The history of Halloween takes us back 2000 years. The night that is celebrated today on October 31 has always been special. Since with the arrival of darkness, a dark gate opened, bordering the world of spirits, so all creatures crawled out to the ground and abducted innocent souls. This is exactly what the ancient druids of Ireland claimed, where the holiday, called Samhain by the Irish, was actually born. On this day, they retired deep into the forest, kindled a fire there and performed rituals with dances, songs and spells, which were supposed to appease the evil spirits that penetrated the world of the living and mortals. There they tried to see the future and make predictions for the coming year. Civilians were also wary of walking that night. With the onset of dusk, they locked themselves at home with the children and told them scary stories that miraculously influenced children's minds,and therefore the children obeyed their parents unquestioningly.
The Halloween story continues
Years go by, and pagan beliefs only get stronger over time. Thus, Halloween spreads beyond the borders of Ireland, finding believers in other countries. Now Halloween is celebrated not only by the Irish, but also by the British, Americans, and French. More recently, the holiday has reached the Slavic peoples.
What has changed and why has Halloween become so popular?
Conquering the world, not only the name of the holiday changed, but also its traditions.
In Ireland, people have long ceased to be afraid of this night, but have not ceased to respect it. That is why the Irish do not spend the night in their homes. They put on fancy dress festivals with music, song and dance, like the druids did, but this festival is of a completely different nature. The procession begins in the morning. Actors, singers and dancers, dressed in colorful outfits, display them in front of the residents, each playing a role. In the evening, residents light torches and walk with them along the street to the main square, where the holiday continues until the morning. This path is called the "road of fire". Fairs and themed entertainment parties are organized for children, which end in the evening with face painting and dress demonstrations.
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In England and America, the holiday was originally called All Hallows Even, over time the name was shortened, and it has come down to us as Halloween. In these countries, people tried to imitate the dark world, dressing up as spirits, zombies, ghosts and other evil spirits. Thus, they believed that otherworldly beings would take them for their own and would not touch them. Children especially loved the holiday, who had the opportunity to dress up in a new way every year, frightening their fellows and receiving free treats.
In addition, here Halloween has its own symbol - a pumpkin, which is called Jack's Lantern. According to legend, Jack came from the common people. One day, on a holiday night, he returned home and got lost. With him he had a lantern carved from a turnip. What happened to him on the way is unknown, but he never returned home. This story was so overgrown with rumors that it became a legend. Some said that he drowned in the swamps, others that he was eaten by wild animals. Still others claimed that ghosts took his soul, and he became one of them. Wandering on Halloween night with his lantern, Jack is looking for new souls.
Over the years, turnips were replaced by apples and potatoes. But one day, a lean year came, and one farmer suggested making a lantern from a pumpkin. She turned out to be better than her predecessors and quickly took root among the population. Since then, people have used the vegetable as a lantern and symbol of the Halloween holiday. They cut angry or cute faces, insert candles there and place them all over the house and outside it. At night, such a lantern scares away evil forces, and they bypass this house.
Russia and Ukraine were also affected by the Western holiday, but in Slavic countries, it is not yet so pronounced. Here the celebration is more private. Carnival parties with dancing and sweets are organized for children, for which animators are often hired. Young people celebrate it in their own way, gathering in separate companies and dressing up in different ways.
In Western Ukraine, deceased relatives are honored on this day, who are visited in the cemetery and candles are placed on their graves.
What does Halloween give people?
Halloween is a holiday that empowers people to be themselves. Dressing in various images, putting on a mask and a suit, a person feels protected, so he easily makes contact with other people, makes new acquaintances and starts new relationships. Disguising themselves from the rest, people manifest themselves, revealing their true nature to the world. You don't need to pretend and be someone else on this holiday, you should not be ashamed of yourself and be afraid of others. This is the best time to meet. After all, a person can always remain in the mask or remove it at will.