Tweet
Cool
“The First Fire Festival. This is a kind of New Year, main holiday throughout the Wheel of the Year.
Samhain symbolizes celebration eternal Life, Death and Rebirth
universe and marks the death of Summer, the Coming of Winter"
“The night of the first of November, the night when the Lord of Winter, the Lord of Death, takes the reins of power in the sublunary world. This night last time The souls of the dead are allowed to visit the living for a year. On this night, dark forces play around people. Many people are just having fun, pushing away fear and darkness. Since ancient times, it has been the custom of people to dress up on this night so that the souls of their enemies do not recognize and cause harm. To scare away dark forces from solar orange pumpkins scary masks are made, inside of which a candle is lit.”
“Bring to your memory those who have already died. They too lived their lives and gave their fruits to the world, like God. It doesn't matter whether they were evil or kind, generous or stingy, strong or weak. It doesn’t matter what they were like or how they lived - they helped shape and create the world in which we now live. The history of the World comes to us along with the souls of the dead. This is a time for cleansing, reflection, understanding and, perhaps, moving to a new level.”
Transforming Samhain into Halloween
They tried to replace the ancient holiday Samhain with All Saints' Day, but as a result it was reborn as Halloween (and the name "All Hallows" Even" was reduced to "Halloween"). None Christian traditions They were never able to supplant this pagan ritual, because people simply needed a reminder (remember that we are talking about the Middle Ages) about the onset of the “dark part of the year”, about the coming winter, which were traditionally accompanied by wise and warning stories about their ancestors.
On the other hand, the perception of this day as a dark pagan holiday associated with mortals and evil spirits, owes to the descriptions of the holiday by Christian monks (back in the 12th century). And no matter how paradoxical it may be, it was the church that made a “demonic Sabbath” out of the festival of fertility and remembrance of ancestors. Orthodox Christians still show complete misunderstanding comic holiday, in view of the same deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation chasing people having fun with the police.
Unlike the Orthodox, the Anglican, Catholic and Protestant churches today treat this holiday with condescension and even support it. Father Gabriel Amorth, a Vatican exorcist, believes that “if American and English children dress up as witches for one night a year, then it’s not a problem. There's nothing wrong if it's just a joke."
Halloween Looks
Halloween originally originated in Britain, but was transferred to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Nowadays, with some distortions, this tradition has reached other countries. The holiday reached Russian-speaking society a little less than completely unrecognizable. "Fright Fest" has degenerated into parties in sexy outfits. So in Russia this holiday can be quite accurately described by the phrase: I wanted to dress up as a witch (Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood), but as always I ended up as a prostitute.
Perhaps because of this misunderstanding of the essence of the holiday, the makias used in English-speaking countries seem so frightening to us. But let's look at everything with examples.
Halloween movie characters
IN modern society One of the most popular themes for Halloween costumes is various movie characters.
Halloween doll makeup
Halloween images of evil spirits: vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches
.jpg)
Sugar Skull makeup for Halloween
This holiday has deep roots, going back to Celtic traditions and, perhaps deeper, can be traced in the traditions of many countries. Among the Celtic peoples, the year was divided only into summer and winter.
According to Celtic beliefs, the change of seasons occurred because the sun god Mac Olla gradually lost his strength, and the strength of the death god Samhain (Samana, Samhain, Sovain), on the contrary, increased every day. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31 to November 1, Samhain collected the souls of dead people and allowed them to visit the living. Evil souls could inhabit animals at this time, take on any form, and all the evil spirits came to earth.
On this unusual night, a mysterious corridor opened from the other world to the world of the living. And complex ceremonies and sacrifices performed by Celtic priests were supposed to protect people from the machinations of evil.
The mirror image of Halloween is Beltane, celebrated on the night of April 30 to May 1 and known as Walpurgisnacht, May Night, the end of winter and the beginning of summer.
The ancient pagan traditions, naturally, could not please the church, and therefore in 800 Catholic Church tried to Christianize this holiday, reorienting parishioners to celebrate All Hallow's Day. The night before was called All Hallows Eve. Hence modern name holiday - Halloween.
The church’s attempt cannot be considered completely successful; the holiday remained more pagan; Halloween is a bizarre interweaving of Celtic traditions and Christian worship of saints.
