Interesting facts about Halloween in English. Hello, Halloween! History and traditions of the most terrible holiday of the year. Protected by pumpkin

Halloween is one of the oldest holidays in the English-speaking world, second only to Christmas in popularity. And although millions of people celebrate All Hallow's Eve without knowing the origins of this holiday, knowing the history of Halloween and the myths and legends associated with it makes this spooky-fun holiday even more interesting.

And this holiday is quite ambiguous: and although some people consider it a wonderful way to have fun and have fun, some perceive it as a time of superstitions and all sorts of devilry.

Halloween is celebrated on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. Initially, it was a pagan holiday - a day of honoring the dead. Halloween was called All Hallows Eve (All Hallows Eve), and its roots went back centuries, no less than the beginning of our era.

All Hallows' Eve, as its name suggests, is the evening before All Saints Day, the day Christians dedicated to their patron saints and on which pagans were converted to the faith - November 1st.

Origins of Halloween

According to one version, the authorship of the holiday is attributed to the Druids, a Celtic people who lived in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. The ancestor of Halloween was the holiday Samhain (Samhain), which was celebrated at the end of October. Samhain meant the end of summer: and on this day they gave thanks for the harvest, burned sacred bonfires, saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new one.

The Celts believed that on this day the souls of the dead wander among the living. In order for the spirits of ancestors to contribute to a good harvest next year, they tried to appease them with treats and gifts. It was this custom that transformed into trick-or-treating, “trick or treat” - a children's Halloween tradition of going from house to house begging for candy.

Many also believe that Halloween is in some way a Christian holiday, because it is celebrated on the eve of All Saints' Day.

9 Myths Behind Halloween Symbols

1 - Witches

The witch outfit is the most popular women's Halloween costume, and the silhouette of a witch on a broom against the backdrop of the full moon is one of the typical symbols of the holiday. It is believed that on the night of November 1, the power of witches increases many times over. The image of a crone witch in a pointy hat, stirring her brew in a huge cauldron, was transformed from the pagan image of the goddess known as the Earth Mother or Crone, symbolizing wisdom and the changing of the seasons.

2 - Jack-o'-Lantern, “Jack's Lantern”

According to Celtic folklore, there was once a cunning Irish farmer named Jack who tried to deceive both God and the Devil. As a result, he did not go to hell or paradise, and from then on he was forced to wander in the darkness of purgatory. In order not to wander in complete darkness, Jack made a lantern from a turnip, inserting into it a coal thrown to him by the devil from hell.

Thus, the jack-o'-lantern (namely, a jack-o'-lantern with an ominous face carved on it) was created to guide lost souls. The ancient Celts placed a jack-o'-lantern on their doorstep to attract the spirits of their ancestors to their home.

3 – Black cats

An eternal symbol of misfortune, the black cat is a popular Halloween image. The reputation of black cats was tarnished back in the days of witch hunts: then the furry companions of witches were considered the embodiment of demonic entities. And many believed that sometimes Satan himself took the image of a black cat.

4 - Bats

According to some medieval beliefs, bats, like black cats, were the embodiment of dark forces. Many believed that if a bat flew around your house three times on All Hallows' Eve, death would come to it. Another chilling myth: if a bat flies into a house on Halloween, it is haunted.

5 - Spiders

Everyone is afraid of spiders: a great symbol of the most terrible holiday of the year! According to an old belief, if a spider falls on a candle and burns in its flames, there is a witch nearby. And another, sad, but romantic myth says: if you see a spider on Halloween, you are protected by the spirit of your deceased lover or lover...

6 - Witch's cauldron

According to the beliefs of the pagan Celts, after death a person’s soul fell into the cauldron (cauldron) of Mother Earth, in which the souls awaited subsequent reincarnation.

7 - Trick or Treat

According to legend, on Halloween the dead walk among the living, and if you refuse a treat to anyone who knocks on your door, you may inadvertently offend the soul of the deceased (which is fraught with dire consequences). That's why the children's tradition of trick-or-treating is so popular: no matter what house you knock on, no one will leave you without a sweet gift.

8 – Corn cobs and sheaves of wheat

Halloween is considered the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, so ripe wheat and corn are also symbols of this holiday (unfortunately, not scary at all).

9 - Ghosts

On Halloween night, it is believed that the spirits (ghosts) of deceased ancestors wander among the living. Therefore, ghosts are one of the typical symbols of Halloween.

5 Facts About Halloween

1 - Halloween generates profits for stores second only to those from Christmas sales.

