On the night of October 31 to November 1, the USA and Canada celebrate an ancient Celtic holiday, also called All Hallows' Eve. IN Lately The holiday also became popular in Europe and Russia.

The New Year celebration took place on the night of November 1st. On this night, according to the ancient belief of the Celts, the worlds of the living and the dead opened their doors, and the inhabitants of the other world made their way to earth. The Celts called this night Samhain or Samhain. In order not to become victims of spirits and ghosts, the Celts extinguished the fire in their houses and put on animal skins to scare away uninvited strangers. On the street near the houses, treats were left for the spirits, and the people themselves gathered around the fires lit by the Druid priests and sacrificed animals.

After the sacrifice, people took the sacred fire to bring it into their homes. The symbol of the holiday was a pumpkin. Not only did it signify the end of summer and the harvest, but it also warded off evil spirits with the sacred fire that was lit within it.

Halloween is celebrated on the greatest scale in the USA and Canada, where it is most popular. In the 19th century, a huge number of Irish emigrated to the New World, bringing with them the traditions of Halloween. In the United States, Halloween is the holiday when the most candy is sold, and the second holiday, after Christmas, in terms of total pre-holiday sales. It even has its own capitals - Los Angeles and New York, where the most vibrant and colorful festivities and carnivals take place on this day.

American Halloween attributes: Jack-o-lanterns and begging for candy - Trik or trak. Ancient rite Trik or trak (“Treat or treat”) has become a favorite game of children, who dress up in monster costumes and go to neighbors’ houses, scaring adults, who, in order to appease the “ghosts,” pay them off with sweets.

Even though Americans have been celebrating Halloween for more than two centuries, the holiday is not official. However, this does not stop New World residents from spending a lot of money every year on pumpkins, decorations, candles and greeting cards.

In Germany, Halloween is celebrated no less colorfully. Frankenstein's Castle in Darmstadt (Hesse) attracts thousands of people dressed in monster costumes on the night of November 1, and local residents believe that it is on this night that the owner's ghost appears on the castle roof.

In France, the most impressive processions take place in the Paris suburb of Disneyland and in the city of Limoges, where more than 30 thousand people come annually. This is where the most memorable parades of goblins, vampires and ghosts take place, lighting their way with jack-o'-lanterns.

In China, Halloween is known as Teng Chieh - the day of remembrance of ancestors. On this day, the Chinese place food and water in front of photographs of deceased relatives, as well as a lantern to illuminate the path for the souls of ancestors traveling on Halloween night.

In Russia, Halloween appeared quite recently and its popularity does not yet compare with the popularity of the American holiday, but it has already gained its traditions and its fans. There are many of them among young people who celebrate it noisily and cheerfully in clubs and discos. Many club-type entertainment establishments prepare various Halloween parties for their guests on the last day of October.

Conducted in October 2012, more than half of Russians (64%) have an idea about the Halloween holiday, but do not celebrate it. According to the study, only 9% of Russians intended to celebrate Halloween, and 27% of respondents know nothing about All Saints' Day.

Representatives of traditional religions of Russia playing games with evil spirits which they say is alien Russian culture and is only suitable for atheists and “fooling around” youth.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

On the night of November 1st, Halloween is celebrated all over the world. The holiday has spread so much around the world that now it doesn’t matter where it comes from or what it symbolizes. It is loved by adults and children, simple housewives and high officials - it is truly a national holiday.

13 Interesting Facts About Halloween

Fact 1

Halloween is one of the most ancient holidays in the world. It originated more than 6,000 years ago in the territories of modern Great Britain and Ireland. It was celebrated by the Celts, tribes with a rich culture. This people had a different name for the holiday - Samhain (Samhain) named after the God of Darkness. On the night of October 31 to November 1, as ancient beliefs said, Samhain took the Sun captive, and winter came. On this night, spirits descended to earth and wandered among people. In order not to incur their wrath, the Celts lit fires, organized ritual dances and sacrifices.