We should also remember another holiday, the traditions of which influenced rituals and symbolism. At the beginning of the era, the Celtic tribes were conquered by the Romans, according to whose traditions October 31 was the day of the goddess of all plants Pomona - the features of this Roman holiday were mixed at that time with the Celtic ones.
The mystical component of Halloween
On the night of October 31 to November 1, the gates to another world open slightly, the line between the world of spirits and our physical world, between the past and the future, between good and evil becomes thinner.
Today, pay attention to “random” coincidences, to the signs that you meet around - information flows do not intersect by chance, nothing happens “just like that.” The dreams seen that night are very symbolic: you can see pictures from your future or symbols that can be interpreted according to the dream book.
Holiday rituals
Halloween rituals usually involve getting rid of unnecessary items. This is a Fire Festival, burning everything that has become obsolete.
The Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, preferred not to have fun that night, but gathered in groves and lit huge sacred bonfires. The ember from such a fire had to be brought into the house and the hearth lit, then it would receive mystical power that would protect the house from evil. Modern interpretation- a lot of lit candles in the house.
Since Samhain is believed to open the gate to the future, Halloween night is great time for fortune telling. Druids, peering into the bizarre dance of flames, predicted the future, but this technique is also available to mere mortals.
You just need to concentrate, mentally ask a question, and peer into the fire of a fire or candle for several minutes. You may see very vague outlines, but with the help of intuition you can successfully interpret what you see.
Simple fortune telling for Halloween
On this night, any fortune-telling is appropriate, including for the betrothed, for the future.
If you light a candle in front of a mirror and look into it while eating an apple or combing your hair, you will definitely see your betrothed. It’s bad if a candlestick falls at this time, apparently evil spirits want to fit into fate, you should be careful.
- Apples again, tradition apple fortune telling was once borrowed from the Romans. If you make a wish and put an apple under your pillow and eat it in the morning, your wish will definitely come true. It’s the same thing if you just cut an apple - intact seeds indicate that your wish will soon come true.
- Two chestnuts thrown into the fire can tell about a relationship with a loved one: if they burned side by side, fate is favorable to the union, but if they roll to the sides, separation is approaching. If lovers wanted to find out about the compatibility of their characters, they threw a nut into the fire. The smoldering of the nuts promised a calm and harmonious life for the future spouses; crackling and sparks foreshadowed the same course of relations - with a stormy showdown and quarrels.
Carnival part of Halloween
If you don't want to delve into the "ritual depths", you can celebrate Halloween at home with a pagan-style party. Traditions of dressing up, giving out treats and happy parties, which arose relatively recently, are also designed to protect against spirits and all evil spirits. It is believed that treats symbolize goodness and mercy, and fun will scare away otherworldly guests who are up to no good - they should accept people dressed in scary costumes as their own. And meetings with evil spirits are quite likely, because the Celts believed that on this night you could see a real witch. True, for this you need to perform a simple ritual: go out into the street at 12 o’clock at night, dressed inside out, and walk backwards.
The main attribute of Halloween - a pumpkin head with lights inside - symbolizes both the end of the harvest and the restlessness of souls wandering in the dark, and at the same time it is a talisman that scares away evil spirits. These stylized lanterns were called Jack-o-lanterns in Ireland. There is a legend about the blacksmith Jack, who managed to outwit the Devil himself by making him promise to leave the blacksmith's soul alone. They say that Jack still roams the earth with this homemade lantern.
Other Halloween symbols that can be used at a party: traditional colors - black, bright orange, purple, red (the color of blood);
Candle color - black, orange, purple, pink;
Smells - cinnamon and other sharp, sweet, spicy;
Costumes - witch, vampire Dracula, ghost, mermaid, bat, wolf;
Items - pumpkin, cobweb and spider, broom, aspen stake, rosary, autumn leaves.
Let the “black humor” with which you spend today be only for the holiday.
HALLOWEEN AND PUMPKIN
The ancestors of the Irish - the ancient Celts - chose November 1 for their New Year (Samhain). This day simply meant the end of summer...
It is believed that Halloween was brought to America by the first Irish immigrants. On this day, people dressed up as witches and devils, “representatives” of other evil spirits, scared and pranked each other, carried with them hollow pumpkins with a cut-out grin and a candle inside, symbolizing restless sinful souls. The attributes of Halloween are entirely pagan-satanic: night time, the bats, cats, spiders, brooms, skeletons, evil spirits, vampires, ghosts, goblins, horror stories like memories of the deeds of evil spirits. An indispensable attribute of Halloween is the ritual Trik or trak ("Dirty trick or gift"). The Celts believed that on the night of New Year The border between the worlds of the dead and the living opens and the shadows of the deceased in the past year visit the earth.
