Happy Halloween: Origin, history, importance and reason behind celebration

Halloween has been around for over 1,000 years. Today, Halloween is viewed as an occasion for dress-up and fun, particularly for youngsters. Halloween is celebrated in Europe and America on 31 Oct

Halloween – the “most scary celebration” of the year – is here, and being celebrated in Europe and America on 31 October. Over time, Halloween has evolved into a huge event even in India too. People usually dress up in spookie costumes, pretending to be ghosts, witches and other beings, lighting bonfires, offering candies to kids who come and go house to house asking for candy.

However, are you familiar with the origins of this celebration? Halloween began from an ancient Celtic celebration that occurred on the last day of harvest. On this day, ghosts, spirits, and the dead were accepted to walk on the earth.

 

Origin of Halloween?

All Honors' Eve, which means "hallowed evening," is the beginning of "Halloween," and traces all the way back to the mediaeval age. The predecessor to the Christian celebration we currently perceive as All Saints’ Day, the day was otherwise called All Hallows' Eve. Finally, the three-word moniker was abbreviated to Halloween.

What is the history behind Halloween?

The earliest known source of the Halloween customs is supposed to be the ancient Gaelic celebration of Samhain, which used to be conducted on 1 November of every year. However, it began the night before. 

The day marked an important point of the year because of the change of season. It was believed the boundary between this world and hereafter became thin on this day, permitting ghosts from different dimensions to speak with people. This is how Halloween came to be known as the night of ‘horror’ and is celebrated with such costumes and rituals. 

What is the importance of Halloween?

The festival started to be celebrated about 2,000 years ago. Halloween is mostly marked in Western countries as a day to memorialise martyrs, saints, and committed devotees who have died. Individuals praise the saints and worship for the people who have not yet achieved heaven.

How do people celebrate Halloween?

Because of the fact that the harvest and the festival fell around the same time of the year, the custom of cutting pumpkins on Halloween was conceived. Immigrants to North America started cutting pumpkins for Halloween since it was gentler and bigger than the traditional turnip. Lighting pumpkins for Halloween has filled in popularity consistently. Different designs that people utilize in their homes incorporate scarecrows and corn husks. 

Happy Halloween: Wishes

    • “Hope your house is the spookiest in the neighbourhood and your costume is talked about for years to come.”      

    • “Wishing you a pale moon, a chilly breeze, a mysterious creaking and everything that makes for a thrilling Halloween!”      

    • “Excited to see you tonight for the Halloween party! Will you be arriving via broomstick, coffin or Batmobile?”      

    • “You light up my life like a candle in a jack-o’-lantern. Happy Halloween!”    

    • “Pumpkins a ‘blazing, hope your Halloween is amazing!”      

    • “May the spirits of Halloween make all your spooky wishes come true.”      

    • “Witching you a howl-ing good and frightfully fun Halloween night.”      

    • “Pumpkins are carved, ghosts are seen, the hour is here, happy Halloween!”