Halloween – History and Traditions
A yearly celebration, Halloween is observed in many countries on the 31st October which is the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. Countries who embrace this tradition include the United Kingdom, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The origins of Halloween are unclear but many believe it is over 200 years old and associated with ancient pagan festivals, which were held around the end of October. People believed that at this time of year, the spirits of dead people could come ‘alive’ and walk among the living. They thought that it was important to dress up in costumes when venturing outside, to avoid being harmed by the spirits.
Halloween has been adopted by children and families as a time to join their communities in activities such guising and the carving of pumpkins to leave as lanterns in windows and porches. Most homeowners now know to stock up on a pile of sweeties and other goodies or face an evening of hiding in a darkened room behind the sofa to avoid being caught by scary little ones!
There are many traditional activities associated with Halloween. A common game is apple bobbing, sometimes known as apple ducking. Competitors - who have their hands tied behind their backs - use their teeth to try to catch apples which are fl oating in a container of water. Some say this refl ects the way women accused of witchcraft were tried in the Middle Ages. They were tied to a chair and ducked repeatedly in a river or pond. If the woman drowned she was declared innocent but if she survived she was found guilty of witchcraft and burnt at the stake!
Some more recent Halloween celebrations such as Trick or Treat have American origins, and became fi rmly established after Walt Disney portrayed it in the cartoon of the same name. One of the alternative names for 31 October: ‘Mischief Night,’ has its origins fi rmly in 18th Century Britain.
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