In order not to become prey to the dead shadow, people extinguished the fires in their houses and dressed up as scary as possible - in animal skins and heads, hoping to scare away the ghosts that crawled over open border. Treats were placed outside for the spirits to prevent them from coming into the house. And the residents themselves gathered around the fires, which were lit by Celtic priests - Druids. It was a time of predictions: what the servants of the gods predicted to their listeners was important life guidance for the entire long winter. Animals were sacrificed at the bonfires of Samhain, and then everyone took a tongue of sacred flame into their home to light the winter hearth. By the 800s AD. e. Christianity became the dominant religion where previously the Druids performed their rituals. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV established November 1 as All Saints' Day, on which saints and martyrs were supposed to be glorified. Thus, the Catholic Church replaced the pagan holiday of death with something similar. In English, All Hallows' Day sounded like "All Hallows", and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called "All Hallows Eve" (All Hallows Eve), or Halloween for short. From now on, in the celebration of this day, pagan mysticism coexists perfectly with Christian. Later, in the year 1000, the Church declared November 2 All Souls Day, on which it was supposed to commemorate not the saints, but the ordinary dead. The funeral was organized in the likeness of Samhain - large bonfires, processions, dressing up in costumes of angels and devils. But the first American settlers, along with their belongings, brought their fears, signs and customs to the continent. It was not customary everywhere to remember evil spirits on October 31: New England Protestants considered such an activity sinful. Meanwhile, in the south of the United States, people wearing masks were having fun with all their might! The customs of various European peoples mixed with Indian beliefs, and the actual American version of the holiday appeared. During the first Halloweens, performances, fortune telling and dancing were held, the harvest was celebrated, gates were torn down and fences were overturned, and creepy stories were told about the dead and ghosts.
By the mid-19th century, annual fall holidays had become commonplace, although still in isolated areas of the United States. But then millions of hungry Irish landed on the continent, and soon, on October 31, a grinning pumpkin could be found in every home. Americans - like the Irish and English (in England there was a tradition on Souls Day to beg food and ale from the rich in exchange for a promise to pray for them dead relatives) - that evening they began to dress up in costumes and go around the neighbors, begging for food and money (the custom is called “treat, otherwise I’ll do some mischief”). Girls believed that on Halloween they could find out the name and something about the appearance of their groom by telling fortunes on threads, apple cores and mirrors, and mystically minded citizens turned their clothes inside out and went out onto the road at night, hoping to meet a witch. However, at the end of the 19th century, they tried to put an end to the mystical slant of Halloween by turning it into a public holiday. City officials ordered trick-or-treating parties, and newspapers urged parents to “less scare their children.” As a result, many of the superstitious aspects of Halloween faded into history.
Since then, costumed children have been going from house to house. And although the most favorite autumn fun Americans - exclusively folk holiday, which did not find a place on the list of official US dates (October 31 is not considered a holiday), people spend about $2.5 billion on it every year. Almost half of them are for candies (more than at Christmas). Even the president will most likely go to a party on this day, like millions of ordinary Americans (many wearing masks depicting himself). IN last years Halloween has become even more popular. More and more Americans are having weddings on this day. Every year, Baltimore hosts the Pumpkin Toss, a competition for physics students to find the best invention that will prevent a pumpkin from splitting when dropped from the 10th floor. Halloween is an occasion for charity. People can bring candy to “caramel jars” for those who cannot buy it themselves. Special costumes are distributed for disabled children. Sweets are brought to nursing homes in advance, and then children in disguise are sent to collect them... This is such a fun and, in fact, pagan holiday, very similar to Ivan Kupala Day. However, this is just my opinion.
Every year on the night from October 31 to November 1, many countries around the world celebrate Halloween, or Witch's Night - a cheerful holiday of evil spirits.
The roots of Halloween go back to ancient times, even before the Christianization of Europe, writes Ukrinform. Then the pagan Celtic tribes celebrated at this time the onset of a kind of new year, on the eve of which the holiday Samhain was celebrated.
This time - the transition to winter - was considered an extremely mystical period. The ancient Celts believed that it was at this time, when the nights become extremely dark and cold, when all the birds fly south except for the mysterious and slightly ominous raven, and the days become short and gloomy - mysterious creatures of the Sida come from the other world to the world of people.