A holiday that once did not require special preparation is celebrated in the modern English-speaking world on a grand scale, involving significant expenses. Decorative garlands, decorations for the front lawn, elaborate expensive costumes, tons of candy - all this costs a pretty penny (that is, pennies)!

Harry Houdini died on October 2-31, 1926.

The famous magician died on All Hallows' Eve after being hit in the stomach while performing a trick a week earlier. The blow led to peritonitis, but Houdini never went to the doctor, which was the reason for such a sad end.

3 – Halloween phobia

Samhainophobia is a strong fear of Halloween that causes panic attacks in those susceptible to it. Other phobias at this time of year: wiccaphobia (fear of witches), phasmophobia (fear of ghosts), coimetrophobia (fear of cemeteries).

4 - The first Jack-O-Lanterns weren't made from pumpkins.

Jack-o'-lanterns were originally made from scraped turnips, and it wasn't creepy faces that were carved into turnips, but the faces of dead relatives.

5 - A quarter of all candy sold in the US each year occurs on Halloween.

Despite the fact that Christmas and Thanksgiving are considered the main holidays of gluttony in the United States, Halloween confidently holds the palm in the field of all kinds of candies, candies and chocolates. Kids, beware: 90% of parents admit to eating candy from their trick-or-treat basket. And the most popular, both among adults and children, has been for many years... the Snickers bar!

25 Idioms About Halloween

Witches, ghosts and skeletons

witch-hunt - witch hunt

Persecution of people for false reasons. The expression has its roots in the Middle Ages, when thousands of young women in Europe were killed on suspicion of witchcraft.

He was the victim of a witch-hunt and was fired because of his radical ideas for developing the company.

He became the victim of a witch hunt and was fired for his radical ideas for developing the company.

witching hour - dead of night

“Witching hour” is the dead of night, the very hour when witches, ghosts and other evil spirits are believed to gather for the Sabbath.

I would never leave the house at witching hour on Halloween!

I would never leave the house in the dead of night on Halloween!

skeleton in the cupboard - a terrible secret

The expression “skeleton in the closet” has already entered the Russian language, and it means an old and terrible secret.

Mrs Mills has a skeleton in the cupboard: in 2002 she was caught stealing stationery from her employer.

Mrs. Mills has a terrible secret: in 2002, she was caught stealing office supplies from her employer.

skeleton staff - backbone (of a company, team)

The smallest number of people needed to do the job.

My firm only has a skeleton staff at weekends.

At my company, only the core team is present on weekends.

a ghost town - ghost town

An abandoned city where no one lives anymore.

All the young people have left our village and it’s like a ghost town now.

All the youth have left our village and now it looks like a ghost town.

spirited away - mysteriously abducted

Lit. "spirited away" - disappeared without a trace and inexplicably.
Example:

According to legend, she was spirited away by witches in the middle of the night.

According to legend, she was kidnapped by witches at midnight.

Blood

to chill the blood - to scare

Also to make the blood run cold - to frighten, frighten, lit. "to cool the blood"

The screams from the haunted house made my blood run cold.

The screams from the haunted house made my blood run cold.

in cold blood - cold-blooded

Acting cold-bloodedly or ruthlessly.

They killed their former friend in cold blood.

They killed their former neighbor in cold blood.

to make one’s blood boil - to infuriate

Lit. “make the blood boil” - lead to an extreme degree of rage, rage.

It makes my blood boil to think that he was promoted to Manager before I was.

When I think that he was promoted to manager before me, the blood boils in my veins.

out for one’s blood / after one’s blood - seek revenge

Lit. “thirst for blood” (often used in a humorous context).

We beat them at football, and now they are after our blood.

We beat them in football and now they want revenge.

Weapon

to put / stick the knife in - to do something mean, unpleasant

Lit. "stab the knife"

He really put the knife in when he told her that nobody at work liked her.

He literally stuck a knife in her back when he told her that no one at work liked her.

to look daggers at - “look like a wolf” at someone.

Lit. "look at smb. with daggers": throwing evil glances, "throwing lightning."

Her husband’s ex-wife looked daggers at her.

Her husband's ex-wife glared at her.

to stab in the back - betray

Lit. "stab in the back"

We let him stay in our home, but he stabbed us in the back by telling lies about us to everyone.

We allowed him to stay in our house, but he stabbed us in the back, spreading false rumors about us.

Owls, rats, bats and cats

bats in the belfry - “not everyone is at home”

If someone has “bats in the bell tower,” this means that this person is eccentric or a little crazy.

