Around the world Halloween

 Around the world Halloween

Have you been told that Halloween originated in the US and is it all about chocolates (as treat)?  As Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in the US, we might all think so. But, It's Really not.  

The history of Halloween dates back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of the summer and the beginning of the dark winter. The Celts, who lived many years ago in the areas now called Ireland, the UK, and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain. So, to pay homage to the dead, people gathered to light bonfires, offer sacrifices to God, dress up in costumes and leave foods on tables outside to satiate the spirits.  The costumes are made from animal skins, as they believe it will ward off all unwanted visitors.  As time passed, people modified the festival and started dressing up as ghosts, demons, and other creatures to perform antics in exchange for money, food, and drink. 

In Scotland, young people participated in a similar tradition called Guising - where they dressed up in costumes to go around the neighbourhood singing or performing tricks in exchange for offerings like fruits, nuts, or coins.

As pumpkin is harvested during this period and it is easy to carve, they used pumpkin for Jack-o-lantern.

During the second half of the 19th Century, America was flooded with new immigrants, especially the Irish after the Irish Potato famine. Their customs meshed with American Indians and a new version of Halloween emerged. But Halloween got its popularity in the U.S only after it was depicted in 1951, the Peanuts comic strip and 1952 Disney's cartoon "Trick or Treat" - featuring Donald Duck and his nephews. 

In India, Bengalis celebrate this as Bhoot Chaturdashi, a day before  Kali Puja.  Bhoot Chaturdashi is also about warding off evil spirits. On this day people light 14 lamps around the house, especially in the dark corners, to chase the (if you believe) dark spirits away. Many also believe that the number of lamps represents the 14 forefathers. 

In all these customs, people believe that the 'gateway' between the dead and the living opens and the dead descend to the earth on this day.

More than anything, all these festivities ward off evil spirits.