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On October 31^st people celebrate Halloween. That's the only night of the year we think about ghosts and witches are working.

The History behind Halloween

In 835. AD, the Roman Catholic Church made a decision to honour all the saints. So they decided November 1^st is a holiday, and honour for all the saints. Another name for All Saints day is 'All Hallows'. So the festival began from the eve of the All Saint's day, the last night of October. Halloween come from 'All Hallow Eve', the eve All Hallows day.

Celts

When we talk about Halloween we should mention about Celts. From 750 BC to 12^th BC Celts were the most powerful people in Central and Northern Europe. They were many groups of Celts speaking a vaguely common language. They believed that evil spirit came with the long hours of dark winter. So they start to built bonfires to scared them away. The fires of Halloween may be the influenced from Celts.

Halloween Customs in England

In Lancashire, 'lighting the witches' is a famous custom. If the candles burned steadily, they believe they are safe, but if the witches blew them out its bad.

In North of England people celebrate 'Nut-crack night'. Plenty of newly harvested Pecans, chesnuts and filberts are collected and people sit around the fire and eat them. Nowadays its related to Halloween

'Snap Apple Night' and 'apple bobbing' is also link with Halloween in England. A large basin filled with water and apples. We have to catch an apple with our teeth with out using our arms or apples were suspended on a string, and we have to try to bite it with out using our arms.

Some superstitions

• On Halloween day journeys should be finished before sunset
• Travellers carried a piece of bread crossed with salt( Holy bread), believed keep them safe
• Girls put Hazelnuts in the fire, (each one symbolize one of her suiters) and they say 'If you love me, pop and fly; If you hate me burn and die'.
• If you want to drive away evil spirits, you need to ring the bell
• Peel an apple and make sure the peeling comes off in one long and then throw it over your shoulder. The shape its lands is going to be the initial of your beloved.
• Never go for hunting on Halloween you may be hurt some evil
• If you place an apple under your pillow, you can dream your future husband
• The person born on Halloween completely protected by evil ( hurray!)

Carve Pumpkins

The British says the name 'Jack-o-lantern' origin from 17^th century and it means 'the man with the lantern'. ( Night watchman). In 1800 people link with home made 'turnip lantern'.

Irish immigrants took this custom of carving the lanterns to America.

Halloween dressing up

Celts dressed up for Samhain festival, with white costumes and blackened their faces to trick evil spirits. Around 11^th century, the church adapted in to their 'souling', then it turn in to 'trick or treat'. Children were go to door-to-door and ask for cakes in exchange for praying for the souls of their loved ones. Children dressed up as Angels, demons and also saints. The cross marked on top of the cakes, when they eaten they believe the soul freed from purgatory.

Although Halloween got a beautiful history behind it, I believed recent years it turn in to a big business. In UK this years predicted Halloween sale is well over £400 million. Is it worth it?

Dear friends, Today I get the chance to read about Halloween and I love to share some of the things I find it interesting. Thank you so much for reading. Please share your valuable thoughts. I appreciate that.