I think my neighbor has bats in the belfry: his house is full of thousands of old newspapers and magazines.

I think my neighbor is a little “that”: there are thousands of old newspapers and magazines in his house.

a night owl - “owl” (temperament)

Lit. A "night owl" is a person who is more active at night than during the day.

I’m a night owl: I do my best work in the evenings and at night.

I am a night owl: I work better in the evenings and at night.

to smell a rat - to smell a catch

Lit. “smell a rat”: feel a catch, suspect deception.

Her new boyfriend said he is a doctor, but I smell a rat: I think he’s lying.

Her new boyfriend said he was a doctor, but I suspect deception: I think he's lying.

a rat - traitor

Lit. “rat” (after all, they are the first to flee a sinking ship).

He's a rat. He sold our plans for the new business to a rival company.

He's a traitor. He sold our plans for a new venture to a competing company.

not a cat in hell’s chance - not the slightest chance

Initially, the expression sounded like this: “No more chance than a cat in hell without claws.” Complete lack of chance, hopeless situation.

We hadn’t a cat in hell’s chance of rescuing our possessions from the fire.
We did not have the slightest chance of saving our property from the fire.

Fear

to be scared stiff - to petrify with fear

To be frightened to the point of complete immobility.

I was scared stiff when I saw the ghostly face at my window.

When I saw the ghost's face in the window, fear gripped me.

to scare the pants off someone - to greatly scare someone.

Scare until you lose consciousness, the hell out of you, until you die (literally, “until your pants drop”).

Halloween scares the pants off me!

Halloween scares the crap out of me!

Madness

a Jekyll and Hyde personality - dual personality

An expression referring to Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde, the character of R. L. Stevenson ("The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"). A personality that combines opposing character traits, positive and negative.

Everybody thinks he is a lovely old man, but he can be very cruel and heartless: he has a Jeckyll and Hyde personality.

Everyone thinks he's a charming old man, but he's very cruel and heartless: a dual personality.

as mad as a hatter - out of your mind

If someone is “mad as a hatter,” he is absolutely insane. The origin of this expression is believed to have been influenced by the fact that hatters used mercury in their work and this caused them nervous disorders, which made them look like crazy people.

Be careful when you talk to him, he’s as mad as a hatter.

Be careful when talking to him, he is absolutely insane.

bedlam - complete confusion, disorder

The word comes from the name Bethlem Royal Hospital (Bethlem Royal Hospital, St. Mary of Bethlehem Hospital) - a London hospital for the mentally ill.

It’s the school holidays and it’s bedlam in our house.

It's the school holidays and our house is in chaos.

to be driven out of one’s mind - “to go crazy”

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Topic: Halloween

Theme: Halloween

Orange and bright we commonly think of sweet porridge, when we see this plant. But American people made it a symbol of the holiday. They use it not only for consumption, but also for a horror effect after its carving. What is it? Of course, it is a pumpkin, the main association of the Americans with Halloween. Jack-o"-lanterns in the pumpkins with a terrific facial expression are only one symbol of this wonderful holiday, but there are many other exciting activities to celebrate Halloween.

Orange and bright - we usually imagine sweet cereal when we see this plant. But the American people made it a symbol of the holiday. They use it not only for consumption, but also for a frightening effect due to the fact that it can be carved into shapes. What is this? Of course, this is a pumpkin, the main association Americans have with Halloween. Jack-o'-lanterns with stunning expressions are just one symbol of this wonderful holiday, but there are many other fun activities to celebrate Halloween.

Halloween is a holiday with a long history celebrated on October, 31. Its contradictive origin is and Celtic festivals. It is a day to remember all the dead, but gradually its celebration has changed greatly from a serious spiritual day to a humorous and ridiculous death confrontation. Halloween is regarded as a pagan festival in Europe, but still many people desire to communicate with spirits or foresee their future on this day. Nowadays of different countries, but nothing can be compared with the annual parade in New York dedicated to Halloween. It is a major nighttime parade, where thousands of participants wear colorful costumes, millions of spectators follow it either being present there, or on TV.

Halloween is a holiday with a long history, celebrated on October 31st. Its controversial origins were influenced by both Christianity and Celtic festivals. It is a day of remembrance of all the dead, but gradually the holiday has changed significantly from a serious spiritual one to a humorous one and a day of absurd confrontation of death. Halloween is considered a pagan holiday in Europe, but many people still wish to communicate with spirits or foretell their future on this day. Nowadays it has assimilated into the society of different countries, but nothing can compare with the annual Halloween parade in New York. It is a large night parade, with thousands of participants donning colorful costumes and millions of spectators watching either in person or on television.