Usually they do not harm people - they simply wander among them, loitering like a schoolboy who has run away from class. But sometimes there are quite aggressive creatures - then don’t expect anything good from them: they will do dirty tricks, or even try to take you to the grave.
To prevent this from happening, it was necessary to cajole in every possible way uninvited guests: leave them food, gifts, or scare them away: as an option, you yourself become scarier than the sid. People during this period can also visit the other world and then return back. Of course, if you behave there carefully and do not violate local laws.
This is what the ancient Celts believed, and these beliefs were undoubtedly associated with funeral rituals; the world of the living tried, as best it could, to understand the problem of death and non-existence.
Subsequently, the Catholic Church began to celebrate All Saints' Day on November 1, and to honor the memory of all the dead on November 2. The dates were established only in the 11th century, and before that they were celebrated on May 13.
Thus, ancient pagan beliefs mixed with Catholic tradition, and belief in the souls of the dead, various spirits and fairy creatures transformed into pure evil spirit.
The name Halloween was first mentioned in 1745. The word comes from the English Hallowe"en - an abbreviation of the expression All Hallow's Eve - the evening (eve) of All Saints' Day, which in turn stands for All Hallowed Souls Eve - literally: Evening of All Holy Souls.
It can be said that today Halloween is a global brand, just like Coca-Cola, The Beatles or Apple. Its logo - a rather cute burning pumpkin (the so-called "Jack-O-Lantern"), is recognized in every corner of the planet (if there was something scary, the potential consumer would not take the bait).
Huge bonuses have been added to the promotion and popularization of Halloween Newest technologies- cinema, television and Internet. And if in the first half of the twentieth century this holiday was known only in the Western world (mainly in the English-speaking world), then now it is actively celebrated in the countries of the East - Japan, South Korea, China.
In terms of popularity, Halloween is close to Christmas (St. Valentine is third). A huge number of different Halloween “experts” have appeared who will tell you in detail which pumpkin you should choose, what you should do with it, where you should hang it or put it (of course, according to Feng Shui), and what to say and think, what to wear and where to go .
Research shows that the most active supporters of Halloween on all continents are teenagers, who are attracted by the aura of mystery and mysticism associated with this holiday, as well as an army of millions of office workers, for whom turning into a witch, ghoul (aka ghoul) or some other evil spirits (there are many options) is a good opportunity to go beyond the very strict and regulated limits of daily protocol and etiquette, at least for a few hours.
Regarding devout Catholics, these days they remember their deceased ancestors - they visit cemeteries, churches, and light candles.
What should you not do on Halloween?
According to a huge number of mediums and psychics, among whom Helen Bright is not the least, there are things that under no circumstances should be done on this day, writes dengi-i-udach a. Thus, religious people do not eat meat and meat products at this time, as well as during mandatory attend church, pray and remember their deceased relatives.
If we talk directly about traditions, then there are no strict canons for this holiday:
However, there are beliefs and superstitions that are best observed;
So, a person should never turn around if, during a night walk, he heard clear persistent steps behind him;
It is believed that this dead Souls decided to follow you;
And at the crossroads you can find out your destiny;
To do this, you need to go out at night to the intersection of two or more roads and listen to the wind;
In his barely audible whisper you can hear the prediction of everyone important events that will happen to a person in the coming year.
At this time, special attention is also paid to the decoration of store windows, city streets, squares, facades residential buildings. At every step here you can find a huge number of carved pumpkin lanterns with candles inside, skeletons of various sizes, cobwebs, ghosts and guides. All the decorations are aimed at making the scary Halloween more bright, colorful and fun.
IN Lately This holiday is becoming very popular in our country. It is especially celebrated by young people who follow the example of Americans by throwing parties in makeup and costumes. But in Mexico, the attitude towards this holiday is radically different from other countries. The fact is that Mexicans are very sarcastic about death and everything connected with it, so on All Saints' Day they try to make fun of the old woman with a scythe as much as possible, sometimes bringing it all to the point of complete absurdity.
Those alive on this night can do several things with impunity that are not approved at other times, but during the holiday they are not only acceptable, but almost obligatory.
