Q. What is Halloween?
A. The holiday is formally called All Hollows' Eve or Evening, a holy evening celebrated by Christians on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Sambain was celebrated on October 31 to mark the end of summer. The date also
was the eve of the new year in Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times.
Q. How was Halloween celebreted?
A. For the Celts, the holiday was a pagan rite celebrated as a fire festival with bonfires set on
hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of the herds from summer pastures. The souls of the dead were said to revisit on this day, and the festival acquired sinister significance with stories of ghost, witches, hobgoblins, black cats and demons.
Q. How did witches get involved with Halloween?
A. Witches were around centuries before Halloween. October 31 is one of their four main sabbaths, celebrated to welcome the seasons. When Christianity began, many pagan rite
were incorporated to allow Christian to observe the holiday with familiar ways. When witchcraft
was outlawed, witches wore dark robes to attend coven meetings. The witches became associated with the color black, and the term "black magic" came into use.
Q. Why to legends say witches fly on broomsticks?
A. Believers in witchcraft say many of their celebration involve fertility, symbolized by a bundle of sticks. Since witches didn't want to be seen walking around with the sticks, they camouflaged them as brooms to carry to their coven meetings.
Q. Where did the jack-o-lantern come from?
A. To frighten the evil spirits on Halloween, Irish villagers would carry a light in a hallowed-
out turnip, replace in America with the more abundant pumpkin. An old Irish tale claim a
named Jack was so selfish that he could not get into Heaven. The devil wouldn't have him
because Jack played tricks on him. So, Jack had to wander the earth looking for a home, carrying a lantern to light his way.
Q. How did "trick or treat" begin?
A. The begging tradition began with peasant asking for food to celebrate October 31 festival .
Mischief-making began in 19th century America when young Irish immigrants would pull such pranks as overturning sheds and outhouses. In time, the pranks were done the night before Halloween, which came to be called Devil's Night. The holiday evolved into a celebration by children who dress in costumes and go door-to-door shouting "trick or treat." Since 1965,
UNICEP has urged parents and children to help raise funds to support the United Nation
Children's Fund.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
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