Halloween is represented with numerous symbols, which are usually frightening and terrific. The main artifacts are jack-o"-lanterns. Pumpkin became a symbol of Halloween replacing a turnip, as it is easier to carve different figures in it. Usually this plant gets two wide-open eyes, a triangle nose and a scary smile. A candle inside frightens evil spirits and adds some impressive effect.

Halloween is represented by many symbols that are usually frightening and awesome. The main artifacts are lanterns. The pumpkin has become a symbol of Halloween, replacing the turnip, as it is easier to carve figures into it. Typically this plant has two wide eyes, a triangle for the nose and a scary smile. The candle inside wards off evil spirits and adds some impressive effect.

The other symbols of Halloween are ghosts, witches, skulls and skeletons, cobwebs, scarecrows and different horror trifles. All of them remind of the death and evil forces around us and the fact that people's lives are not eternal. The colors associated with Halloween are orange and black.

Other symbols of Halloween are ghosts, witches, skulls and skeletons, cobwebs, scarecrows and various horror trivia. They all remind us of death and evil forces around us and the fact that human life is not eternal. The colors associated with Halloween are orange and black.

The ways of celebrations are also very diverse. This holiday is very popular either with adults or with children. The grown-ups can spend it with family or friends, but now it is very customary to hang out at the costumed party with co-workers. Home celebrations might involve watching of horror films or . It is also important to buy some sweets, as most children spend this evening going from house to house and playing "trick-or-treat" game. They wear outstanding and extraordinary costumes, put on masks or terrific make-up and with the demand of sweets, gifts or snacks. If the host or hostess refuses, they threaten to spoil something or do some harm or nasty tricks. So it is better to please all these little spirits, spiders and witches with a handful of something tasty. One more reason to open your door to these kids is their possible desire to help other children as many of them carry a box with the label of UNICEF and gather money for the sick.

The methods of celebration are also very diverse. This holiday is very popular either among adults or among children. Adults can spend it with family or friends, but now it's very common to hang out at costume parties with co-workers. At home, celebrations might include watching horror movies or building a haunted house. It is also important to buy some sweets, as most children spend the evening going from house to house and playing trick or treat. They wear eye-catching and extraordinary costumes, put on masks or stunning makeup and visit houses in the area demanding sweets, gifts or snacks. If the master or mistress refuses treats, they threaten to spoil something or do some harm or unpleasant behavior. So you better welcome all these little spirits, spiders and witches with a handful of something tasty. Another reason to open your door to these children is their possible desire to help other children, since many of them carry a box with a UNICEF label and collect money for the sick.

Halloween is a holiday spread on all the continents and in many countries. Though the process of its celebration is greatly influenced by the USA, there are countries that have their own customs and traditions. Irish people like lighting bonfires and making firework displays. In Britain some children put candles into the skulls instead of pumpkins. In the Philippines people buy candles and flowers to prepare for the religious peculiarities of these days. In our country this holiday is rather popular among schoolchildren, as much attention is paid to the historical and language background. , play games or frighten someone? And, of course, it is another reason to spend time with friends, laugh and entertain. No matter what is the purpose of the Halloween celebration, it is great that there is such an extraordinary holiday.

Halloween has spread to all continents and many countries. Although the process of its celebration largely depends on the United States, there are countries that have their own customs and traditions. The Irish often light bonfires and make fireworks. In Britain, some children put candles in skulls instead of pumpkins. In the Philippines, people buy candles and flowers to prepare for the religious specialties of these days. In our country, this holiday is quite popular among schoolchildren, since much attention is paid to its historical and linguistic basis. What child wouldn't want to wear some interesting costume while playing games or scaring someone? And, of course, this is another reason to spend time with friends, laugh and relax. No matter what the purpose of celebrating Halloween is, it's great that there is such an extraordinary holiday.

