Many people in the world celebrate Halloween on October 31st. But did you know why?
In ancient Gaelic times, people celebrated a festival called Samhain. People used to scare off spirits and demons by wearing masks and lighting bonfires. Later after Christ was born Catholics celebrated a festival called All Saints Day on November 1st to replace Samhain.
The evening before All Saints Day was called All Hallows Eve or more modernly known as Halloween! Hallow meant holy in old English.
That’s everything else covered but why do we carve pumpkins? Wear costumes and trick-or-treat?
It’s because All Saints Day was a festival to mark the end of the warmer summer months to the colder winter. All Hallows Eve was the day that associated with the boundary of humans and spirits getting blurred. And that demons would be walking on the streets! That’s why we dress up as them to avoid being recognized by the evil spirits.
Trick-or-treating
This Irish and English tradition began in the 19th century when people went door to door asking for food or money and if they don’t get it, they trick them by covering their house…by toilet paper or eggs.
An interesting fact: Almost one-quarter of all the candy sold every year in the United States is purchased for the purpose of trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Famous Halloween Movies
- Scream (1996)
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
- Get Out (2017)
- Beetlejuice (1988)
- Halloween (1978)
- Edward Scissorhands (1990)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Carrie (2013)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
- Child’s Play (1998)
- Mother! (2017)
- The Blair Witch Project (1999)
- The Craft (1996)
- Paranormal Activity (2007)
- Practical Magic (1998)
- Halloweentown (1998)
- Sleepy Hollow (1999)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)