| Revision as of 02:42, 1 October 2012 view sourceEastcote (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,652 edits →Pre-Christian influences: Not so, even if there is a source. This was 19th century conjecture which has been repeated in various Halloween histories.← Previous edit | Revision as of 12:22, 1 October 2012 view source 92.42.151.168 (talk) ←Replaced content with ' HELLO HALLOWEEN IS SO FREEKIN SCARY ITS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!! WAQTCH GANGNAM STYLE GUY ITS AMAZING'Tag: repeating charactersNext edit → | ||
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| {{About|the holiday}} | |||
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| {{Infobox Holiday | |||
| |holiday_name = Halloween | |||
| |image = Jack-o'-Lantern_2003-10-31.jpg | |||
| |caption = A ], one of the symbols of Halloween | |||
| |official_name = | |||
| |nickname = All Hallows' Eve<br />All Saints' Eve<br />Samhain | |||
| |observedby = Western Christians & many non-Christians ]<ref name=Fasting>{{cite web|title=BBC - Religions - Christianity: All Hallows' Eve|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/halloween_1.shtml|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)|quote=All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself. The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed' meaning holy or sanctified and is now usually contracted to the more familiar word Hallowe'en.|year=2010|accessdate=1 November 2011}}</ref> | |||
| |date = October 31 | |||
| |celebrations = ]s, ]s, costume parties, trick-or-treating/guising, carving pumpkins, ghost tours, haunted attractions, Hell houses, bonfires, divination, apple bobbing, fireworks displays | |||
| |observances = ]s,<ref name=Service>{{cite book|title=The Book of Occasional Services 2003|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6dq6dEb9Q0IC&pg=PA108&dq=prayer+for+all+hallows+eve&hl=en&ei=6ZCvTsLWIKfi0QHU-7XRAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=prayer%20for%20all%20hallows%20eve&f=false|publisher=Church Publishing, Inc.|quote=Service for All Hallows' Eve: This service may be used on the evening of October 31, known as All Hallows' Eve. Suitable festivities and entertainments may take place before or after this service, and a visit may be made to a cemetery or burial place.|year=2004|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> ],<ref name=Prayer>{{cite book|title=The Anglican Family Prayer Book|author=Anne E. Kitch|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=idekF-9uIAIC&pg=PA148&dq=prayer+for+all+hallows+eve+Anglican&hl=en&ei=JJOvTon-Hcjh0QHIqZi8AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false|publisher=Church Publishing, Inc.|quote=All Hallow's Eve, which later became known as Halloween, is celebrated on the night before All Saints' Day, November 1. Use this simple prayer service in conjunction with Halloween festivities to mark the Christian roots of this festival.|year=2004|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> ],<ref name=Fasting>{{cite web|title=BBC - Religions - Christianity: All Hallows' Eve|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/halloween_1.shtml|publisher=]|quote=All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself. The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed' meaning holy or sanctified and is now usually contracted to the more familiar word Hallowe'en.|year=2010|accessdate=1 November 2011}}</ref> and ]<ref name=Vigil>{{cite book|title=The Paulist Liturgy Planning Guide|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=34_o1HJOrzoC&pg=PA251&dq=Christian+halloween+costumes&hl=en&ei=LlWvTriICenCsQL7rLnbAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CH4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Christian%20halloween%20costumes&f=false|publisher=]|quote=Rather than comete, liturgy planners would do well to consider ways of including children in the celebration of these vigil Masses. For example, children might be encouraged to wear Halloween costumes representing their ] or their favorite saint, clearly adding a new level of meaning to the Halloween celebrations and the celebration of All Saints' Day.|year=2006|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> | |||
| |relatedto = ], ] ('']''. ]) | |||
| }} | |||
| HELLO HALLOWEEN IS SO FREEKIN SCARY ITS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!! WAQTCH GANGNAM STYLE GUY ITS AMAZING | |||
| '''Halloween''' or '''Hallowe'en''' (a contraction of its original title "All ]s' ]"),<ref name=Contraction>{{cite book|title=A History of the Scottish People from the Earliest Times: From the Union of the kingdoms, 1706, to the present time|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=YVgJAAAAIAAJ&q=Hallowe'en+contraction&dq=Hallowe'en+contraction&hl=en&ei=Y6i8TtXJOcargwe2lN28Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBDgK|publisher=Blackie|author=Thomas Thomson, Charles Annandale|quote=Of the stated rustic festivals peculiar to Scotland the most important was Hallowe'en, a contraction for All-hallow Evening, or the evening of All-Saints Day, the annual return of which was a season for joy and festivity.