Interesting facts about Pumpkin - one of the symbols of Halloween

The closest relatives of pumpkins are zucchini, cucumbers, gherkins and watermelons.
Pumpkin is 90% water.
Pumpkins are low in calories and rich in fiber. They are a good source of vitamins A and B, potassium, protein and iron.
The nutritional value of pumpkin seeds increases as they age.
Pumpkin began to be grown in North America 5 thousand years ago.
The Indians roasted pumpkin slices over a fire and made rugs from strips of dried pumpkin.
Early American settlers cut out the top of the pumpkin, removed the seeds, filled the inside with milk, spices and honey, and then baked it in hot ashes.
In 1584, French explorer Jacques Cartier reported finding “huge watermelons.” In English it sounded "pompions", which later turned into "pumpkins".
Pumpkin flowers are edible.
In the past, pumpkin was believed to be a good remedy for freckles and snakebites.
The largest pumpkin in the world weighed 480 kg. She was raised by Paula and Nathan Zehr in Lowville, New York in 1996.
The largest pumpkin pie weighed 160 kg and had a diameter of 152 cm.

History of Halloween

Halloween, also known as All Saints' Day, is celebrated on the night of October 31st. For Russia, this is a young holiday, but already loved by many for its pampering and humor. Despite the meager information base about this holiday, it attracts primarily with its external attributes - mysterious costumes, not-so-kind pumpkin heads, fortune telling, and a general atmosphere of mysticism and mystery. Therefore, its future is very promising. Every year in large cities of Russia, Halloween attracts an increasing number of fans, but most participants have no idea what this holiday is dedicated to, what is the history of its origin and development.

Halloween came to Europe, having already gained widespread popularity in North America. In the USA and Canada, this holiday is second only to Christmas in popularity and scale of celebration. In one of the largest cities, New York, on All Saints' Day they organize a parade, which is broadcast on all major television channels throughout the country.

However, the celebration of Halloween has its roots not in America, but in the Celtic peoples. Christian All Saints Day first appeared in the 9th century. in England based on the pagan fire festival of Samhain. This main Celtic holiday symbolized the end of the harvest, the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one. At that time, this holiday was celebrated in early November. According to custom, the Celts extinguished all household fires in the evening, and in the early morning they lit them again, but not in the usual way, but from the sacred fire.

The fire that was kindled by the Druids - Celtic priests - was considered sacred. Sacred fires were usually lit on hilltops in oak groves. Then the Druids made sacrifices to the evil spirits to appease them. All this happened at night, and in the morning they gave people coals from sacred fires. Sacrifices were made to the resurrected fire, usually plants and animals.

The Celts firmly believed that on the night of Samhain, when the old year gives way to the new, the boundaries between the worlds are erased, therefore all barriers between the material and the supernatural disappear. On this night, Samhain opens the gates between the past and the present, between everything living and dead, between the world of people and the world of spirits. Moreover, the spirits here act as magical creatures who are either negative or indifferent towards people. According to Celtic beliefs, only once a year could people easily enter the spirit world. And vice versa - any evil spirits or dissatisfied spirits could be among living people. To protect against them, the Celts dressed in their likeness and went from house to house, asking for food for the evil spirits in order to appease them. In order to scare away evil spirits, costumes were made as scary as possible.

The main attribute of Halloween is the pumpkin, which is called “Jack Lantern” abroad. According to legend, the custom of making jack-o'-lanterns was introduced by an Irish blacksmith nicknamed Stingy Jack. One day, on the eve of All Hallows' Day, the Devil himself wanted to get his soul and for this he offered the blacksmith to buy a mug of his favorite wine. The blacksmith agreed to a deal with the Devil and received in return 20 years of quiet life for himself. However, Jack did not lead his earthly life as a righteous man, so after death he was doomed to wander the earth, lighting his path with a piece of coal. This coal was unusual, as Jack received it from the Devil during the conclusion of the deal. This coal helped Jack keep the fire burning inside his jack-o'-lantern.

In addition, it is believed that the Jack-O-lantern has still not found peace for his sinful soul and continues to wander the earth in anticipation of the Last Judgment. To protect the house from the not-so-good spirit of Jack-O-Lantern, on October 31, a pumpkin head is made from a pumpkin, which must be placed on each window. If Jack, approaching the house, sees himself, he will get scared and run away.

In the 1st century n. e. The warlike Romans captured the Celtic lands, but did not oppose their traditions and holidays. In addition, Halloween turned out to be very similar to their own holiday of Pomona, the goddess of plants. In some provinces, the Romans and Celts lived together, so it is logical that the holidays and the customs of their celebrations began to gradually “dissolve” into each other.

With the adoption of Christianity on the islands of Britain and Ireland, their inhabitants had to abandon Celtic pagan customs. However, the memory of Samhain remained alive in the following centuries, and the inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland passed on legends about it from generation to generation.

