Interesting Facts

 

The Original Halloween

In Ireland, where Halloween first began, the day is still celebrated much as it is in the United States. In rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts, and all over the country, children get dressed up in costumes and spend the evening trick-or-treating. Afterward, neighborhood parties include games like snap-apple (similar to apple bobbing, but on a string), treasure hunts, and card tricks. Children are also known to play tricks like knock-a-dolly, where they knock on their neighbor's door and run away before it's opened.

The Irish also have a traditional Halloween dessert called a barnbrack, which is a muslin-wrapped fruitcake with treats baked inside. According to tradition, the type of treat inside one's barnbrack can foretell his or her future. For example, a ring signifies a wedding while a piece of straw indicates prosperity.

El Dia De Los Muertos

In Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, All Souls' Day, which takes place on November 2, is commemorated with a three-day celebration that begins on the evening of October 31. The ritual is designed to honor the dead who, it is believed, return to their earthly homes on Halloween. Many families construct altars in their homes to honor deceased relatives. Decorated with candy, flowers, photographs, samples of the deceased's favorite foods, and fresh water, the altar often includes a washbasin and towel so the spirit can clean up before indulging in the feast.

In order to help the deceased find their way home, families burn candles and incense. They also tidy the gravesites, decorating them with flowers, wreaths, or paper streamers. On November 2, relatives gather at the gravesite to picnic and reminisce, and some even include tequila and mariachi music in the festivities. Such celebrations are said to date back to ancient Egyptian times.

 

The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts, devils and hobgoblins. In the United States, the first official citywide Halloween celebration occurred in Anoka, Minn., in 1921. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have changed dramatically. Today, many of the young and young at heart take a more light-spirited approach. They don scary disguises or ones that may bring on smiles when they go door to door for treats, or attend or host a Halloween party.

 

 These famous people died on Halloween.

 

All information found on this page are compliments of www.History.com   (The History Channel, halloween minisode)

Please check out their site if you wish to learn a lot more than what we have on the origins and more of Halloween.