|year=1896|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> also known as '''All Hallows' Eve''',<ref name=Christianity3>{{cite book|title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopædia of World Religions |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZP_f9icf2roC&pg=PA408&dq=all+hallow's+eve+christian+origin&hl=en&ei=dUyvTrfhIYetgwen5YiCAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE8Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false|publisher=Merriam-Webster|quote=Halloween, ''also called'' All Hallows' Eve, holy or hallowed evening observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. The pre-Christian observances influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows' Eve, celebrated on the same date.|year=1999|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> is a yearly ] ] on October 31, the eve before the ] ] feast of ]. According to some scholars, All Hallows' Eve initially incorporated traditions from ] ]s and ], particularly the ] ];<ref name=Christianity3 /><ref name=Christianity1>{{cite book|author=Nicholas Rogers|title=Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=stWZ_UDteMIC&pg=PA22&dq=halloween+christian+holy+day&hl=en&ei=wCiwTu-tN8j00gGJ5bjGAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CG8Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=halloween%20christian%20holy%20day&f=false|quote=Halloween and the Day of the Dead share a common origin in the Christian commemoration of the dead on All Saints' and All Souls' Day. But both are thought to embody strong pre-Christian beliefs. In the case of Halloween, the Celtic celebration of Samhain is critical to its pagan legacy, a claim that has been foregrounded in recent years by both new-age enthusiasts and the evangelical Right.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2002|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref><ref name=Christianity2>{{cite book|title=Austrian information|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=9FU7AQAAIAAJ&q=all+hallow's+eve+wear+masks+Christian+souls+vengeance&dq=all+hallow's+eve+wear+masks+Christian+souls+vengeance&hl=en&ei=u1CvTtjjFOKHsAKEudDkAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA|quote=The feasts of Hallowe'en, or All Hallows Eve and the devotions to the dead on All Saints' and All Souls' Day are both mixtures of old Celtic, Druid and other heathen customs intertwined with Christian practice.|year=1965|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> other scholars maintain that the feast originated entirely independently of Samhain.<ref name=BBC>{{cite web|title=BBC - Religions - Christianity: All Hallows' Eve|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/halloween_1.shtml|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)|quote=The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions also claims that Hallowe'en "absorbed and adopted the Celtic new year festival, the eve and day of Samhain". However, there are supporters of the view that Hallowe'en, as the eve of All Saints' Day, originated entirely independently of Samhain and some question the existence of a specific pan-Celtic religious festival which took place on 31st October/1st November.|year=2010|accessdate=1 November 2011}}</ref> | |||
| Typical festive Halloween activities include ] (also known as "]"), attending ] ], carving ]s, lighting ]s, ], visiting ]s, playing ]s, telling scary stories, and watching ], as well as the ] of ], ] and attending ]s or ]s.<ref name="Fasting"/><ref name=Service /><ref name=Prayer /><ref name=Vigil /> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ===Etymology=== | |||
| The word ''Halloween'' was first used in the 16th century and represents a ] variant of the fuller ''All-Hallows'-Even'' ("evening"), that is, the night before ].<ref name="oed"/> Although the phrase ''All Hallows''' is found in ] (''ealra hālgena mæssedæg'', mass-day of all saints), ''All-Hallows-Even'' is itself not seen until 1556.<ref name="oed">{{cite book |title=The Oxford English Dictionary |edition=2nd |year=1989 |publisher=Oxford Univ. Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-861186-2}}</ref> | |||
| ===Pre-Christian influences=== | |||
| The Halloween holiday is commonly thought to have pagan roots, even though the etymology of the word is Christian.<ref name="rogers_s">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Samhain and the Celtic Origins of Halloween". ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 11–21. New York: ]. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of ], the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the ] called ], it is more typically linked to the ] festival of ], derived from the ] Samuin meaning "summer's end".<ref name="rogers_s"/> Samhain was the first and the most important of the four ] in the medieval ] and ]<ref name="Hutton">Hutton, Ronald, The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996)</ref> calendar<ref name="Roud">A Pocket Guide To Superstitions Of The British Isles (Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; Reprint edition: 4 November 2004) ISBN 0-14-051549-6</ref><ref name="bbc_halloween"> BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2011.</ref> and, falling on the last day of autumn, it was a time for stock-taking and preparation for the cold winter months ahead.<ref name="rogers_s"/> There was also a sense that this was the time of year when the physical and supernatural worlds were closest and magical things could happen.<ref name="Roud"/><ref name="bbc_halloween"/> The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on Samhain eve. <ref>"Halloween." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 21 September 2012.</ref> To ward off these spirits, the ] built huge, symbolically regenerative ]s and invoked the help of the gods through animal and perhaps even human sacrifice.<ref name="rogers_s"/> In the Western Isles of Scotland the ], or fairy host was regarded as composed of the souls of the dead flying through the air, and the feast of the dead at Hallowe'en was likewise the festival of the fairies.''<ref>Spence, Lewis (1945) "The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain". p. 88. ISBN 0-09-474300-2</ref> | |||
