\Many people celebrate Halloween or similar celebrations just for fun, not because they believe in supernatural beings. Others may consider it just to develop their children's imagination.
Halloween also known as Allhalloween, All Halows' Eve or All Saints' Eve. Usually celebrated on 31 October. When celebrations usually use various kinds of knickknacks, like a sinister face made of pumpkin or often called Jack O'Lantern, then use costumes like ghosts, witches, zombies, vampires and the others.
And where Halloween comes from?
Timeline of Halloween
1. 5th Century BC
People commemorating the Celtic festival of Samhain each end of October. They believe that this is the time when the spirits and supernatural beings are very actively roaming.
2. 1st Century BC
The Romans conquered the Celts and adopt the mystical Samhain customs.
3. 7th Century
That said, Pope Boniface IV inaugurated the annual celebration of All Saints Day to honor martyrs.
5. 11st Century
The 2nd November designated as All Souls Day, the memorial to the dead.
6. 18th Century
The name of the feast, namely Halloween (Hallow Evening), spliced into Halloween in the printed paper.
7. 19th Century
When thousands of people moved from Ireland to the United States, they bring also the habits of Halloween. Later, the habit is mixed with similar habits that brought the British and German settlers, as well as Africa and other countries.
8. 20th Century
Halloween celebrations are becoming popular in the United States.
9. 21st Century
Halloween evolved into an industry that produces billions of dollars around the world.
Source : http://www.jw.org/id/publikasi/majalah/g201309/asal-usul-halloween/
And what meaning of pumpkin, candies, spooky costumes and the other?
CANDY: In the past, the Celts used candy to appease evil spirits. Recent church encourages the homes on the eve of All Saints Day (All Hallow's Eve) while offering to pray for the dead, but to ask in exchange for food. This is the origin of the habit of asking for candy from door to door on Halloween.
COSTUMES: Kelt People used to wear masks so that evil spirits spooky thought they were ghosts, too, so they are not disturbed. Church pagan custom was then merged with All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Later, people who celebrate it began to visit homes with costumes of saints, angels and ghosts.
PUMPKIN: Initially, purple turnips, carved and waxed, displayed to repel evil spirits. Some people consider a candle in the turnip that depict the spirits trapped in purgatory. Later, people are more likely to use carved pumpkins.
Then How we celebrate Halloween?
For Children
1. Buy New Costume Each Year
Shop around until you find the costume you're looking for -- there are literally hundreds to choose from. If you can't find what you're looking for in your area, try online. Some places will get you your costume in as little as a few days. Remember to ask your parents first!
- If you're handy with a needle and thread (or mom is), having a costume that no one else will have is always better. Make your own. And if you're not, all you have to do is think outside the box. Want to be Katniss Everdeen? Grab a green button-down, some cargo khakis, and a bow and arrow. Bruno Mars? A fedora and a mic. The more accessories, the better.
2. Crave a Pumpkin
One of the quintessential American traditions of Halloween is pumpkin carving. Grab mom or dad and go the pumpkin farm or a regular shop to pick out your next pumpkin victim. Do you want to do a spooky face? A friendly face? Maybe not a face at all?
- If you want to do something different, think of your carving as a shadow. The light behind it will illuminate it. The part you carve out will surround the silhouette. Maybe the shadow of a ghost? Skeleton? Tombstone?
- Have an adult help you with the carving and gutting out of the pumpkin. And you can keep the pumpkin seeds for roasting!
3. Celebrate the holiday with friends or family.
Halloween does not just have to be trick or treating. A night or two before, get your friends and family together, go bobbing for apples, stick in a scary movie, and load up on the popcorn and salty party foods -- you'll be eating chocolate, chocolate, chocolate for the next two weeks!
- See what's available in your area. Maybe there's a haunted house or a pumpkin farm hayride near you. If the weather permits, it's a good tool to get you in the spooky mood. If that's not an option, celebrate at home all week long -- make homemade decorations to get in the spirit.
4. Go trick or treating!
Put on your ghoul make-up and join the ghosts and witches saying Trick or Treat! (Smell my feet, give me something good to eat!) But remember only to visit those with porch lights on or those with Halloween decorations. It's usually pretty easy to tell. If they have lights on and decorations up, these are clearly people happy to celebrate (and give you something!) and this is where the Halloween spirit explodes with vitality.