1. Drink strong alcoholic drinks and play gambling. Jack O'Lantern, who after his death did not go to either heaven (since he was a sinner) or hell (since the devil gave him his word not to take him there), wanders the earth this night, lighting his path with a jack-o'-lantern. He likes people , similar to himself and, having met them, he tries to give them some kind of gift.
2. Spill alcohol. That night, the border between the two worlds becomes so thin that it practically disappears. When going out on Halloween night, take with you a bottle of any alcoholic drink and a couple plastic cups. If you're squeamish, you can just spill some from the bottle at any intersection. The spirits also want a drink and, if you pour it for them, they will be grateful to you. Individuals prone to extreme actions can pour a drink to any tramp they meet. In England they still believe that the souls of the dead on this night often use the bodies of homeless people to get out “into the world.”
3. Make indecent proposals to people of any gender who are not your regular partners. It is known that the Druid rituals associated with this holiday included sexual orgies, but to achieve the desired result it is enough to express the appropriate intention. In this way, you can ensure success in your current and future affairs, and also get a guarantee that you will not die this year.
4. Go to your neighbors in search of snacks. On this night, the dead return to earth and wander around the places where they spent their lives, in search of food and warmth. The more the living pretend to be dead and the calmer people are towards those who knock on their door shouting a ritual phrase, the easier it will be for the dead to get what they want. Help them - and they will thank you. It is known that it is on this night that people often have life-changing insights.
5. Fortune telling, summoning spirits, going into trance and talking about death. Every person on this night has a chance to hear voices from the other side of the border, contact the dead and receive information that cannot be obtained in any other way. On this night no one says “it’s just your imagination”, “it’s impossible” and “stop talking nonsense”.
In addition, during the holiday it is encouraged to touch on topics that are usually considered taboo, primarily the topic of death. Whoever is brave enough will receive a reward. In addition, you can and should drink mulled wine (with cinnamon, cloves and apple pieces), light candles, watch a movie, eat sweets and dance.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
How can you celebrate Halloween if the ceremonial practices of the ancient Celts or loud theme parties are not your thing? Learn about celebration traditions and signs that have been observed for many centuries.
In the article:
Halloween celebration - traditional fun
The celebration of Halloween in the USA and Europe is similar - noisy crowds of young people go from house to house asking for treats, mass celebrations are frequent during the daytime, and tribute is paid to traditions. In our country, it has not yet taken root enough to talk about its full-fledged celebration. Of course, you can go to a club, pub or other entertainment venue, or have a themed party and have fun with friends. If this doesn’t suit you for some reason, you can celebrate Halloween with your family. So, how to celebrate Halloween in accordance with ancient traditions and not become a victim of evil spirits?
One of the main Halloween traditions is carving jack-o'-lanterns. There are many legends about the origin of this element of celebration. One of them says that the ancient Celts made such lamps on this day so that the souls of the dead could find their home and visit their ancestors.
According to another version, the appearance of jack-o'-lanterns is associated with Farmer Jack, who deceived the Devil himself. However, even in this case the legends differ. Perhaps the Devil turned Jack's head into a pumpkin, and it is his image that is carved on Halloween as a symbol of the sinful soul that must be remembered in order for Jack to have a chance to go to Heaven. One of the legends says that Jack was not accepted by either the offended Devil or God, since there is no way to Heaven for sinners like him. So Jack remained in the human world, without the opportunity to find peace after death. In order for him to find his way back, the Devil gave him a coal. To avoid burning his hands, Jack placed it in a turnip - lanterns were originally made from this vegetable; pumpkin later became a more accessible substitute.
According to legend, the jack-o'-lantern has protective properties. It is not surprising, because neither the Devil nor his minions want to reconnect with the one who illuminated their path first - with Jack. Seeing a jack-o'-lantern, the evil spirit runs away. Pumpkin lanterns are placed near front door, and if this is not possible, then closer to it.
A traditional Halloween game is to eat an apple floating in water without using your hands. To do this, you will need a basin or any other large container, as well as apples according to the number of players. The same basin is also used for fortune telling on apple peels. Peel the apple with a knife, blow on it and throw it into the water. On Halloween, the apple peel will take the form of the first letter of your fiancé's name.
According to Catholic tradition, on All Saints' Eve, also known as Halloween, everyone must give food to a beggar who knocks on the door of the house. In the old days there was even such an expression - “you whine like a beggar before All Saints’ Day.” This is how the tradition of begging for sweets under the threat of mischief arose. It is believed that a person who does not treat a beggar on this day will incur the wrath of his ancestors.
