Halloween

Summary

When? 31 October
Where? USA, UK and other countries
How? Pumpkins are used to decorate houses, children walk around in costumes trick or treating 

History

Halloween is a celebration that take place in several countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day period of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.

It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31 October to 1 November, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. Samhain was seen as a special time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld (world of ghost and spirits) could more easily be crossed. This meant the Aos Sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into our world. The tradition of dressing up is believed to have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the Aos Sí (the spirits) who some believed could take you back with them to their world. If they saw you looking like a spirit or deceased being they would ignore you as a potential candidate for bringing back with them.