| ===Christian influences=== | |||
| ].<br />Depicts ] and ] games at a Halloween party in ], ].]] | |||
| Halloween is also thought to have been heavily influenced by the ] holy days of ] (also known as '''Hallowmas''', '''All Hallows''', and '''Hallowtide''') and ].<ref name="rogers_religion">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 22, 27. New York: ]. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> Falling on November 1 and 2 respectively, collectively they were a time for honoring the ]s and praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach Heaven. Pope Gregory IV ordered its church-wide observance in 837.<ref>"All Saints' Day." The Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 21 September 2012.</ref> By the end of the 12th century they had become ] across Europe and involved such traditions as ringing bells for the souls in ] and "]", the custom of baking bread or soul cakes for "all crysten ] souls".<ref name="AFP"/> It was traditionally believed that the ] of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving onto the ].<ref name=Christian>{{cite book|author=Prince Sorie Conteh|title=Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HpAuyiMRTDcC&pg=PA132&dq=all+hallow's+eve+christian+origin&hl=en&ei=OEuvTv3GNMja0QHgvs3LAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false|quote=It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving onto the next world. In order to avoid being recognised by any soul that might be seeking such vengeanc, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities. Today most North American and British children perpetuate the custom by dressing in costumes and going door to door in search of treats.|publisher=]|year=2009|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> To avoid being recognised by a soul, Christians would wear masks and costumes to disguise themselves, following the lighted candles set by others to guide their travel for ] the next day.<ref name=Christian /> Today, this practice has been perpetuated through children ] (]).<ref name=Christian /> | |||
| In Britain the rituals of Hallowtide and Halloween came under attack during the ] as ]s denounced purgatory as a "]" doctrine incompatible with the notion of ].<ref name="rogers_religion"/> In addition the increasing popularity of ] (5 November) from 1605 on saw Halloween become eclipsed in Britain with the notable exception of ].<ref name="rogers_kirk">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 37-38. New York: ]. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> There and in ], they had been celebrating Samhain and Halloween since the early ],<ref name="Hutton" /> and the ] took a more pragmatic approach towards Halloween, viewing it as important to the life cycle and ] of local communities and thus ensuring its survival in the country.<ref name="rogers_kirk"/> North American almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was recognized as a holiday.<ref name="rogers_nw">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 49-50. New York: ]. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> The ] of ], for example, maintained strong opposition to the holiday<ref name="rogers_nw"/> and it was not until the mass ] and Scottish immigration during the 19th century that the holiday was introduced to the continent in earnest.<ref name="rogers_nw"/> Initially confined to the immigrant communities during the mid-19th century, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the 20th century it was being celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial and religious backgrounds.<ref name="rogers_nationwide">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', p. 74. New York: ]. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> | |||
| ==Symbols== | |||
| ], ]]] | |||
| Development of ] and ]s associated with Halloween formed over time. For instance, the carving of ] springs from the ] custom of carving ] into lanterns as a way of remembering the ]s held in ].<ref name="rogers_f">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 29, 57. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> The ] has traditionally been used in ] and ] at Halloween,<ref name=lant> p.269. Oxford University Press, 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2011</ref><ref name=frle/> but immigrants to ] used the native ], which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than a turnip.<ref name=lant/> Subsequently, the mass marketing of various size pumpkins in autumn, in both the corporate and local markets, has made pumpkins universally available for this purpose. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837<ref>Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Great Carbuncle," in "Twice-Told Tales", 1837: Hide it under thy cloak, say'st thou? Why, it will gleam through the holes, and make thee look like a jack-o'-lantern!</ref> and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.<ref>As late as 1900, an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o'-lantern as part of the festivities. "," ''The New York Times'', 24 November 1895, p. 27. "," ''The New York Times'', 21 October 1900, p. 12.</ref> | |||
