themselves, so not every girl wants to appear in the image of an evil old witch with a wart on her nose. But there are also sexy female Halloween characters. Moreover, the choice of characters of this type for girls is practically unlimited.

The same witch may not look ugly, but attractive and seductive. There are many more sexy images. You can, for example, dress up as a devil, a pirate leader, or a little robber.

Departed celebrities

Quite often, for a Halloween party, the image of famous actors or singers who have already passed into another world is chosen. To become recognizable, you will need the work of a professional makeup artist. Often chosen images include Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and John Lennon. Girls prefer the images of Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor.

Traditional characters

It is traditional to dress up as skeletons and witches on Halloween. The first version of the image is associated with the veneration of death. And it is customary for witches to dress up, since it is witches who know how to communicate with spirits and the world of the dead.

Also, a fairly traditional option are the dead who have risen from their graves, werewolves and ghouls.

Movie characters

But the most popular characters for Halloween are, of course, the heroes of various films. Moreover, horror films are not necessarily taken as a basis. For example, a very popular image today are the inhabitants of the planet Pandora, that is, the heroes of the film Avatar.

But, of course, the characters in horror films are beyond competition. Thanks to them, the scariest characters for Halloween are created. Photos of the heroes of some films can really terrify, therefore, these characters are among the most popular.

The most popular Halloween characters associated with films:

• Count Dracula. This is perhaps the most famous vampire of all time. However, after the release of the Twilight film series, the bloodsucker count was greatly displaced on the pedestal of popularity by a noble vampire named Edward.

• Freddy Krueger. Despite the fact that films about the adventures of the not particularly handsome Freddy were released more than thirty years ago, this character is still popular. To create this look, you can buy a spectacular latex mask.

• Leatherface. The film about the adventures of a maniac who not only killed people, but also sewed masks for himself from human skin, was released back in 1974, however, it is still included in the list of the most terrible and bloody. Therefore, the character from this film is often chosen to create an image for Halloween.

• Billy from Saw. The creepy puppet, which is used by a homicidal maniac to negotiate with victims, is quite a popular character for Halloween. Moreover, creating this image is relatively easy: the most recognizable features are a white face, black eyes with red pupils and blush on the cheeks, drawn in the form of spirals.

• Creepy Chucky doll, which is possessed by the soul of a serial killer. This image evokes horror even by its appearance, since the face of the killer doll is covered with numerous scars.

• Maleficent. This beautiful witch is often seen at Halloween parties.

• Annabelle. A creepy doll with an angelic appearance and a devilish essence - a suitable character for Halloween.

• Samara Morgan from the movie "The Ring". This very scary girl can scare anyone with her appearance.

• Queen of Hearts. This image from the latest production of "Alice in Wonderland" was very popular with girls.

• Bellatrix Lestrange. Fans of the story about Harry Potter introduced fashion to this character. To create the image of Voldemort's most faithful comrade-in-arms, you won't have to seriously disfigure yourself, but the traits of madness must be present in this heroine.

The list of movie characters and images that you can try to recreate for Halloween is endless. You can use film classics, for example, why not dress up as Pannochka from Gogol’s Viy. Or get ideas from new films that come out every year.

How to choose the right character?

The list of Halloween characters can be endless, since it is a carnival, and at a carnival anything is possible. But such a variety of images makes it difficult to choose. How to choose the character you want to transform into during the party?

You can, for example, choose an image based on your date of birth, or more precisely, on the signs of the zodiac. The recommendations of astrologers extend to the area of ​​choosing a costume and makeup for a party.

But it’s better to focus not on other people’s recommendations, but on your own feelings. The character that is planned to be embodied should, if not be liked (how, for example, can a homicidal maniac be liked?), then at least touch a nerve. Only in this case will it be possible to create a truly interesting image, and not just a “cast” of the screen hero.

When choosing a suit, you need to take into account your own personality. If a person is modest in life and does not like to be the center of attention, then he should not wear a suit that is too provocative. You definitely need to wear the chosen suit at home for a while to get used to it and understand how to move in it. For example, a girl who normally wears only jeans and trousers may feel awkward wearing a tight minidress.

Somehow this day passes me by, but more and more people became interested in it and I decided to find out what kind of holiday Halloween is, where it came from, its essence and traditions. In 2017 and beyond, since the date of celebration is constant, it will be celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1, on the eve of All Saints' Day, which is celebrated by Catholics.

What kind of holiday is Halloween?

On this night, suddenly, unexpectedly, in different countries, all sorts of evil spirits are activated on the streets of cities and towns - ominous and frightening ghouls, vampires, zombies, sometimes quite attractive witches and funny little devils. Where does it come from? The answer is simple - the time has come to celebrate Halloween and all these evil spirits are just people dressed up in such strange costumes.

Although this day is not considered a day off, it is quite widespread in English-speaking countries - Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the USA, Canada and others. Gradually, interest in him is also emerging in Russia. Since the Halloween holiday came to us not so long ago, young people are more interested in it and celebrate it quite cheerfully in nightclubs and parties, dressing up in appropriate costumes.