- Take a very big bag along or an even larger empty plastic pumpkin bucket to carry all the goodies that you get from every house. If these are unavailable, a pillowcase will do the job.
- Ask mom or dad about trick or treating for UNICEF. In addition to going house to house asking for candy, the people you visit can donate their spare change to you to give to UNICEF to help children all over the world. All you have to do is order your box ahead of time!
- Don't go alone! Make sure you're in a group of friends or have a parent with you. Halloween's scary enough as it is!
5. Look at all the candy that came out of your bag.
This is the best part of Halloween: checking out the goodies to stuff yourself with. Also check the candy -- make sure it's all fresh and safe to eat. Watch out for hard candies; these can break your teeth if you bite too hard. And make sure that you take out any candy with ingredients you're allergic to. If you're not sure, don't eat it. Better safe than sorry.
- Some people will give you small toys instead. Don't eat those!
For Adults
1. Set jack o' lanterns in your windows.
If you're feeling gutsy, place them lining your sidewalk; however, know that if they're outside they risk getting smashed and ruined. You can buy pre-made, decorative jack o' lanterns at any big box store or at craft supply stores. But making them yourself is always better!
- Carving your own jack o' lantern can be very messy, but great fun. All you have to do is hollow out a pumpkin, trace on a face, and cut it out. Then place a tea light or an LED light inside to light the way for your trick or treaters.
2. Load up on candy.
Have a good stock -- you never know how many children will be knocking on your front door. If you have any left over, well, all the more for you!
- You may want to have some spare change available. Since about the 50's, UNICEF has started a trick or treat program where children collect spare change to help children in need in over 190 countries all over the world. If any come to your door with a small orange box, that's your first clue. Make sure it says UNICEF on it, though!
3. Decorate your house in the spirit of Halloween.
You can choose a theme (like a haunted house or cemetery) or you can just swallow your house in orange, black, cobwebs, and stuffed witches, like many choose to do.
- If you're going for the haunted house feel, make sure to keep dim lighting inside and out. Line the walk, but little else. Play Halloween noises and cover your entrance in fake cobwebs. If you can, have someone in costume outside your house, beckoning the children to your door.
- If you'd like to try turning your house into a cemetery, put
gravestones throughout your yard. Dead flowers are a nice added touch.
Fake crows, hands clawing out of the dirt, coffins, screams playing in the background, and fog rolling in will seal the deal.
- Of course, if you're handing out candy, you have to dress up too! You're part of the show as well. It's not complete without you.
4. Have a Halloween pre-party.
Why only have your decorations up only for kids 2 or 3 hours one day a year? You went to all that work -- might as well put those fake skeletons and dry ice to good use. At your party, have halloween games, finger foods, drinks, and music. Not every party has to be scary, but you certainly can add a "room of horror" if you so choose.
- One annual game for the holiday is bobbing for apples. This is only advised if you're not having a costume party -- or all the makeup will run off! Grab a huge bucket or barrel and fill it with water and some apples. Tie guests' hands behind their backs while they duck their heads into the water, trying to catch the apple with their teeth.
- Halloween food decorations get better and better each year. Buy eyeball candies to place on Red Velvet cupcakes with white icing for the blood vessels. And sugar cookies can easily be molded into witches' fingers (think of an almond slice for a fingernail).
- Make dry ice (or buy some) to perfect that witch's cauldron. Your drinks will be smokin' in no time.
- If you're really intense, you could always stage a blackout or, with enough tight-lipped friends, a zombie attack (blood capsules will come in handy). Halloween is a great excuse to fulfill your strangest fantasies. (But don't let your guests in with weapons.)
5. Welcome in the trick or treaters.
The time has come. Make sure all the right lights are on, the music is playing, you're in your costume, and the candy is ready. You'll probably get a few that come before your city's designated time, so stay on the lookout.
- If you run out of candy and have no substitutes (and can't go out for more), turn your lights off. Do this as a courtesy to the children so they know that your home is off the Halloween market.This time comes only once every year, be nice to them and give them open heartedly. Children are going to love you for that! Make your Halloweens magical by just following few steps!
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