| The ]ry of Halloween is derived from many sources, including national customs, works of ] and ] literature (such as the novels '']'' and '']'') and classic horror films (such as '']'' and '']'').<ref name="rogers_h">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Halloween Goes to Hollywood". ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 103–124. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet ], who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween; ''"What fearfu' pranks ensue!"'', as well as the supernatural associated with the night, ''"Bogies"'' (ghosts), influencing ]' '']'' 1785.<ref>Thomas Crawford Stanford University Press, 1960</ref> Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn ]s and ]s, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. | |||
| Halloween imagery includes themes of ], ], the ], and mythical ]s.<ref>Simpson, Jacqueline ''All Saints' Day'' in Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, Howarth, G. and Leeman, O. (2001)London Routledge ISBN 0-415-18825-3, p.14 ''Halloween is closely associated in folklore with death and the supernatural''.</ref> Black and orange are the holiday's traditional colors. | |||
| ==Trick-or-treating and guising== | |||
| {{Main| Trick-or-treating}} | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In this custom the child performs some sort of trick, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, to earn their treats. | |||
| The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays dates back to the ] and includes ] ]. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of ], when poor folk would go door to door on ] (1 November), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on ] (2 November). It originated in Ireland and ],<ref name=AFP>{{cite book | |||
| | first = Nicholas | |||
| | last = Rogers | |||
| | title = Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night | |||
| | location = | |||
| | publisher = Oxford University Press | |||
| | year = 2001 | |||
| | pages = 28–30 | |||
| | isbn = 0-19-514691-3 | |||
| }}</ref> although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy.<ref>"Ask Anne", ''Washington Post'', 21 November 1948, p. S11.</ref> ] mentions the practice in his comedy '']'' (1593), when Speed accuses his master of "puling like a beggar at Hallowmas."<ref>Act 2, Scene 1.</ref> | |||
| In Scotland and Ireland, ] – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.<ref name=frle>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=x7_QAAAAMAAJ&dq=Frank%20Leslie's%20popular%20monthly%201895%20Halloween&pg=PA540#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Frank Leslie's popular monthly, Volume 40, November 1895, p. 540-543 |publisher=Books.google.com |date=5 February 2009 |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref> The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in ] reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.<ref>Rogers, Nicholas. (2002) "Coming Over:Halloween in North America". ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night''. p.76. Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-19-514691-3</ref> | |||
| American historian and author ] of ] wrote the first book length history of the holiday in the U.S; ''The Book of Hallowe'en'' (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America"; | |||
| <blockquote>The taste in Hallowe'en festivities now is to study old traditions, and hold a Scotch party, using ] poem ''Hallowe'en'' as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe'en is out of fashion now.<ref>], ''The Book of Hallowe'en'', Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co., 1919, chapter 15, p.127. "."</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ], New York, US]] | |||
| In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in the United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries".<ref>{{cite web |last=Kelley |first=Ruth Edna |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/boh/boh17.htm |title=Hallowe'en in America}}</ref> | |||
| While the first reference to "guising" in North America occurs in 1911, another reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920.<ref>Theo. E. Wright, "A Halloween Story," ''St. Nicholas'', October 1915, p. 1144. Mae McGuire Telford, "What Shall We Do Halloween?" '']'', October 1920, p. 135.</ref> | |||