In the days of the ancient Celts, priests divorced - the holiday was named after him, which was renamed in the 16th century. Each participant in the ceremony took a torch from this fire into the house. Now this tradition has been replaced by lighting candles in every room. Candles lit on this day bring prosperity to the home. whole year and protect from evil spirits.
During the holiday of death, Halloween, people try to get rid of everything they no longer need. In England, on this day it is customary to throw away old furniture and unnecessary things to the landfill, sweep all garbage out of the house. It is very easy to blame problems and quarrels on garbage, so make sure that there is no other people's garbage on your doorstep.
Ancient Halloween traditions - commemoration of ancestors
The gates of the underworld open on the night of October 31 to November 1, and the souls of deceased relatives seek to visit their loved ones. The Celts are into it dark time they remembered deceased loved ones and tried to appease the souls of their ancestors so that they would help in the future and not punish.
In the old days, saucers with treats were left in the yard for the deceased. You don’t need to prepare anything special for this. Leave for your ancestors what you are going to serve on the table that day, but remember that the treat is not leftovers. The offering should please your loved ones, not anger them.
Different legends give different advice regarding offerings to the ancestors. For example, some of them recommend leaving one empty chair at the festive table - for a guest from the world of the dead. He is entitled to all the same cutlery that the guests have, as well as treats. It is a good sign if the drink in the glass for the spirit decreases. This means that spirits have come to visit you. Don't be afraid of them, be glad that you are together again.
On the afternoon of October 31st you can go to the cemetery. This is a traditional day of remembrance, and you definitely shouldn’t be afraid of ghosts during daylight hours. Lay flowers on the graves of deceased loved ones, light lamps.
At the festive table, if you have chosen a family celebration, you should definitely take time to remember your departed ancestors. Remember their life stories, funny moments and interesting incidents. Memories should be bright and joyful, without any negativity. On Spirit Day, the dead especially need to be remembered.
Since on the night of October 31 to November 1 the boundaries between worlds are erased, not only the spirits of ancestors, but also evil forces are released. Can protect against them Jack-lantern, candle flames and, of course, special amulets against evil spirits.
How to celebrate Halloween - traditional dishes for the holiday table
On the day when it is customary to beg sweets from neighbors and friends, not a single festive table can't do without sweet dishes. It can be pumpkin-shaped candies, muffins and cakes, as well as any other desserts - it all depends on your imagination.
Pumpkin dishes are an essential part of the Halloween table. It can be cereals, soups, pies and even pancakes. Pumpkin is a symbol of the holiday; if you believe the signs, dishes made from it bring protection from evil forces and material well-being.
Bread barmbrack- a dish that is both a form of fortune telling for Halloween and a delicious snack. This is a pie with any filling and from any dough with one small feature. Each piece should contain something that predicts the future - a ring, peas, wood chips, fabric, coins and other small objects. But do not forget to warn guests about surprises predicting the future, otherwise embarrassment is possible.
On the day of spirits, they not only revered the dead, but also rejoiced at the harvest if it was abundant. Apples are a fruit that is fully in season, so a lot traditional dishes this holiday includes them. These can be apple pies, caramelized fruits, apple compotes, and in general anything that can be made from apples.
What a Halloween holiday can be like for children
As a children's holiday, Halloween is especially interesting in Europe and the USA. One of the main traditions is begging for sweets under the threat of committing a prank. But, since the holiday has not yet received sufficient distribution in our country, such children's fun is not available in Russia. But this does not mean that children should be deprived of Halloween fun.
Halloween events for children are held in various shopping centers and other establishments. If this option is not suitable, children can participate in the family celebration. For example, carving jack-o'-lanterns as a family will keep them busy for a long time. Don't forget to tell your children why they make jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween.
Traditional games and fortune telling with apples are also good for children. You can stock up on prizes in advance and give them to the children who manage to catch apples out of the water the best. Similar game eat with baked goods hanging on a string, as well as candy.
Children love to dress up in carnival costumes, and preparing for the holiday may well be considered part of it. You can start creating costumes with the whole family, creating creepy or fairy-tale images - whatever suits your tastes. Decorating the house with garlands and other decor can also interest children.
