Halloween - All Hallows' Eve

Halloween is a night when the spirits of the dead can freely visit the world of the living This holiday comes from Celtic pagan culture, and is inextricably linked with Samhain, which divides the year into two parts Numerous tribes of Celts who lived at the turn of the century in Scotland and Ireland believed in the transmigration of souls, the afterlife, and had an extensive pantheon of gods Numerous beliefs and pagan cults, conventionally dividing the world into dark and light forces, have been able to survive for centuries With the adoption of Christianity and the displacement of idolatry, Samhain was transformed from a pagan holiday into All Saints' Day This happened in the 7-8 centuries, when such religious figures of the Roman church as Saint Boniface convinced tribal leaders of the advantages of the new religion Pope Gregory III decided that All Saints' Day would be celebrated on November 1, although previously the celebration fell on May 13 The commemoration of the dead began to be celebrated on November 2 But such a rethink did not bring the desired result Halloween, condemned by Christianity, remained in the hearts of people - the belief in evil spirits that need to be appeased turned out to be stronger Gradually, the holiday began to be entertaining in nature and acquired new modern symbols One of these is the jack-o-lantern Initially, lanterns that helped lost souls find their way to another world were made from turnips The migration of the descendants of the ancient Celts to America changed the ritual symbol to a more accessible one The first mention of a jack-o'-lantern dates back to 1837, and subsequently it became the main attribute of the holiday, just like costumes Surviving photographs of Halloween masks and costumes from the early 20th century are striking in their terrifying verisimilitude Today anyone can find a suitable image and take part in a bright and memorable holiday The holiday has found its niche in the entertainment industry not only in English-speaking countries, but also in Japan, South Korea, CIS countries, and of course, Russia And although the Orthodox and Muslim religions do not recognize or approve of Halloween, its popularity is gaining momentum This is also facilitated by the commercial approach to the holiday - the sale of current paraphernalia, which can easily be purchased in specialized stores Entertainment centers and complexes, especially in megacities, are preparing their own programs, quests, competitions and movie marathons The younger generation is always ready to take part in this holiday, because its motto “trick or treat” will appeal to brave pranksters Dressed up children go from house to house, accepting treats in the form of candy Halloween is quite capable of becoming a family holiday, because decorating the house together with interesting thematic symbols is “scary” fun