| The earliest known use in print of the term "trick or treat" appears in 1927, from ], Canada:<blockquote>Hallowe'en provided an opportunity for real strenuous fun. No real damage was done except to the temper of some who had to hunt for wagon wheels, gates, wagons, barrels, etc., much of which decorated the front street. The youthful tormentors were at back door and front demanding edible plunder by the word “trick or treat” to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing.<ref>"'Trick or Treat' Is Demand," ''Herald'' (], ]), November 4, 1927, p. 5, dateline ], Nov. 3.</ref></blockquote> | |||
| The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but do not depict trick-or-treating.<ref>For examples, see the websites , , , and .</ref> The editor of a collection of over 3,000 vintage Halloween postcards writes, "There are cards which mention the custom or show children in costumes at the doors, but as far as we can tell they were printed later than the 1920s and more than likely even the 1930s. Tricksters of various sorts are shown on the early postcards, but not the means of appeasing them".<ref>E-mail from Louise and Gary Carpentier, 29 May 2007, editors of '''' (CD-ROM), G & L Postcards.</ref> Trick-or-treating does not seem to have become a widespread practice until the 1930s, with the first U.S. appearances of the term in 1934,<ref>"Halloween Pranks Keep Police on Hop," '']'' (]), 1 November 1934:<blockquote>Other young goblins and ghosts, employing modern shakedown methods, successfully worked the "trick or treat" system in all parts of the city.</blockquote> "The Gangsters of Tomorrow", ''The Helena Independent'' (]), 2 November 1934, p. 4:<blockquote>] ] rang the door bells and his gang waited his signal. It was his plan to proceed cautiously at first and give a citizen every opportunity to comply with his demands before pulling any rough stuff. "Madam, we are here for the usual purpose, 'trick or treat.'" This is the old demand of the little people who go out to have some innocent fun. Many women have some apples, cookies or doughnuts for them, but they call rather early and the "treat" is given out gladly.</blockquote> The '']'' also mentioned door-to-door begging in ] on Halloween in 1934, although not by the term "trick-or-treating." "Front Views and Profiles" (column), ''Chicago Tribune'', 3 November 1934, p. 17.</ref> and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939.<ref>Doris Hudson Moss, "A Victim of the Window-Soaping Brigade?" ''The American Home'', November 1939, p. 48. Moss was a ]-based writer.</ref> | |||
| ===Costumes=== | |||
| {{Main| Halloween costume}} | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after supernatural figures such as monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses. | |||
| Dressing up in costumes and going "]" was prevalent in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween by the late 19th century.<ref name=frle/> Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in the US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children. The first mass-produced Halloween costumes appeared in stores in the 1930s when ] was becoming popular in the United States. | |||
| Halloween ] generally fall on, or around, 31 October, often falling on the Friday or Saturday prior to Halloween. | |||
| ===UNICEF=== | |||
| {{Main|Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF}} | |||
| "Trick-or-Treat for ]" has become a common sight during Halloween in North America. Started as a local event in a Northeast ] neighborhood in 1950 and expanded nationally in 1952, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools (or in modern times, corporate sponsors like ], at their licensed stores) to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small-change donations from the houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $118 million for UNICEF since its inception. In Canada, in 2006, UNICEF decided to discontinue their Halloween collection boxes, citing safety and administrative concerns; after consultation with schools, they instead redesigned the program.<ref name="ctv">{{cite news |first=Genevieve |last=Beauchemin |coauthors=CTV.ca News Staff |title=UNICEF to end Halloween 'orange box' program |url= http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060530/unicef_orange_060530?s_name=&no_ads= |publisher=CTV |date=31 May 2006 |accessdate=29 October 2006}}</ref><ref name="ca_un">{{cite web |title=History of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Campaign |url =http://www.trickortreatforunicef.ca/tot_history.html |publisher=UNICEF Canada |year=2008 |accessdate=25 October 2009}}</ref> | |||
| ==Games and other activities== | |||
| ] is depicted: the young woman looking into a mirror in a darkened room hopes to catch a glimpse of the face of her future husband.]] | |||
| There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween parties. One common game is dunking or ], which may be called "dooking" in Scotland<ref>, BBC News, 2 October 2008</ref> in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water and the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. A variant of dunking involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drop the fork into an apple. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably leads to a very sticky face. | |||
| Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. A traditional Scottish form of divining one's future spouse is to carve an apple in one long strip, then toss the peel over one's shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name.<ref name="McNeill">McNeill, F. Marian (1961, 1990) ''The Silver Bough'', Vol. 3. William MacLellan, Glasgow ISBN 0-948474-04-1 pp.11–46</ref> Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a ] would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/vintage-halloween-women/ |title=Vintage Halloween Cards |publisher=Vintage Holiday Crafts |accessdate=28 October 2009}}</ref> from the late 19th century and early 20th century. | |||
| Another game/superstition that was enjoyed in the early 1900s involved walnut shells. People would write fortunes in milk on white paper. After drying, the paper was folded and placed in walnut shells. When the shell was warmed, milk would turn brown therefore the writing would appear on what looked like blank paper. Folks would also play fortune teller. In order to play this game, symbols were cut out of paper and placed on a platter. Someone would enter a dark room and was ordered to put her hand on a piece of ice then lay it on a platter. Her "fortune" would stick to the hand. Paper symbols included: dollar sign-wealth, button-bachelorhood, thimble-spinsterhood, clothespin- poverty, rice-wedding, umbrella- journey, caldron-trouble, 4-leaf clover- good luck, penny-fortune, ring-early marriage, and key-fame.<ref>Green Bay Press Gazette, 27 October 1916</ref> | |||
| The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before the holiday, while new horror films are often released theatrically before the holiday to take advantage of the atmosphere. | |||
| ==Haunted attractions== | |||
| {{Main|Haunted attraction}} | |||
| ]s in front of a house in ].]] | |||
| Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses. Origins of these paid scare venues are difficult to pinpoint, but it is generally accepted that they were first commonly used by the ] (Jaycees) for fundraising.<ref name="msnbc">{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9855272/|title=Haunted house business getting frightfully hard|last=Associated Press|date=30 October 2005|work=MSNBC.com|publisher=MSNBC|accessdate=18 November 2008}}</ref> They include haunted houses, ]s, and ]s,<ref name="hvmag">{{cite web |url=http://www.hvmag.com/Hudson-Valley-Magazine/October-2008/A-Model-of-Mayhem/ |title=A Model of Mayhem |accessdate=6 October 2008 |author=Greg Ryan |date=17 September 2008 |work=Hudson Valley Magazine}}</ref> and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown. Haunted attractions in the United States bring in an estimate $300–500 million each year, and draw some 400,000 customers, although press sources writing in 2005 speculated that the industry had reached its peak at that time.<ref name="msnbc"/> This maturing and growth within the industry has led to technically more advanced special effects and costuming, comparable with that of Hollywood films.<ref name="usatoday-haunt">{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2006-10-11-haunted-house-main_x.htm |title=Haunted houses get really scary|last=Wilson|first=Craig|date=12 October 2006 |work=USAToday.com}}</ref> | |||
| ==Foods== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Because the holiday comes in the wake of the annual apple harvest, ]s (known as toffee apples outside North America), ] are common Halloween treats made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, sometimes followed by rolling them in nuts. | |||
| At one time, candy apples were commonly given to children, but the practice rapidly waned in the wake of widespread rumors that some individuals were embedding items like pins and ].<ref name="rogers_r">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Razor in the Apple: Struggle for Safe and Sane Halloween, ''c''. 1920–1990," ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', pp. 78–102. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> While there is evidence of such incidents,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/needles.asp |title=Urban Legends Reference Pages: Pins and Needles in Halloween Candy |publisher=Snopes.com |date= |accessdate=31 October 2008}}</ref> they are quite rare and have never resulted in serious injury. Nonetheless, many parents assumed that such heinous practices were rampant because of the mass media. At the peak of the hysteria, some hospitals offered free X-rays of children's Halloween hauls in order to find evidence of tampering. Virtually all of the few known candy poisoning incidents involved parents who poisoned their own children's candy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livescience.com/health/poisoned-halloween-candy-myth-101027.html |title=Poisoned Halloween Candy: Trick, Treat or Myth? - LiveScience|last=Nixon|first=Robin|date=27 October 2010 |publisher=LiveScience.com |accessdate=23 January 2011}}</ref> | |||
| One custom that persists in modern-day ] is the baking (or more often nowadays, the purchase) of a ] ({{lang-gle|báirín breac}}), which is a light fruitcake, into which a plain ring, a coin and other charms are placed before baking. It is said that those who get a ring will find their true love in the ensuing year. This is similar to the tradition of ] at the festival of ]. | |||
| List of foods associated with the holiday: | |||
| * ] (]) | |||
| * ] (]) | |||
| * ]s/]s (Great Britain & Ireland) | |||
| * ], ] (North America) | |||
