Trick or treat, trick or treat, give me something good to eat!
Yes, tonight is the best night of the year. It’s the time when you’re allowed to roam free in the streets when the sun is down. When you can get messy with sweets and fun. When you can scare people to death and get away with it ;o)
What am I talking about?
Tonight it’s Halloween.
Halloween is the one holiday that attracts both adults and children. It's considered a stress free holiday, which makes it a big attraction! All over the world, more countries are adopting this Celtic turned American holiday not for any religious connections but for the sheer fun of dressing up and cutting loose for one night.
Samhain, usually celebrated on or near the evening of OCT-31. It was originally a celebration of the final harvest of the growing season among the ancient Celts. It was also their new year celebration.
All Saints' Day (a.k.a. All Hallows' Day) on NOV-1. The holiday was first celebrated on 609, May 13, when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary. The date was later changed to NOV-1 by Pope Gregory III who dedicated a chapel in honor of all saints in the Vatican Basilica. Pope Gregory IV (827-844) later extended the feast to the whole church. The Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate All Saints Day in the springtime -- the Sunday after Pentecost.
Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween.
Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.
Have a spooktacular party tonight! ;o)
