Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween

Are you ready for Halloween? I don't really care for Halloween, it's no big deal to me. Back in the days in P.I. my family observe the "All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day". These are the days after Halloween. I didn't grow up participating on Halloween that much. I was wondering how Halloween got started. So, I researched on the net (Internet has become my library now!) and found out that Halloween originated back more than 2,000 years. The Europe's Celtic people celebrated their New Year's Day on November 1, called Samhain (SAH-win). The night before Samhain, people thought spirits, Fairies, demons, and other creatures were to walk the Earth as they traveled to the afterlife. They sacrificed animals to the gods by gathering around bonfires. And they wore animal skin costumes and wearing masks to confuse spirits, perhaps to avoid being possessed. Moreover, the Celts costumed as spirits are believed to have gone from house to house engaging in silly acts in exchange for food and drink, which is the "trick-or-treating" now.

Then, Samhain was later adopted by Catholic for pagan holidays. And In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV decreed November 1 All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day. The night before Samhain continued to be observed with bonfires, costumes, and parades, under a new name: All Hallows' Eve—later "Halloween."