| * ]s | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] (Ireland) | |||
| * Novelty candy shaped like skulls, ], bats, worms, etc. | |||
| * Pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread | |||
| * Roasted ] | |||
| * Roasted ] | |||
| * ]s | |||
| ==Around the world== | |||
| {{Main|Halloween around the world}} | |||
| The traditions and importance of the Halloween celebration vary significantly among countries that observe it. In Scotland and Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include children dressing up in costume going "guising", holding parties, while other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays.<ref> ''UTV News'' Retrieved 22 November 2010</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/north-down/news/halloween-firework-injuries-are-on-the-increase-hospital-14989337.html|title=Halloween firework injuries are on the increase|last=McCann|first=Chris|date=28 October 2010|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|accessdate=22 November 2010}}</ref> Mass transatlantic immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America, and celebration in the United States and Canada has had a significant impact on how the event is observed in other nations. This larger North American influence, particularly in iconic and commercial elements, has extended to places such as ], ],<ref>{{Cite news|name=Calls for Halloween holiday in Australia|author=Paul Kent|date=27 October 2010|work=]|accessdate=27 October 2010}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10684066|title=Safe treats for kids on year's scariest night|last=Denton|first=Hannah|date=30 October 2010|publisher=]|accessdate=22 November 2010}}</ref> (most) continental Europe, Japan, and other parts of East Asia.<ref name="rogers_m">Rogers, Nicholas (2002). ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', p.164. New York: ]. ISBN 0-19-516896-8.</ref> | |||
| ==Religious perspectives== | |||
| {{See also|All Saints' Day|Samhain}} | |||
| ===Christianity=== | |||
| ] attitudes towards Halloween are diverse. In the ], some ]s have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions associated with All Hallow's Eve.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2006/9/18/Bishop_challenges_supermarkets_to_lighten_up_Halloween |title=Bishop Challenges Supermarkets to Lighten up Halloween |publisher=The Church of England |quote=Christianity needs to make clear its positive message for young people. It's high time we reclaimed the Christian aspects of Halloween," says the Bishop, explaining the background to his letter.|accessdate=28 October 2009}}</ref><ref name = "newadvent.org">{{cite web | url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315a.htm | title = Halloween and All Saints Day | accessdate =22 October 2006 | date = n.d. | publisher = newadvent.org}}</ref> Some of these ] include ], ] and attending ].<ref name=Fasting /><ref name=Service /><ref name=Prayer /> | |||
| {{quotation|Father, All-Powerful and Ever-Living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. —All Hallow's Eve Prayer from the ]<ref name=LiturgyofHours>{{cite web|title=Halloween Prayers: Prayers and Collects for All Hallows Eve|url=http://www.churchyear.net/hallowsprayers.html|publisher=Ancient and Future Catholics|quote=Father, All-Powerful and Ever-Living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.|year=2001|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref>}} | |||
| Other ]s also celebrate the holiday as ], a day to remember the ], alongside All Hallow's Eve or independently from it.<ref>{{cite web | title = Reformation Day | url = http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/MP3-Audio--Multimedia/Holiday-Sermons/Reformation-Sunday/ | accessdate =22 October 2009 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref><ref name = "RefDay">{{cite web | url = http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=15084&loc_id=9,612,32,52 | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070223075856/http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=15084&loc_id=9,612,32,52 | archivedate = 23 February 2007 | title = Reformation Day: What, Why, and Resources for Worship | accessdate =22 October 2006 |date=21 October 2005 | publisher = The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church}}</ref> Often, "Harvest Festivals" or "Reformation Festivals" are held, in which children dress up as ] or ].<ref name=Reformers>{{cite web|title=Christians and Halloween|url=http://www.gty.org/resources/Articles/A123#.TrBJnPSa9GU|publisher=Church Publishing, Inc.|quote=Other Christians will opt for Halloween alternatives called "Harvest Festivals" or "Reformation Festivals"--the kids dress up as farmers, Bible characters, or Reformation heroes.|publisher=]|author=Travis Allen|year=2011|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref> | |||
