Halloween is one of the most celebrated festivals around the world. And this is your chance to learn the chilling facts about the celebration.
Twinkle Updated: October 31, 2022 1:19 PM IST
Unusual and spooky facts about Halloween
Halloween is a worldwide celebration that takes place on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian holiday of All Saints’ Day. It marks the beginning of Allhallowtide, the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (saints), martyrs and all those who have died.
According to one theory, many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, specifically the Gaelic festival Samhain, which is believed to have pagan roots.
Trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into lanterns, lighting bonfires, moving apples, guessing games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed movies are all popular Halloween activities. Plus, Halloween is much more than just costumes. Read the article to find out the strange and unusual facts related to Halloween.
- Old English Halloween folklore is full of superstitions and divinations that still persist today, such as fishing for apples or avoiding black cats. A folklore says that if a young bachelor walks backwards down the stairs at midnight while holding a mirror, the face that appears in the mirror will be his next lover.
- The Halloween we know today has its roots in the ancient Celtic end-of-harvest festival of Samhain. During Samhain, people lit bonfires and wore costumes to protect themselves from evil spirits.
- Trick or treating was known as “dressing up” in Scotland and Ireland. The young people dressed up and went door to door looking for food or money in exchange for songs, poems or other “tricks” they performed.
- During the 18th century, Halloween was an opportunity for single women to find their romantic partner. According to tradition, women used to throw apple peels over their shoulders, hoping to see the initials of her future husband in the pattern of the fallen apple peels. Another of those rituals involved staying in a dark room, holding a candle in front of a mirror, singing Bloody Marry, hoping to find the face of her future husband.
- The culture of Jack-‘O’-Lanterns originated in Ireland. As the story goes, an Irishman named Stingy Jack tricked the devil and was therefore not allowed to enter heaven or hell so he spent his days wandering the Earth carrying a lantern, made from turnips. Later, with the spread and exhibition of the holidays, the lantern was drawn with potatoes, pumpkins and more.
- A special type of bread, known as barmbrack or simply “brack.” It’s made for Halloween. The sweet bread usually contains dark and golden raisins, as well as a small hidden toy or ring. Hare, tradition dictates that the person who finds the item will have good luck in the coming year. That is, as long as they don’t choke on the trinket.
- Have you ever imagined why orange and black dominate the celebration? So, orange signals the autumn harvest, while black is a symbol of darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween was once a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.
- In Germany, people who celebrate Halloween hide their knives on Halloween night. This practice is believed to prevent returning spirits from being hurt.
- In some states, the night before Halloween is known as Mischief Night. On this day, children play pranks such as wallpapering gardens and breaking pumpkins. The holiday is observed primarily in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
- According to the US National Retail Federation, Halloween spending in the US could reach an all-time high of $10.14 billion in 2022. Reports say that, on average, US citizens shop around of 600 million pounds (2,72,155,422 kg) of candy.
- Halloween may be joyful for some, but a large group of people are too afraid of the celebration. Samhainophobia is the term used to refer to the fear of Halloween.
Happy Halloween !!
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: ptivs2.edu.vn