On the 31st of October, millions of otherwise nice and normal people will dress up as witches, vampires, zombies, aliens, pirates, ghosts and who knows what else. Hand in hand with their kids, they will roam from house to house, uttering the words, "trick or treat".
Halloween or All Hallows' Eve is a Catholic holiday, which was first approved by Pope Gregory IV in the 9th century. On this day, the Catholic church honors all Christian saints and martyrs. But the roots of All Hallows' Eve go way back in history.
The celebrations on Halloween are related to the ancient Celts, who traditionally marked their New Year - Halloween (Samhain) at the end of the month of October. The Celts believed that on the night of the new year, the barrier between the realm of the living and the dead was at its thinnest and could easily be crossed.
According to the Celts, on this day, the spirits of the dead wandered the Earth, looking for living bodies which to possess. In order to protect themselves from them, the living would put on scary masks and animal skins.
They believed that leaving food on the threshold of their homes would cause the ghosts to spare them and would not invade their homes. The druids, the ancient Celtic priests, kindled great bonfires out in the open, which everyone gathered around and celebrated.
The observance of Halloween is also related to many strange beliefs. Here are some of the most unusual:
- If a black cat crosses your path on Halloween, this is a sign of luck. But if the cat is white - misfortunes await you.
- Do not kill any spiders that you see during Halloween, for these are your deceased relatives, who have come to visit you.
- Those born on Halloween have the ability to communicate with the ghosts and spirits of the dead.
- Every family must make a jack-o'-lantern because it keeps evil spirits away.
- If you hear footsteps behind your back on Halloween - do not turn around! If you do, you will tempt Death!
- If you put your clothes on with the insides facing out and walk backwards, the first women that you see will definitely be a witch.
- Every self-respecting fortune teller or clairvoyant will tell you that the most accurate predictions about the future are made on Halloween.
- Unmarried women, who want to witness the image of their future husband, must take a flashlight and go to a river or stream on the night of the holiday. The face of their beloved will appear in the water.
- If on All Hallows' Eve you stand at a crossroads, you will hear the wind whispering secrets of your past.
- Halloween is not only a Catholic holiday. The Orthodox church marks the celebration of All Hallows' Eve at the beginning of each summer, during the first Sunday after Pentecost.
