Ever wonder how Halloween got started? Well, you might be surprised to know that it did not used to be a holiday for kids. The word "Halloween" actually comes from "All Hallows Evening" which was the name of an ancient Gaelic festival that marked the end of the light part of the year and the beginning of the dark part. The Scottish believed that on this day, the line between the living and the dead was thinnest and the dead returned from the Otherworld to walk among them. They believed both harmless and harmful spirits returned, so the harmless ones were welcomed and celebrated, while the harmful ones were scared off by people who dressed up as monsters. This is how costumes came to be such a big part of Halloween. In the United States, Halloween is now considered a day for the kids, but there are still many countries where this day holds a much deeper meaning and it is for families and friends to spend time together.
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ReplyDeleteThats interesting.. I'm happy that you explained its origin because I never really knew where it all started. Also, some people would tell me that it was a day created to worship the devil, which I hoped was not true because I really love Halloween. Unfortunately, its true that its all about the kids now and the older teens and adults are stuck just handing out candy.
ReplyDeleteThat's very interesting and I did not know there was such meaning behind Halloween. I think I heard a story about some devout Christians trying to ban Halloween because they thought it was "devil worship." From the way you told it, Halloween is the opposite of that. In America though it is just a way for the costumer, candy, and alcohol industry to make alot of money. I wonder if the candy companies or beer companies make more from Halloween?
ReplyDeleteThe origins sound pretty cool. I wonder if Halloween is celebrated differently in other countries. I know that when I spoke to a guy from Germany and he said it is the same as in America, and in Mexico they have Dia de los Muertos, but I wonder about other countries.
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