The traditions of the Celts were so strong that neither the Romans, nor the Saxons and Franks who inhabited these territories could destroy Samhain. The holiday changed its names, but did not change its essence. And even though no one believes in evil spirits these days, just like thousands of years ago, on October 31, people put on costumes and hold festivities.

Fact 2

Why was Samhain renamed Halloween? In the 7th century, Europeans, who captured the territories of the Celts, began to spread Christianity and displace pagan beliefs. All Saints' Day was to be celebrated on the first of November, and the Celtic holiday was to be forgotten. But the traditions turned out to be stronger - people continued to celebrate Samhain. Only its name has changed - for the sake of Christian canons, the night of November 1 began to be called All Hallow`s Even. Over time, a shorter and more sonorous Halloween appeared.

Fact 3

The tradition of associating Halloween with evil spirits arose during Christianity. Initially, among the Celts, Samhain was a holiday of sacred spirits who descended to earth on the night before the new year. In the minds of Europeans, spirits were transformed into an evil, unclean force that had to be feared and protected from it in every possible way. People put on masks, held ritual dances and magical rituals to scare and drive away evil spirits.

Fact 4

Halloween is a holiday of autumn and harvest. By the end of October, the Celts finished collecting vegetables and fruits, and on the night of November 1 they tried to woo the spirits by “treating” them with gifts. According to one version, since then there has been a tradition of carving a pumpkin-lantern, walking with it through the streets or displaying it in a prominent place in the house. It is noteworthy that it was customary for Europeans to make a lantern out of turnips. Americans began to use pumpkin, mainly because of its low cost.

Fact 5th

Halloween is a mystical holiday. On the night of November 1, the English-speaking people not only indulged in fun, but also performed occult rituals and fortune telling. The general atmosphere of mystery and mysticism on this day sometimes led to mass hysteria, and then people smashed houses and set trees on fire. Hooligan antics and acts of vandalism accompanied the holiday until the mid-20th century.

Fact 6th

Until 1845, Halloween was banned in the United States due to the riots that accompanied the holiday in Europe. But after 1845, a stream of immigrants from Ireland poured into America. They brought with them the tradition of widely celebrating Halloween. It was pointless to go against the will of the people, and soon the holiday was legalized by the government.

Fact 7th

We know about Halloween from American films. It is noteworthy that in the United States, Halloween is not an official holiday. But this does not prevent businesses from making huge money from “promoting” the idea of ​​Halloween. Every year, entrepreneurs receive good income from the sale of costumes, masks and other holiday paraphernalia. The Halloween Festival in New York attracts tourists from all over the world and brings significant income to the city in just one evening.

Fact 8

An empty pumpkin in the shape of a head with a candle inside is a symbol of Halloween. Everyone, young and old, is instructed to carve a jack-o-lantern and display it on the table as a decoration. People have a funny Irish story about the origin of this tradition.

The cunning farmer Jack outwitted the devil himself, and he promised not to take his soul after death. Because of his sins, Jack did not go to heaven, but the road to hell was also closed to him. The Devil gave Jack a smoldering coal. He placed it inside a pumpkin, put it instead of his head, and in this form he still wanders aimlessly around the world.

Fact 9

Halloween today is a holiday of sweets and masquerade. Since the middle of the last century, it gradually began to lose its mystical status. Halloween these days is a tribute to tradition and a reason to have fun from the heart. In English-speaking countries, evil spirits also go from house to house and treat themselves to sweets, with which compassionate Europeans and Americans try to “appease” the evil spirits. This tradition is similar to Christmas carols in Rus'.

Fact 10

The tradition of burning candles is associated with the holiday of Halloween. On this night, a candle is lit, placed on the windowsill, turned to the east and left to burn until the morning. It is designed to protect household members from rampaging ghosts.