In the 9th century, after the establishment of Christianity, ancient traditions mixed with the Christian holiday - All Saints' Day. All Saints' Day is a later name for the holiday. (The coincidence of the dates of the celebration of Celtic Halloween and the Christian All Saints' Day led to the fact that in the popular consciousness they were identified.) At the same time, ideas about spirits penetrating the world of people acquired a negative connotation. Otherworldly forces became evil and had to frighten good people. Therefore, in the Middle Ages and the modern period, Halloween was chosen by witches, devils and other evil spirits, who held their Sabbaths on this day.

With the gradual transformation of Samhain into All Saints' Day, ancient traditions acquired a new coloring and semantic background. For example, the game “Treat or Treat” appeared. It consists of “buying off” all sorts of goodies from children who demandly call or knock on the door. Otherwise, the owners will have to spend a long time cleaning door handles smeared with soot. The custom also arose of carving scary faces on potatoes or turnips, and placing candles inside to create a kind of lantern.

The discovery of a new huge continent by Christopher Columbus - America - had a great influence on the spread of Halloween traditions. When moving to a new land, residents took with them both traditions and holidays. It is believed that in the form in which the holiday is celebrated now, it began to be celebrated only in the 19th century. thanks to European emigrants who brought with them to the United States the custom of making noise on Halloween and observing the superstitions associated with this holiday. However, in America, the holiday has again undergone minor changes - for example, it was discovered that pumpkins are much more convenient for making lanterns than traditional turnips. The first major cities in America, where in the 20s. XX century Halloween celebrations have passed, New York and Los Angeles have become.

At the beginning of the 20th century. in the United States, a tendency began to spread to organize acts of vandalism on Halloween - breaking windows, setting fire to trees and garbage, etc. The popularity of this hooliganism was so high that in the 20s. The American Boy Scouts decided to promote the refusal of vandalism on this day, but at the same time they did not abandon the holiday itself. Their slogan was: “Long live a healthy Halloween!”

To this end, hooliganism and petty extortion were replaced by masquerade and distribution of candy. In the 50s In the same century, Halloween also became a profitable commercial holiday for costume makers. Costumes, candles, decorations, greeting cards, pumpkins and other holiday paraphernalia are very popular. And this despite the fact that the holiday is still not official. But despite this, Halloween is the favorite holiday of American schoolchildren.

On this day (October 31), they, dressed in costumes of evil spirits, hold mass events in schools on the theme of this holiday, run around schools and houses shouting: “Train or treat!”, demanding sweets for themselves. In addition, on Halloween, people of all ages play funny pranks, tell fortunes, and also pay great attention to preparing jack-o-lanterns. On Halloween night, a pumpkin head is an integral symbol of the holiday. The pumpkin symbolizes both the end of the harvest and the evil spirit, and the sacred fire that scares it away.

Today, followers of Halloween believe that a pumpkin with a scary face and a candle inside is a symbol of both an evil spirit and the holy fire that scares it away. But not everywhere the devilish candlesticks are made from pumpkin. For example, in England candles are placed on beets, and in Scotland and Ireland - on turnips, potatoes or zucchini. Modern All Saints' Day is more like a hoax. He is very loved not only in America, but also in many European countries.

Today, all that remains of the ancient pagan festival of the Celts is a set of funny, exciting traditions. Halloween intrigues with its mystery and its mythological mystery. This holiday is, first of all, an attempt to understand the relationship between our and the invisible worlds. All Saints' Day is a transition, a gate from one world to another, and this gate is paradoxical.

Halloween Quiz

1. Who invented Halloween?
a) Celts
b) Americans
c) Japanese

2. When is this holiday celebrated?
a) October 31
b) on the night from October 31 to November 1
c) November 1

3. What is another name for this holiday?
a) Festival of floating apples
b) Samhain
c) November Christmastide

4. What do you agree with? Halloween is a holiday:
a) the gates of winter
b) end of harvest
c) evil spirits

5. What is the symbol of Halloween?
a) pumpkin
b) wreaths
c) black cat

6. Which of the following colors is not a symbolic color of Halloween?
a) blue
b) orange
c) black

7. What Russian tradition is similar to Halloween?
a) mummers
b) carol songs
c) snow woman

8. What phrase is said at the holiday?
a) trick or treat
b) life or death
c) trick or treating

9. Choose what is superfluous - something that does not correspond to the holiday:
a) spirits and dead
b) evil spirits
c) brownies and goblins

10. On Halloween it is customary to:
a) scare everyone
b) make fun of everyone
c) put up with everyone

11. What did people do so that the souls of the dead could not take possession of the living?
a) treats were left in front of the door
b) made jack-o'-lanterns and burned bonfires
c) painted a cross on the doors and windows

