How Halloween got started

How Halloween started

By Isaac Shaw

Halloween - the spooky time for scares, screams, and “malevolent spirits”. Or maybe just a nice warm drink and a comfy blanket.

It’s an event steeped in history and tradition; the name is shortened from “All Hallows’ Eve” and literally means “Hallowed evening”. Halloween has its roots from the Gaelic festival of Samhain, also on October 31st. Samhain marked the coming of winter, the start of shorter and darker days. It is from this festival that your usual Halloween activities derive from, trick or treating, dressing up in costumes, pumpkin carving, and apple bobbing, among others. And though the reason for celebrating it nowadays is more steeped in pop culture, it is widely practised, nevertheless.

How Halloween startedThe belief that the souls of the dead return on one night of the year is something found in many cultures, sometimes something to fear, or a time of comfort and celebration. The Day of the Dead in Mexico is one of the more well-known celebrations, and though it takes place on the 1st and 2nd of November, the principle of honouring and remembering the deceased remains.

Of course, not everyone feels the need to celebrate the growing trend of Halloween, with the toyshop company known as The Entertainer being a very notable example. Its CEO, Gary Grant has his shops closed on the 31st, and sells no toys related to the event at all! Click on the link to find out more: Gary Grant's Toy Empire

I for one look forward to carving a lopsided pumpkin, eating enough sweets to make myself ill, and watching a scary film (I will of course, be protected from spooks by my cat).

 

Published: 27 October 2021
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Just Recruitment is partnering with a well-established and successful business in Ipswich to recruit a Design Technician to join their long-standing team.

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Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
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Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
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