Why is there such interest in this day? I don’t know how it is in other countries, but here, it seems to me, this is, firstly, just something new, and secondly, there is an unusual background to this day, connected with the mysterious other world. Or maybe because they talk about him a lot, and what is heard arouses interest. In countries where it is actively celebrated, it is already more of a commercial holiday. Its attributes begin to be sold in the summer and people spend more and more money on it every year.
Halloween is considered second, after Christmas, in terms of total pre-holiday sales turnover.

The history and essence of Halloween

The history of this day goes back to the pre-Christian era, during the times of the Celtic tribes who lived in what is now France, Ireland, and Great Britain.

They had their own calendar and according to it the year was divided into two parts - the light part of the year (summer) and the dark part (winter). October 31 - this day was called Samhain, which meant “end of summer”, work on the land ended, the last harvest was harvested. Also, October 31 was, according to the Celtic calendar, the last day of the outgoing year. These peoples had a special attitude towards death; they believed that without death there could be no life. After the night, a day comes, a year passes, but there will be a new one, until the leaves on the trees fall, new ones appear, life and death are always nearby, so on this day it was customary to honor the dead.

The New Year celebration began a few days in advance, lasted a whole week, and the night of November 1 was the middle of the holiday. The Celts believed that it was on this New Year's Eve that the door to the other world opened and the dark forces of this world, ghosts, and the souls of the dead came out to people. The Celts were afraid of becoming victims of aliens and tried to do everything to scare them away from their homes. They put out fires in their houses, dressed themselves in animal skins, lit large fires, and slaughtered livestock for sacrifice to pay off the dead. The fires were lit in two rows and they walked between them with children in their arms and jumped over small fires. The Celts believed that after going through such a ritual, they would enter the New Year with a pure soul, since the fire of bonfires can cleanse a person.

They also had a tradition of carving faces from turnip fruits that showed a variety of emotions. When leaving the holiday, each family took their head, inside which coals from the Sacred fires were placed; it was believed that this would protect them from evil spirits that could wander until the morning. For protection purposes, they also lit fires in their homes using these coals.

With the advent of Christianity, these pagan rituals could have gone into oblivion, since church ministers did not approve of the “Sabbath,” as they called the celebration of Samhain around the fires.
Apparently, in order to eradicate pagan rituals forever, or maybe for some other reason, Pope Gregory III in the 9th century decided to move All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1. At that time, this day was dedicated to those saints who did not have their own holiday during the year. The day before (October 31) was called All Hallows Even or All Hallows Eve in Old English. Later the name was transformed into the familiar Halloween. Apparently, due to the coincidence of the dates of the pagan holiday Samhain and All Saints' Day, it has led to the fact that since then Christianity has miraculously coexisted with the mystical traditions and beliefs of Halloween.
In the USA, Halloween appeared thanks to the Irish, who fled en masse to America from hunger and unemployment. People liked the holiday and all residents of the country began to celebrate it, regardless of race.

Traditions and attributes of Halloween

Of course, modern Halloween no longer has the same traditions that the Celts had.

In America, where Halloween was especially popular, a fashion arose to organize various minor hooliganism on this day, but later, the American Boy Scouts, in order to preserve the holiday, since its popularity was high, decided to promote the celebration without vandalism. Hooliganism was replaced by a masquerade and in general it is believed that this is a holiday of fun, scary stories, practical jokes, games and fortune telling.

Costumed children and youth go from house to house and beg for sweets, asking the question: “treats or tricks?” This is also a Halloween tradition. If the owner suddenly gets greedy, they can do something dirty to him, for example, coating the door handle with soot. If they give a treat, then in response the children sing songs or recite poems.

Particularly popular on this day are such attractions as the “Panic Room” and “Haunted Room”, where visitors are frightened by various frightening sounds, creaks, and howls.

The main attribute of this day is the Jack-o'-lantern, which is made from a pumpkin.

To do this, take a large fruit, cut off the top, remove all the pulp, cut out holes for the eyes and mouth, and place a lit candle inside. It is believed that such a lamp protects the house from evil spirits.

This symbol has a long-standing legend.

One man, named Jack, managed to fool the Devil twice and he promised not to take his soul. But Jack did not lead the most righteous life, accumulated many sins and was not allowed into Paradise after death. Unneeded by either the Devil or God, Jack began to wander in search of Purgatory. He illuminated his path with a lantern carved from a hollow turnip, in which the remains of coals smoldered.

Costumes are also a mandatory attribute of the holiday and they are very unusual - they are images of various supernatural characters from fairy tales and horror films.

Decorating your home for Halloween

In addition to the Jack-o'-lantern, the house is decorated with other attributes for the holiday - garlands of bats, a witch's broom, cobwebs with spiders, ghosts are made from sheets, posters in the theme. There must be a lot of candles to celebrate the holiday without light, only by candlelight. When decorating a room, apples are used; they must also be present, not only as food, but in the form of compositions and candlesticks.

The outside of the house is decorated with glowing garlands, and Jack-o'-lanterns are placed around the garden.