12. What does a pumpkin with a lit candle inside symbolize?
a) Jack O'Lantern's head
b) wandering souls
c) deterring evil spirits

13. Creative task:
You have been invited to a Halloween party. A country house, a costume show, a cheerful group of individuals familiar with the holiday traditions beyond the “pumpkin-ghost-black cat” level, and figuring out what’s what. What costume will you wear to impress the audience? Or, more simply put, who will you be at the Halloween party? Describe, please)))

It began to be widely celebrated in Russia only ten years ago. The “creepiest” and “terribly scary” holiday is most common in America: children and adults there have been dressing up in costumes, asking for sweets and buying pumpkins for more than two hundred years. We have already seen and, and, watched family trips to “pumpkin markets” and, but what do we know about this holiday? The Gossip Cop calendar contains a selection of interesting, unusual and little-known facts about Halloween.

1. The history of the holiday dates back to the customs of the ancient Celts. The ways in which the tradition penetrated into the United States are interesting: in the 1800s, immigrants from Ireland and Scotland first began to celebrate their then national holiday in America. Later, immigrants from Haiti and Africa made their contribution - it is thanks to them that the traditional symbols of Halloween are black cats, fire and candles, as well as witches, which originally appeared in voodoo beliefs.

2. The “official” name of the holiday has stuck in the States, and it is an abbreviation: since Halloween is celebrated on the eve of All Hallows’ Day, which in “American” English is called All Hallow’s Eve, folk wisdom simply shortened the long name.

3. Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday in the United States. It has been calculated and proven that candy and sweet manufacturers earn more than two billion a year from selling specialized treats for this day, and the entire “Halloween industry” is estimated at six billion dollars: Americans spend this money on costumes, gifts, interior decoration, sweets - and , of course, pumpkins.

4. Jack O'Lanten ("Jack the Lantern") - a pumpkin from which a scary face is cut out and a burning candle is inserted inside - can also boast of its history and its records. The very first versions were not made from this vegetable at all - the Scots and Irish used literally any root vegetable, including turnips, beets and rutabaga, and placed them in a row in the window. According to some sources, American immigrants began using pumpkins in the early 1900s, and they did this to save money on buying several vegetables and preferred buy one, but large pumpkin. By the way, there is even a special competition for carving a face on a pumpkin, where a world record is set: 24.03 seconds. The rules are simple: the pumpkin must weigh less than 11 kilograms, and the “portrait” must have eyes, nose, ears and mouth.

5. Girls in Scotland believed and believed that you could see the face of your future husband if you hung wet sheets in front of the fire that night. In addition, there was a sign that you could show a portrait of your betrothed in the mirror while going down the stairs. This should only be done at midnight.

6. Not all over the world have fun on Halloween night: in Mexico, the Day of the Dead is celebrated on the same date, and it is customary to visit the graves of your relatives.

7. On October 31, 1926, the great illusionist and magician, one of the most famous “wizards” of the twentieth century, Harry Houdini, died, after which rumors discussed his connection with magic for a long time.

8. The most popular costumes for Halloween 2013 are already known. In addition to the likes of Batman, Miley Cyrus, The Great Gatsby and others, the list for adults includes “witch”, “vampire”, “zombie” and “pirate”, children prefer the options “princess”, “animal”, “superhero” and “spiderman” ", but pets will most likely be dressed as "pumpkin", "hotdog", "devil" or "Superman".

Photo Gettyimages.com/Fotobank.com

Halloween is just around the corner. Before you know it, kids in their costumes will be knocking on the door saying "trick or treat" and you'll have to give them candy. Stories about ghouls, ghosts and witches are beginning to dominate social media, television and even friendly conversations. People are becoming increasingly concerned about paranormal activity in one form or another, following a tradition that has existed for many centuries. But have you ever been curious about the origins of all this hype? Where did she come from? What does it mean? What other incredible things are associated with this paranormal celebration? As you know, curiosity runs in human blood, so we present to you these amazingly interesting facts about Halloween.

25. In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is nothing more than an undesirable, hyper-commercialized American trend.

24. And who can blame them, considering the fact that Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday in America, with Christmas being the first.

23. How successful? Halloween is a $6 billion industry annually.

22. However, Halloween is believed to have originated around 4000 BC. This means that Halloween has been celebrated for over 6,000 years and is one of the oldest holidays in the world.

