Halloween celebrations are similar to an annual mass wedding party which is celebrated on October 31st. In this celebration, people will come out of their homes at night wearing scary costumes and accessories.
At first glance it seems that this behavior is intended to scare other people on Halloween night but that is the situation.
Halloween celebrations are a culture that was often carried out by Christians in ancient times around the 7th century AD.
Where the word halloween comes from
The word Halloween is actually an abbreviation of All Hallows Evening, meaning the night of all saints. So one day before the feast of the saints which falls on November 1, the night before is celebrated Halloween
Two centuries later, namely the 9th century AD, the influence of Christian culture spread to Celtic lands with its distinctive Samhain festival.
Halloween and Samhain celebrations are actually almost exactly the same in tradition, there are big bonfires, processions, and even wearing honorary costumes.
Read also
The tradition of celebrating Halloween was actually adopted from the ancient Celtic harvest festival, which is a pagan culture and custom. The Celtic harvest festival was then standardized on the orders of Pope Boniface IV to continue to be celebrated every year.
The ancient Celtic people believed that on the night of October 31, many spirits of the dead returned to their homes. Apart from that, it is also believed that many evil spirits roam the earth on the night of the 31st.
So, to scare away evil spirits, especially evil spirits, light a big bonfire, then wear scary masks and costumes.
When the Roman empire succeeded in bringing the Celtic people to their knees, the Samhain tradition was adopted into the tradition of the Roman empire.
Traditions in Halloween
Summarized from several sources, there are 4 customs carried out during Halloween celebrations, see the following review1. Carve a Jack o' lantern face
In the 17th century, or to be precise in 1895, the habit of making Jack o' Lantern face paintings began to be done. Initially the face was carved on a radish but later it was replaced with a pumpkin.
After the carving is complete, a candle is placed inside the pumpkin to be used as a lantern, carried around during Halloween celebrations to ward off evil spirits.
2. Trick or treat game
The game of trick or treat is usually played by a group of children in various costumes. They wander around asking for sweets from house to house. The costumes they wear are a symbol of people disguising themselves from evil spirits.
3. Throw a Halloween party
On Halloween night, people will party whether it's at home, school or even at a hotel.
Uniquely, the Halloween party decorations only consist of three colors, namely black, orange and purple. Apart from that, it is equipped with honorary and frightening trinkets such as human bones or skulls
4. Witch ornament
Black cats and scarecrows are often presented at Halloween celebrations because they are considered symbols of evil.
Halloween celebrations in the world
The Halloween festival is not only celebrated in the United States. Scotland, Ireland, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and most countries in Europe also celebrate. On the Asian continent, Halloween celebrations can be found in the country of the rising sun, Japan and the Philippines.
There is almost no difference between the Halloween festivals in the countries mentioned above, both in terms of the ornaments used and other knick-knacks. Especially in countries with a majority Muslim population, Halloween celebrations are never held, such as Indonesia and Middle Eastern countries.
Halloween celebrations include idolatrous acts which are strictly prohibited in Muslim creeds. It also does more harm than the benefits we can take.
Read also
