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of halloween |
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of halloween |
| Halloween traditions date back to the Celts.
2000 years ago, on November 1st, the Celts celebrated the start of winter
and the new year.
The last night of October was special. It was called Samhain (end of Summer). They celebrated a big party, with lots of food, bonfires, dancing and singing. It was a goodbye party for the sun and the light; in Winter the days were cold and short. |
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But it was also a party for the dead. Celts believed that on Halloween night ghost could come back. On that night, the travellers carried scary vegetable lamps (Jack o'lanterns) to frighten bad spirits. |
| In year 835 the Christian church made November
1st a church holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called "All
Saints' Day".
The Halloween celebrated today in the USA and other countries includes the influence of the Celt celebration of Samhain (balck cats, magic, bad spirits, ...) and the Christian celebration of All Saints'(ghosts, skeletons, ...) |
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