Family feasts on this day are also a tradition, where the main food is apple and pumpkin dishes, for example, baked apples, stuffed pumpkin, baked or baked. Small surprises are often placed in baked goods and used for predictions, for example, a coin for wealth, or a ring for a wedding.

What to tell children about Halloween

In countries where this day is popular, children participate in it with pleasure and probably know everything about it. Should we tell our children about it, since our Orthodox Church opposes this holiday and considers it far from harmless? Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the synodal department for interaction between the Church and society of the Moscow Patriarchate, says this about Halloween:

From childhood, the rituals associated with this day teach people that they need to pay some tribute to evil, reconcile with it, even cooperate - instead of fighting evil and decisively rejecting it, as the Russian Orthodox Church teaches.

I believe that even if you have a negative attitude towards him and also consider him a stranger, the child may hear about him from his peers and ask you a question. And why don’t you tell us about the history and traditions of Halloween, and also tell us about your attitude towards this day.

I told you what kind of day Halloween is, but whether to consider it a holiday or not, the choice is yours.

Elena Kasatova. See you by the fireplace.

Halloween, celebrated massively and noisily on the night from October 31 to November, recently became popular in Slavic countries, meanwhile, this holiday is one of the oldest in the world. Its history dates back thousands of years, rooted in paganism and the traditions of the ancient Celts. The strange customs of this unusual holiday, during which people dress up in, to put it mildly, unsmiling costumes, actually have a completely understandable meaning.

Samhain - the forerunner of Halloween

During the time of the Celts, a people living in the territory of modern England, Northern France and Ireland, it was customary to divide the year into winter and summer. October 31st was considered the last day of the year. The Celts attributed mythical power to this date; they believed that on the night before the onset of winter, the souls of dead people descend to the earth in the form of ghosts, and the earthly world is temporarily united with the other world.

Panickingly afraid of ghosts, the ancient inhabitants of modern Europe dressed up in frightening robes made from animal skins. On this night, it was customary for all houses to extinguish the fire and go outside to the common fires. To appease guests from the other world, the Celts laid out delicacies in front of their houses and sacrificed domestic animals.

The main attribute of Samhain, the name given to the ancient holiday of the transition from summer to winter, was a pumpkin. It symbolized the completion of agricultural work and served as a scaring torch. Ancient people cut the flesh out of the pumpkin, made holes in the skin and placed fire taken from the holy fire inside. It was believed that if you light a fire at home, near which the sacrifice was made, then the house will be protected from evil spirits all winter, and family members will not get sick.

The ancient holiday of Samhain, or, as it was also called, Samhain, survived in its original form until the first century BC. With the advent of Christianity, pagan rituals were under strict church ban, but the people secretly told their descendants about the traditions, so they did not forget about the holiday, and in due time it returned in a slightly modified form.

Halloween in the Christian era

In the ninth century, the church, tired of fighting the unkillable pagan holiday, proclaimed the first of November All Saints' Day, ordering on this day to honor the saints who did not have a separate holiday on the calendar. However, the reaction of the people turned out to be unpredictable - Samhain began to be celebrated again according to the usual scenario. Only the name of the holiday has changed. All Saints' Day - All Hallows Even, began to be called Halloween for short.

In the year 1000, the church made another attempt to take control of the pagan holiday and established All Souls Day on November 2, calling on Christians to remember all the dead. So Samhain received its second legal birth in Christianity, but the main traditions - frightening costumes, bonfires and mass gatherings remained unchanged.

In the 19th century, emigrants brought the tradition of celebrating the night of the dead with them to America. On the land of the Indians, the holiday was enriched with new, even more terrifying colors and turned into a mass celebration. Americans began to dress up in ghost costumes, scare each other with chilling stories, tell fortunes, organize mass dances around bonfires and walk from house to house, symbolizing the wandering dead.

The pumpkin with eyes acquired its own legend - in America it was believed that this was the head of Jack, a good-for-nothing drunkard who had no place in either hell or heaven. His damned soul found refuge in a pumpkin, and now it wanders around the world in such a terrifying form.

Towards the beginning of the 20th century, the state decided to take control of Halloween. Gradually, all superstitious fears and rituals became a thing of the past. Only good things remain from the holiday: fun, fancy dress costumes, a glowing pumpkin, the custom of visiting guests, collecting treats and gifts.

Halloween in Russia

In Russia, Halloween has been known for no more than ten years, but the number of its fans, despite the disapproval of the Christian church, is growing every year. On the eve of October 31, pumpkin becomes the most popular vegetable in stores and markets. Frightening and funny heads are cut out of it. Candles and safe battery-powered lamps are inserted into the resulting lanterns.

The terrible night is especially loved by young people. Young people dress up in carnival costumes, throw parties, have fun at discos and clubs, and organize competitions for the most original costume and the most beautiful pumpkin head.

In houses on the night from October 31 to November 1, it is necessary to turn off the lights, scaring away the evil spirits wandering the earth. Fans of the holiday decorate the house with all sorts of horrors: juices that imitate blood, fresh liver, bones, ghosts made from white sheets. Of course, all this is nothing more than a game that allows everyone to return to childhood and feel like they are in a fairy tale.