Хэллоуин история празднования

HALLOWEEN is a festival that takes place on October 31. Though it is not a public holiday, it is very dear to those who celebrate it, especially to children and teenagers. This day was originally called All Hallow’s Eve because it fell on the eve of All Saints Day. The name was later shortened to Halloween. According to old believe Halloween is the time, when the veil between the living and the dead is partially lifted, and witches, ghosts and other supernatural beings are about. Now children celebrate Halloween in unusual costumes and masks. It is a festival of merrymaking, superstitious spells, fortunetelling, traditional games and pranks. Halloween is a time for fun.

HISTORY

Few holidays tell us as much of the past as Halloween. Its origins date back to a time, when people believed in devils, witches and ghosts. Many Halloween customs are based on beliefs of the ancient Celts, who lived more than 2,000 years ago in what is now Great Britain, Ireland and northern France.

Every year the Celts celebrated the Druid festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead and Prince of Darkness. It fell on October 31, the eve of the Druid new year, the date marked the end оf summer, or the time when the sun retreated before the powers of darkness and the reign оf the Lord of Death began. The Sun god took part in the holiday and received thanks for the year’s harvest.

The Celts believed that on this night Samhain allowed the souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes as witches, goblins, black cats, or in other weird forms. To honour the Sun god and to frighten away evil spirits, the Druids built huge bonfires on hilltops. They sat around the fires watching the bright flames and related eerie happenings they had experienced.

It was believed that evil spirits sometimes played tricks on October 31. They could also do all kinds of damage to property. Some people tried to ward off the witches by painting magic signs on their barns. Others tried to frighten them away by nailing a piece of iron, such as a horseshoe, over the door.

The druids tried to appease the powers of darkness by sacrificing animals and possibly even human beings. During the celebration, people sometimes wore costumes made of animal heads and skins. They told fortunes about the coming year by examining the remains of die animals that had been sacrificed.

Many fears and superstitions grew up about this day. An old Scotch superstition was that witches — those who had sold their souls to the devil — left in their beds on Halloween night a stick made by magic to look like themselves. Then they would fly up the chimney and off through the sky on a broomstick, attended by a black cat. On this night all witches gathered to honour their master, the devil.

In Ireland, and some other parts of Great Britain, it was believed, that fairies spirited away young wives, whom they returned dazed and amnesic 366 days later.

When Halloween night fell, people in some places dressed up and tried to resemble the souls of the dead. They hoped that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight. They carried food to the edge of town or village and left it for the spirits.

In Wales, they believed that the devil appeared in the shape of a pig, a horse, or a dog. On that night, every person marked a stone and put it in a bonfire. If a person’s stone was missing the next morning, he or she would die within a year.

Much later, when Christianity came to Great Britain and Ireland, the Church wisely let the people keep their old feast. But it gave it a new association when in the 9th century a festival in honour of all saints (All Hallows) was fixed on November 1. In the 11th century November 2 became All Souls’ Day to honour the souls of the dead, particularly those who died during the year.

Christian tradition included the lightning of bonfires and carrying blazing torches all around the fields. In some places masses of flaming straw were flung into the air. When these ceremonies were over, everyone returned home to feast on the new crop of apples and nuts which are the traditional Halloween foods. On that night, people related their experiences with strange noises and spooky shadows and played traditional games.

When millions of Irish people immigrated to the United States in the 1840s, Halloween traditions came with them. Today, Halloween is celebrated with perhaps even more enthusiasm in the New World than was once in the Old World.