21. Halloween celebrates the Christian holiday All Hallows Eve (followed by All Hallows' Day on November 1). However, the Christian holiday most likely has its roots in the Celtic holiday, Samhain, or a number of other pre-Christian harvest festivals.

20. It was brought to North America by European immigrants who celebrated the harvest festival around a fire, telling each other ghost stories, singing songs, dancing and performing fortune telling.

19. It's no surprise that some of the existing Halloween traditions also have their roots in ancient Celtic traditions. For example, the ancient Celts believed that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to hide the fact that they were human.

18. The Jack-O-Lantern tradition has also come down to us from ancient times, although the true origin of the tradition is uncertain.

However, some believe that part of its origin is derived from a Celtic story about a man named Jack. Jack tricked the devil into promising never to take his soul. After Jack died, because of his sins he could not go to heaven, and since Satan agreed not to take his soul, he could not go to either hell or heaven. So the devil gave Jack a hellish coal and Jack put the coal in a turnip in which he had cut holes and which he carried with him.

17. In the UK, Jack-o'-lanterns are traditionally made from turnips. The Halloween custom was brought to America by Irish immigrants, and because turnips were quite expensive, Americans used pumpkins.

16. And now they have things like mass pumpkin carving, which is a popular Guinness World Record. Halloween enthusiasts from Highwood, Illinois broke the record in 2011 when they lit 30,919 jack-o'-lanterns at once.

15. Another amazing record that relates to good old Jack-O-Lantern is that according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest time anyone has carved a face into a pumpkin is 20.1 seconds. This record was set by David Finkle from Great Britain. He achieved his feat on October 7, 2010 while filming the BBC's Halloween show.

14. Perhaps one of our most beloved Halloween traditions, Trick or Treat evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of placing treats and food outside the house to appease the spirits that roamed the streets on the day of Samhain, a sacred holiday that symbolized the end of the calendar. Celtic year.

13. Before this, however, there was Souling, the medieval Christian forerunner of the modern game of Trick or Treat, in which poor people went door to door on All Saints' Day (November 1) offering prayers for the dead in exchange for Easter cakes

12. However, not everyone is a fan of Trick or Treat. In 2010, Belleville, Illinois, became the last American city to prohibit children over 12 from playing Trick or Treat. Teens can be fined anywhere from $100 to $1,000 for going door to door.

11. However, most major cities see tourism benefits from large Halloween events and Halloween in general. Salem, Massachusetts and New Orleans are traditional hotspots for Halloween celebrations in the United States. Moreover, New Orleans boasts a world record for the largest Halloween party, which was attended by 17,777 costumed revelers at the same time.

10. This is good news unless you have been diagnosed with Samhainophobia (which is the fear of Halloween)

9. However, given the fact that Halloween night doubles the chance that children will die in a traffic accident, this fear doesn't seem so crazy anymore.

8. Speaking of celebrations, did you know that the word bonfire has its roots in Halloween? During the pre-Halloween or Samhain celebrations, bonfires were lit to ensure that the sun would return after a long winter. Often, Druid priests would throw the bones of cattle into the fire and, therefore, “bone fire” became “bonfire.”

7. And if we're already talking about the origin of words, did you know that the word "witch" comes from the old English "wicce", which means "wise woman". In fact, Wiccans were highly respected people in their time and, according to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or covens, on Halloween night.

However, today, witches are considered bad creatures.

6. And their black cat companions are also considered negative animals. Black cats have a bad reputation at Halloween because they were once considered subordinates and protectors of the powers of witches. However, in England the opposite is true. White cats are believed to bring bad luck, while black cats are believed to bring good luck.

5. Besides black cats, owls are also a popular Halloween character. In medieval Europe, owls were considered witches, and the hooting of an owl meant that someone was dying.

4. And let's not forget the scarecrow, which symbolizes the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday.

3. Halloween isn't always celebrated with witches, black cats, scarecrows and pumpkins. For example, in Mexico they celebrate the Days of the Dead (Días de los Muertos) on the Christian holiday of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2) instead of Halloween. The townspeople dress like ghouls and walk down the street.

2. Kind of random, but did you know that a 1978 movie called Halloween was on such a tight budget that they used the cheapest mask they could find for Michael Meyers' character? It turned out to be William Shatner's mask from Star Trek.

1. A simple but eerie coincidence: Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was one of the most famous and mysterious magicians who ever lived. Ironically, he died on Halloween night in 1926 as a result of a ruptured appendix caused by three blows to the stomach.