Halloween Customs

What is the holiday that everyone talks about in October? Halloween of course. Every year on the 31st, in the month of October, there is a holiday called Halloween. People celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is where kids go door-to-door and ask people for treats.

Halloween customs are believed to have  originated from the Druids. The Druids worshipped Samhaim, the lord of the dead, and had a big feast every year. The Druids sacrificed to their gods on October 31st in hopes of keeping away the strange spirits that the lord of the dead, Samhaim, would rise up. The Druids believed that the strange spirits would include ghosts, witches, fairies and elves. They also believed that cats were holy spirits. These customs are the reasons that ghosts, witches, and cats are a part of our customs today.
In Ireland, hundres of years ago, farmers would go door-to-door and ask people for food and gold for a banquet. If the people gave them treats they would wish them luck, if they didn’t give them anything they would threaten them. They said,”Treat me, or I trick you,” which eventually led to,”Trick-or-Treat”.
The Jack-o-lanterns that some people like to put outside for Halloween actually stands for cursed soul. There’s a legend of a man named Jack that used to play tricks on people. To be accepted into heaven you have to be nice to people. He suddenly remembered this and thought of a plan. The one who tempts people is Satan so Jack tricked Satan himself to climb a tree and once Satan was up there he quickly carved a cross on the tree trapping the devil up there. Jack told him that if Satan wouldn’t tempt him anymore he would let him down the tree. Satan promised this, but as soon as he got down from the tree, he cursed Jack. Now Jack walks the Earth in search for people to trick. If there is a Jack-o-lantern outside the door, he takes this as a sign of respect and does not bother them.

Website where information was found: http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm

Here’s a Halloween themed Prezi from Jeff: