Fun Day - 'Halloween'

Every year on October 31, Halloween is celebrated all over the world. Although this day is traditionally celebrated in European countries, it is now being celebrated with enthusiasm in India as well. People of all age groups participate enthusiastically in celebrating this festival, but children and especially the youth have a special zeal and enthusiasm for celebrating it. Today, as this day is being celebrated all over the world, let's find out what Halloween is!!

Halloween is associated with the souls of the dead Every country has its own cultural traditions, and accordingly, there is a trend of celebrating certain festivals or days. In our country, India, there are many such festivals that we celebrate with laughter and joy, but 'Shradh' is a festival that we celebrate 'with reverence' in memory of our departed ones. Similarly, in European countries, people celebrate Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc., with great joy, but in memory of their deceased, they celebrate 'Halloween Day,' which has the sentiment and reverence of remembering their ancestors, but the way of celebrating it is very unique, or you could say, scary.

It is believed that about 2000 years ago, Celtic people lived all over Europe, and they celebrated this day as the new year according to the Celtic calendar. This day also marks the beginning of the cold season and the last day of the harvest season. Most people who follow Gaelic traditions believe that on this designated day, the distance between the mortal and the immortal world decreases, and the souls of the dead rise from the other world to meet their loved ones on Earth. These souls are both good and evil. Since evil souls are restless, they come to Earth and damage the crops and also trouble the living. Therefore, people started taking various measures to prevent the entry of evil souls into their homes. Non-vegetarian and various kinds of food were prepared and placed outside the houses on the streets with wine so that they could get food from outside, be satisfied, and return.

People started going out of their homes wearing scary ghost-like clothes and makeup or scary masks so that the evil spirits would consider them their own companions and not bother them. Gradually, people started hanging fake bats, crows, spider webs, and even fake skeletons outside their houses to confuse the evil spirits. Not only that, bonfires were lit far from the houses, and animal bones were thrown into them so that the souls would not reach the houses. Children and young people used to participate enthusiastically in this custom of wandering around looking scary to drive away the fear of evil spirits, but the elders used to organize prayers for the peace of both good and evil souls. How is Halloween celebrated

Around the 9th century, when Christianity began to spread among the Celtic peoples, it is believed that the Christian popes started celebrating 'All Saints' Day' in the church on November 1st. The day before, October 31st, 'All Hallows' Eve,' was already celebrated in Christianity in memory of the dead souls. Due to the popes' attempt to merge it into Christianity, 'All Saints' Day' and 'All Hallows' Eve' began to be celebrated on the same day, which gradually came to be celebrated as 'Halloween' from 'All Hallows' Eve.' Today, Halloween is celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, Britain, Australia, and all over America with many traditions and customs.

According to folklore, it is a custom to make a jack-o'-lantern, or pumpkin lantern, in every house on Halloween, in which the pumpkin is hollowed out, and eyes, a nose, and a mouth are carved in various scary ways, and a bulb or candle is lit inside. Later, these pumpkins are collected and buried in the ground. Children go from house to house with pumpkin-shaped bags and ask the owner of the house, 'Trick or treat?' If the owner says 'trick,' they have to scare the children with various tricks, and if they say 'treat,' they have to give the children various gifts, toys, chocolates, candy, and candy corn.

On this day, people also hold theme parties and try to scare each other by wearing various scary costumes. People make themselves look scary by wearing masks, makeup, and costumes of ghosts, monsters, pirates, vampires, bats, skeletons, werewolves, and demons, and try to scare each other. Black cats, black bats, and black crows are also associated with evil spirits on this day. It is even considered very inauspicious to see a black cat or have it cross your path on Halloween evening, as if you have seen a vampire or a witch, and it is considered unlucky for the whole year. In many places, seeing a black cat on this day is considered so inauspicious that they kill it on sight. On this day, people also play many traditional games and make predictions for the future. In addition, there is a tradition of making traditional dishes, cakes, and drinks from apples, pumpkins, and corn, which all family members make, share, and eat together, and consider it a fun day.

Although this day, in its traditions and customs, may not match our Indian traditions of remembering our elders, this 'fun day' of Halloween, where departed souls are remembered and 'tributes' are offered to them, is not uninteresting.