Hello Everyone!
As you know, halloween is round the corner and it is the day all kids are eagerly waiting to celebrate.You may be a parent who thinks that halloween is for children not for grownups. But this may not be completely true.
Let me share a few things about the history behind Halloween celebration.Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.Some communities or people may not prefer to celebrate Halloween based on their beliefs that halloween brings the devil back.Whereas, for many it is a fun filled day where you can dress up as a character you like and enjoy the treats.
For me, Halloween brings a lot of memories of dressing up, trick or treating,halloween parties and going to pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins. But this year, I will mostly miss trick or treating and the halloween party at my elementary school. I will miss the delicious treats, the dancing, the creative costumes,doing arts /crafts and mostly the spooky maze in the gym stage. There were times when I got stuck or the props were messed up. One of my favorite memories was when I was in kindergarten and my dad told me to go to the maze. I was a little scared but a couple of 5th grade girls helped me. I was so happy that day.Trick or treating has been a tradition in my family since I was little. On my first halloween, I had dressed up as a Tinkerbell followed by Cinderella when I was 4, Belle at 5, Merida at 6, A witch at 7, Anna at 8, A witch again at 9, a cat at 10, Dorothy from wizard of oz at 11 and 80’s themed dress up as Madonna for our Sunday project Halloween party. For this Halloween, since I can’t find a good costume online , I will probably look at my old costumes or something cool in my wardrobe to wear.
I am looking forward to enjoying the day safely with my family by dressing up and sharing the treats.I hope to continue celebrating Halloween as I grow older. I am a bit sad that trick or treating may not be possible for many of us because of the covid pandemic. But I can’t wait for halloween day! I am planning to bake using Halloween themed toppings,dress up,take photos and watch a scary movie to end the day. I just found out that my neighbors are placing tables with treats outside their houses. Maybe I will go to a few houses to get Halloween treats.
Last year, our Sunday project team had organized an 80s themed halloween party. Our team had made huge props like a big rubix cube, paintings, banners and more! My mom had bought some 80s candy and I loved it! I tried something called cigarette candy and it was fun to try different varieties of candies. I had dressed up as Madonna(my moms favorite 80s singer) while others had 80s costumes and accessories like wigs, jewelries , makeup, and bright colored clothing. I remember dancing to 80s music, trying different snacks,creating props and taking pictures.
Here I would like to end this blog by sharing a few fun facts.
Fun facts about Halloween:
- “Jack o’lantern” comes from the Irish legend of Stingy Jack.
- Candy corn was originally called Chicken Feed.
- Trick-or-treating comes from “souling”.It was believed that phantoms walked the earth on the night of Samhain, so people would dress up in costumes in an effort to repel the spirits.
- The most lit jack o’lanterns on display is 30,581. According to Guinness World Records, the highest number of lit jack o’lanterns on display is 30,581 by the City of Keene, New Hampshire in 2013
- Halloween folklore is full of fortune-telling and magic.
- Day of the Dead should really be called Days of the Dead.The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, takes place October 31 through November 2 in Mexico and a few other Hispanic countries. November 1st, Dia de los Inocentes, honors children that died, and family members decorate graves with baby’s breath and white orchids. On November 2nd, Dia de los Muertos, families honor adults who have died and place orange marigolds on grave sites.
- Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic festival. (Samhain) A festival celebrated from October 31 to November 1st to welcome in the harvest and usher in the dark half of the year.
- The night before Halloween, young children in Des Moines hit the streets for Beggars’ Night.
- Halloween has social and cultural significance.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
Halloween is not only about putting on a costume but it’s about finding the imagination and costume within ourselves. Elvis Duran