Discover the origins of the main Halloween traditions

As halloween traditions are, in fact, a hallmark of the event, they are responsible for making this event unique the way it is. Today, Halloween is considered one of the most popular holidays in the United States, celebrated all over the world. October 31, the festival also known as Halloween, is a popular celebration of the cult of the dead that brings with it many traditions that are repeated every year by people from all over the world and of all ages.

The Origin of Halloween

The origin of the term Halloween comes from “All Hallow's Eve" what does it mean "All Saints Eve” in Portuguese, as this is the date that is celebrated before the holiday of November 01st, which is called “All Saints' Day”. The tradition of celebrating Halloween is common in many Anglo-Saxon-speaking countries, but the event is still the most popular in the United States. Although not officially a North American holiday, it is responsible for moving the local economy at this time of year, as well as being part of the country's culture.

Brought to the United States by the Irish, Halloween had its origins in the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, this festival symbolized the end of a year and the arrival of a new season, winter. The Celts believed in the theory that the onset of winter was an approximation between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The celebration of the festival was made with large bonfires, where local people gathered to burn crops and animals as a form of sacrifice to the Gods.

The Origin of Candy on Halloween

Today, it is very common to distribute candy during Halloween, with more than US$ 3,1 billion invested in candy during this time in the United States, but this was not always the case. In the mid-50th century, children were often given fruits, nuts, coins and small toys in place of candy. The distribution of sweets and chocolates began in the 31's when some companies started to manufacture small chocolates that were individually packed and distributed during the night of the 70st, but sales only had a considerable increase from the XNUMX's due to the fear that parents had with their children accept unwrapped sweets.

Trick or treating?

You sure know the most famous Halloween phrase, “Trick or treating?“, also popularly known as Trick-Or-Treating in English, it originated in the All Souls' Day holiday in Rome, in which the poorest people went from door to door in the homes of richer families to receive a kind of "candy" that were called "soul cake“. The richest people gave these sweets in exchange for prayers for loved ones who had passed away. The tradition continued in Ireland and Scotland, but was adapted as children in costume began to receive sweets for singing or performing door-to-door plays in exchange for sweets.

Costumes

The costumes also had their origin in the festival Samhain, as the Celts believed that they were a good disguise to ward off evil spirits. At the time, they wore costumes made from animal skins and left tables prepared with food so that the spirits would not disturb them. This tradition was passed down from generation to generation and to be celebrated in a more modern way, people started dressing up as ghosts, demons and other terrifying creatures on the nights of the 31st.

Nowadays, Halloween is heavily marked by costumes and it is increasingly common to see people running away from the horror aesthetic and dressing up as characters with free themes. Even the famous get into this game and go out into the streets with unusual costumes.

pumpkin lanterns (Jack-O-Lanterns)

One of the most classic Halloween traditions are the famous pumpkin lanterns, present in several American movies and series, the scary pumpkin lanterns, also known in English as Jack-O-Lanterns, are a fun custom created by the Irish. In the beginning, the countries of Celtic origin carved turnips and beets and inserted candles to make their lanterns in order to ward off spirits. The pumpkin only became the main element of this tradition with the arrival of immigrants in the Americas who considered the fruit much more practical to be carved.

The Celtic tale about pumpkin lanterns tells the story of a boy named Jack who after dying would have been forbidden to enter both heaven and hell and after being rejected by God and the Devil, the boy was forced to spend the rest of his life wandering eternally with his lantern in search of rest.

Orange and black colors

If you follow Halloween events, whether on TV, through movies, series or participate in a party where you live, you must have noticed that the main colors of the event are black e orange. This tradition originated in Celtic festivals that were marked by the turn of the season, where orange represented the autumn harvest season, with the leaves already orange, while black represented the “death” of summer.

Witches, Cats, Spiders and Bats

There are several beliefs of the Celtic people that came to become symbols for Halloween. Many people believed that this time of year was the best day of the year to perform divination and these people often went in search of witches in order to find out the names of their future husbands. This tradition led to witches becoming a symbol for the holiday.

After being dominated by the Romans, some Celtic beliefs were transformed, such as witches who were sought after for their wisdom and medicinal knowledge, had their image changed before society and came to be seen as “devil-worshipping witches”. More than 100 people were accused of witchcraft and more than 50 were executed. It was believed that witches could transform into other animals such as cats, spiders and bats, which helped make these animals such a strong symbol of this event.

How is Halloween in Brazil?

The celebration in Brazil is directly influenced by the modern party that is celebrated in the United States, with sweets, costumes and games, however it does not have the same meaning and cultural value. Despite this, it is very common to see costume party organizations and decorations in bars, nightclubs, malls and restaurants in the middle of this season.

The fact that we are so connected to this date is largely due to the North American culture that is present in our daily lives with movies, series and drawings, where it is common to see special episodes of Halloween that somehow install elements of culture here. of that country. For the most part, Halloween parties in Brazil are usually organized by language courses as a way to further insert students into this culture.

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Source: History