Its common knowledge that Halloween involves dressing up and candy but where did those practices come from? The answer is as simple as it is complicated. Halloween comes from an ancient pagan holiday, similar to New Year's, practiced by the Celts. It was thought to be the beginning of something and therefore a time when all things were the closest to each other. The closeness is where the divide between the living and the dead as well as the light and the dark closed in. Dressing up in costume became regular practice to scare away the dark and the dead. All these things transformed with different practices and cultures to create the Halloween we know of today. Don't take my word for it though. Check out what History.com has to say on it.
"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."
"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."
Now that we've explored the why let's have some fun! I hosted a Halloween party over the weekend and thought I'd share some moments with you. Even Sadie Joined in the fun as Super Girl.
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I would LOVE to see all of your costumes ... check out my Facebook and leave you favorite Halloween pics :)
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