Today, Halloween is celebrated around the world. People dress up as evil spirits and do not sleep all night. But not many can give an account of why they do it. Halloween appeared in America in honor of All Saints Day. Today we will tell you how to celebrate the holiday in your homeland, as well as highlight traditions and interesting facts.
How did the holiday come about?
Today it is believed that Halloween was born in America, but this is not so. In the XVII – XVIII centuries they did not know about such a holiday. Most of America's first settlers are Puritans. In their faith there was no place for a Catholic holiday. Only with the influx of emigrants from Scotland and
Ireland, All Saints Day became popular.
Why is the holiday celebrated on October 31? It is no coincidence that this number was chosen. The Catholic faith brought Halloween to America, and Christianity celebrated All Dead Day from October 31 to November 1. People used to believe that before going to hell or paradise, souls dwell in purgatory. And so, on the last night of October, they come to earth to say goodbye to their living relatives and friends. That is why Catholics used to celebrate All Saints Day, first in the church, and then in the cemetery. The dead were left with food, milk, sweets. It was believed that spirits would eat up offerings and would not bother living people.
Costumes
Many people wonder where the tradition of dressing in evil spirits came from. Halloween in America today is considered a national holiday, but as we found out, this was not always the case. The tradition of changing clothes appeared in France. Christians sincerely believed that if they put on masks and go to a ball or other crowded place, then the spirits will not recognize them, and therefore, they will not do anything wrong. The Americans took note of this tradition, but slightly outplayed it in their own way. They not only began to put on masks, they began to dress up in evil spirits. People believed that the spirits would not only not recognize them, but would even take them for their own and would do nothing wrong. Over time, the true story began to be forgotten, and the outfits became less and less scary. Girls dressed as cats and bunnies, according to the Americans of the XIX century, would be considered vulgar. Such an outfit definitely could not protect against evil spirits. But today, a costume is a way of self-expression, and few people wear traditional clothes and masks.
Home decoration
One of the national holidays in America is Halloween. All Saints Day date is October 31. On this day, people dress up in costumes and go to parties, and children go to the neighbors, collecting sweets. How did the tradition to decorate not only yourself, but also your own homes? Americans began to decorate their homes not so long ago. But today this is due to the same faith in spirits. To evil spirits did not recognize the house, it must be disguised.
In fact, people through the decoration of their homes express themselves. Americans love to excel their neighbors in everything. Therefore, no decent family will allow her house to be decorated worse than a nearby building.
Celebrations
Probably everyone in the movies knows how Halloween goes in America. Adults and children dress up in costumes. And if parents have a party according to two scenarios: they either celebrate the holiday at home, or go to a party with friends - then little tomboys have fun all night. They go home, and every time the door is opened for them, the children shout: "Treat or life." If the neighbors give them sweets, then the children go home. But if the door was not opened or, moreover, did not give refreshments, disguised tomboys can be foolish. The most loyal way to take revenge on neighbors is to throw toilet paper on their house, but one of the worst options is to “decorate” the house with raw eggs.
How is Halloween celebrated in America? One way to celebrate a holiday is to participate in a parade. Such an event takes place in New York. Its official beginning at 7 o’clock in the evening, but people rarely arrive on time on such holidays. Therefore, a cluster of dressed up people sets off at 8 o’clock. The parade is accompanied by songs, dances and dances. People get to know, communicate and take pictures, in general, have fun.
Traditions
How is Halloween celebrated in America? To understand this, you need to consider the traditions that define the holiday.
- Cutting out pumpkin angry faces. This is done in order to scare away evil spirits. Candles are inserted into the carved pumpkin and placed near the entrance to the house. Sometimes orange vegetables adorn window sills and verandas. Some people even take pumpkins with them and walk along the street with them, well, probably in case they meet evil spirits along the way.
- On Halloween Eve, many farmers exhibit a pumpkin head scarecrow on their land plots. Why did such a tradition appear? The fact is that the holiday has not only religious, but also agricultural roots. On October 31, the ancient Celts, the predecessors of the Americans, marked the end of agricultural work and harvesting.
- Traditional Halloween colors are orange and black. Orange symbolizes joy, hope, the sun and a well-harvested crop. And black reminds people of death and evil spirits that live near us.
Interesting Facts
- Halloween in America is becoming more and more popular every year. Now it is not only a national holiday, but also a financially profitable event. Thanks to widespread popularization, tourists from all over the world flock to English-speaking countries on October 31, thereby bringing huge revenue.
- How is Halloween celebrated in America? Of course, broadly. That is why there are even special shops that work 2 months a year. They specialize in selling Halloween decorations, costumes, and other accessories.
- A pumpkin with a funny carved face is called Jack O`Lantern. And the Catholics made the first versions of such figures from turnips.
- There are many beliefs associated with mirrors. Americans believe that if you look at any reflective object at midnight on October 31, you can see your death. Although many girls think differently. They are guessing in the mirrors. At midnight you need to go down the stairs with a candle in his hand. If you manage to look in the mirror at that moment, you can see your betrothed there.
- In 1921, the first large-scale celebration of Halloween in America took place. It happened in the city of Anoka, Minnesota. Since then, this place is considered the capital of the American holiday.