Scary stories are an indispensable attribute children's party Halloween. Of course, it is more interesting to listen and tell them around the fire, but the Russian climate usually does not allow you to get out into nature at the end of October. Stock up on interesting “horror stories” in advance, dim the lights and start scaring everyone who agrees to it. But don't overdo it, because on Halloween, legends come to life and ghosts roam the earth.
Signs and beliefs for Halloween, or All Saints' Day
It has already been described above that candles are lit in every room for well-being and protection from evil forces. If one of them goes out, it means that there is an evil spirit in the room. This also means the inability to light the candle at once, crackling and soot. What to do in such a situation? There are many methods of protection against evil spirits, and you will have to use them, because in Russia on Halloween there is no midnight bell ringing, as in Europe or the USA.
To prevent evil spirits from entering the house, at sunset you need to walk around it with a burning torch three times. In this case, you need to be dressed in a fancy dress. If you are celebrating Halloween with your family or company, you can arrange a whole torchlight procession with games and competitions - this is quite in the spirit of the holiday.
By the way, being scared by a ghost on Halloween is very good omen. She promises good luck throughout the year. Even a dream involving a ghost or evil spirit promises only good things. But despite this good value Because of a terrible superstition, people tried not to open doors and windows as darkness fell on the night of the spirits, so that evil would not enter the house.
An owl, if it lands on the roof of a house on October 31, portends a deceased person. It needs to be driven away immediately, then perhaps trouble will bypass your home. The appearance of a flock of bats over the house predicts the acquisition of wealth during the year. There are also
- this is one of those ancient holidays that have survived to our times and have not lost their colorfulness and popular love. Did you know that Halloween traditions go back to ancient times, when people worshiped pagan gods? The pagans endowed every natural phenomenon with its own deity, which was accompanied not only by worship, but also by sacrifices. So the prototype of Halloween was the Samhain holiday, which is rooted in Celtic culture.
Halloween falls on October 31, which marks the end of summer according to the Celtic calendar. Halloween events, in continuation of Celtic traditions, are aimed at appeasing the God of fertility and honoring the God of death, whose name is Samhain.
TraditionsAmong the ancient Celts, the main ritual was sacrifice. People were forced to take the best representatives of livestock, poultry, fruits and even prepared food to the forest. By this they wanted to gain protection from otherworldly higher powers. On the other hand, since the God of Death was part of the holiday, it was believed that a person could find out his future on the night of November 1st. To do this, a fire was lit at midnight and each of those present placed a chestnut or a small stone near the fire. If by morning someone’s stone or chestnut disappeared, within a year one could expect death to come for this unfortunate person.
The Eerie also comes from the ancient Celts' Halloween tradition. After all, ancient people believed that on this day the souls of the dead came to them. But since they were afraid that in addition to good strangers from another world, evil ghosts, witches and sorcerers would come to them, they dressed up in animal skins and stained their faces with soot. It was assumed that with this appearance a person was able to scare away all evil spirits.
The candles originated from a ritual Celtic fire. Previously, the onset of winter was associated with the onset of prolonged darkness and death. Therefore, the priests lit a huge fire, and each simple Celt took a splinter and took it to his home so that it would help survive the evil winter.
Other customs associated with HalloweenThe holiday is accompanied by fortune telling for love. For example, a couple should throw two nuts into the fire and watch them for a while. If the nuts burn slowly and without much crackling, then the gods bless them for a long time. life together. Well, if there was a strong crash, the wedding was postponed until next year.
Since the holiday is largely associated with fertility, fortune telling is most often done on apples. For example, if a girl eats an apple at night, then in the surface of the water or in the mirror she will be able to see the features of her betrothed. And if a fortuneteller saw a ghost, it was believed that she was under a curse, and she needed to spend several days in the forest so that the good druids would save her from the damage. But the most fun tradition is the custom of asking for sweets for the holiday.
In England, traditions from the old Celtic holiday of Halloween became particularly widespread in the ninth century, when Catholicism spread its wings widely across the country. Since then, October 31 is considered the Day of Remembrance of the Dead, when everyone is obliged to feed the beggar who knocked on the door of their house. That’s when the tradition of “Treat or you’ll regret it” arose when children were presented with candy and other sweets.
Where does the pumpkin come from? It arose thanks to the legend of Jack, who deceived the Devil himself. It's like Jack turned his head into a turnip with glowing lights for eyes. True, during the celebration of Halloween, which spread throughout different countries, today they put a face-lamp on the windowsill not from a turnip, but from a pumpkin.