| Father ], a ]-appointed ] in Rome, has said, "if English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that."<ref name="Brandreth">Gyles Brandreth, "" ''Sunday Telegraph'' (London), 11 March 2000.</ref> In more recent years, the ] has organized a "Saint Fest" on the holiday.<ref name="www.rcab.org" /> Similarly, many contemporary Protestant churches view Halloween as a fun event for children, holding events in their churches where children and their parents can dress up, play games, and get candy for free. Many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely cultural holiday devoted to celebrating "imaginary spooks" and handing out candy. To these Christians, Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors actually being a valuable life lesson and a part of many of their parishioners' heritage.<ref name="CelticChristians">{{cite web | url = http://allsaintsbrookline.org/celtic/samhain.html | title = Feast of Samhain/Celtic New Year/Celebration of All Celtic Saints 1 November | accessdate =22 November 2006 | date = n.d. | publisher = All Saints Parish}}</ref> In the ], Halloween's Christian connection is sometimes cited,<ref> AmericanCatholic.org. Retrieved on 24 October 2007.</ref> and Halloween celebrations are common in ] throughout North America and in Ireland. Nevertheless, the Vatican has strongly condemned the traditions popularly associated with Halloween as being "pagan" and "anti-Christian".<ref>, telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2011.</ref> | |||
| Some Christians feel concerned about the modern celebration of Halloween, and reject the holiday because they feel it trivializes – or celebrates – ], the ], or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs.<ref name="russo">''Halloween: What's a Christian to Do?'' (1998) by Steve Russo.</ref> A response among some ] and conservative ] churches in recent years has been the use of "]s", themed pamphlets, or comic-style ] such as those created by ] in order to make use of Halloween's popularity as an opportunity for evangelism.<ref name="www.rcab.org">{{cite web | url = http://www.rcab.org/Pilot/2004/ps041105/saintfest.html | title = Salem 'Saint Fest' restores Christian message to Halloween | accessdate =22 October 2006 | date = n.d. | publisher = www.rcab.org |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060929155738/http://www.rcab.org/Pilot/2004/ps041105/saintfest.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 29 September 2006}}</ref> Some consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith,<ref name = "www.thercg.org">{{cite web | url = http://www.thercg.org/articles/totuh.html | title = 'Trick?' or 'Treat?' – Unmasking Halloween| accessdate =21 September 2007 | date = n.d. | publisher = The Restored Church of God}}</ref> believing it to have originated as a pagan "]". | |||
| ===Paganism=== | |||
| ] consider the season a holy time of year.<ref name=LimerickLeader>{{cite web | url = http://www.limerickleader.ie/features/A-to-Z-of-Halloween.5779425.jp | title = A to Z of Halloween | accessdate =29 October 2009 | date = 29 October 2009 | publisher = The Limerick Leader}}</ref> ], and others who maintain ancestral customs, make offerings to the gods and the ancestors.<ref name=LimerickLeader /> | |||
| ==Image gallery== | |||
| <center><gallery> | |||
| File:Siamese Halloween Figures 2011C.jpg | |||
| File:Colorful Halloween Costume 2011.JPG | |||
| File:Halloween Witch 2011.JPG | |||
| File:Interesting Halloween Costumes 2011.JPG | |||
| File:Creepy Halloween Costumes 2011.JPG | |||
| File:Halloween Midgets 2011.JPG | |||
| </gallery></center> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Portal|Christianity|Holidays}} | |||
| {{div col|colwidth=20em}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
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| {{div col end}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|30em}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| {{refbegin|30em}} | |||
| * Diane C. Arkins, ''Halloween: Romantic Art and Customs of Yesteryear'', ] (2000). 96 pages. ISBN 1-56554-712-8 | |||
| * Diane C. Arkins, ''Halloween Merrymaking: An Illustrated Celebration Of Fun, Food, And Frolics From Halloweens Past'', Pelican Publishing Company (2004). 112 pages. ISBN 1-58980-113-X | |||
| * Lesley Bannatyne, ''Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History'', Facts on File (1990, Pelican Publishing Company, 1998). 180 pages. ISBN 1-56554-346-7 | |||
| * Lesley Bannatyne, ''A Halloween Reader. Stories, Poems and Plays from Halloweens Past'', Pelican Publishing Company (2004). 272 pages. ISBN 1-58980-176-8 | |||
| * Phyllis Galembo, ''Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade'', ] (2002). 128 pages. ISBN 0-8109-3291-1 | |||
| * Editha Hörandner (ed.), ''Halloween in der Steiermark und anderswo'', ''Volkskunde (Münster in Westfalen)'', LIT Verlag Münster (2005). 308 pages. ISBN 3-8258-8889-4 | |||
| * Lisa Morton, ''The Halloween Encyclopedia'', ] (2003). 240 pages. ISBN 0-7864-1524-X | |||
| * Nicholas Rogers, ''Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night'', ], USA (2002). ISBN 0-19-514691-3 | |||
| * Jack Santino (ed.), ''Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life'', ] (1994). 280 pages. ISBN 0-87049-813-4 | |||
| {{refend}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Sister project links|v=no|q=no|b=no}} | |||
| * {{dmoz|/Society/Holidays/Halloween/|Halloween}} | |||
| * – Celtic Studies, Gaelic culture and religion | |||
| * by the ] | |||
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Revision as of 12:22, 1 October 2012
HELLO HALLOWEEN IS SO FREEKIN SCARY ITS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!! WAQTCH GANGNAM STYLE GUY ITS AMAZING