Last week we came to know that Halloween is actually a variant of a Celt festival called “Samhain”. We also came to know the story behind the lighting of the “Jack O’ Lanterns”. Today, it’s all about the children’s favorite tradition of “Wearing Costumes” and “Trick or Treat”.
Dressing Up or Disguising
Celts believed evil spirits roamed on Earth on “Samhain”. According to them, on this day, the realms between the dead and the living worlds would overlap. This gave a chance for the spirits to enter our world. In order to fool them, the living would also dress up as one. Later, with the introduction of “All Souls Day” and “All Saints Day” dressing up as saints and angels along with demons became the norm. Today, there are no limits to how you can dress. It’s all about being imaginative. Although, the most popular themes are still the old ones…dressing up as spirits and demons.
Trick Or Treat
During the middle ages, poor adults and the children in disguise would go door to door during Halloween asking for food or money. In exchange, they would sing songs or offer prayers on behalf of the dead. This was also called “Souling”. The most popular food given during this time was “Soul Cakes”. These were small sweet cakes, round in shape, and had a cross marked on top. Each soul cake, when eaten, represented a soul released from the Purgatory. Sometime during the late 19th and early 20th century, souling morphed into “Trick or Treating”. A child or children dressed up in costumes would go house to house calling out “Trick or Treat”. It was a suggestion that if a sweet was given the children will not perform a trick or mischief. Needless to say, all this was done in fun. Things stolen for mischief were often found on street the very next day.
Next time when your children want to know more about Halloween and its traditions you will have all the answers. Remember your traditions and pass them on to the new generations with all the facts and fiction that accompany the same. These are what bind the generations together.
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