Fact 11

Costumes, masks and other Halloween attributes are designed in black and orange tones. Black is a symbol of death and evil spirits. Orange is the color of fruits and vegetables and is associated with autumn time– it’s time for Samhain, Celtic Halloween.

Fact 12

In Mexico, Halloween is by no means a joyful holiday. On this day, Mexicans honor the memory of deceased relatives, go to the cemetery and mourn. This is perhaps the saddest Halloween on the American continent.

Fact 13

Halloween is not original Russian holiday, but thanks to its colorfulness it spread among young people in Russia. Costume shows and parties are held in bars and clubs on the night from October 31 to November 1. The Church has a negative attitude towards the traditions of Halloween and considers it alien to the Russian people.

Halloween is celebrated on the night from October 31 to November 1. This holiday, which came to us from Europe, is still quite unusual for our country, so the attitude towards it is ambiguous. Someone thinks it's Halloween excellent occasion

have fun and go to a fun masquerade, some simply do not recognize this holiday, considering it a tribute to fashion, and for others it seems outright blasphemy!

But regardless of what your personal attitude to this holiday is, knowledge of the history of Halloween will not be superfluous for anyone - after all, Halloween is part of the Celtic culture that existed in the territory of modern Ireland, Northern France and England, and then spread throughout Europe , America and part of Asia. Thus, we can consider that Halloween is a significant part of world culture, which it would be useful for any educated person to have an idea about.

What is the history of this holiday, what do its main attributes mean and how is it celebrated now around the world?

history of the holiday As already mentioned, the history of Halloween originates from the tribes of ancient Celts who lived in the territory of modern European countries - modern Great Britain and Northern France. The holiday is based on the division of the Celtic calendar into 2 parts - dark and light. The dark part of the year was associated by the Celts with winter, the lean season, and began in late October and early November. The light part of the year was sunny, warm, associated with fertility and began in late March and early April. The change of parts of the year was associated with the onset of the full moon and was celebrated. In the first three days of the dark part of the year, the Celtic New Year was celebrated, and on the night from October 31 to November 1, winter came into its own, according to the Celtic calendar. The holiday celebrated on this night was not yet called Halloween - this name came later - and in the times of the ancient Celts it was called "Samhain", named after Samana - the lord of death, whom the Celts worshiped and whose day was November 1. Why was this holiday associated with death?

At the end of October, as a rule, the harvest had already been harvested, the nights (and even the days) became cold, and winter could be felt approaching. And the ancients always associated cold, winter and lack of fertility with death. And this association served as the basis for Halloween. On the night of October 31 to November 1, according to the beliefs of the Celts, doors opened between the worlds of the living and the dead - it was believed that only on this night the dead, along with various otherworldly dark forces, could enter our world and harm the living. Therefore, on the night of Samhain, Celtic priests performed special rituals to scare away evil spirits: they sacrificed animals and performed rituals of worship of dark forces. People themselves dressed in animal skins and heads to scare away spirits, and also did not turn on lights in their houses and left treats at the doors to appease them.

In order to protect themselves from otherworldly forces for the entire next year, the Celts, together with the priests, gathered in the forest around the sacred fire, listened to predictions, sang and danced, and at the end of the night they took with them a piece of the sacred fire, which, it was believed, could provide protection from evil spirits to the house and people living in it.

Samhain was considered best time for fortune telling among the ancient Celts. For example, young girls threw two chestnuts into a sacred fire to find out how long their happiness with their loved one would last. If chestnuts burned next to each other, it means that the lovers will spend their whole lives together. If the chestnuts rolled out in different directions, this meant that life paths the lovers will separate.

Or, for example, another fortune telling. On the night of Samhain, the girl lit a candle, sat in front of the mirror and, eating an apple, began to comb her hair. After some time, the face of the betrothed was bound to appear in the mirror. And if a candlestick fell on the night of Samhain, it was a bad omen, meaning that evil spirits were trying to interfere in the life and fate of the living inhabitants of the house.

This tradition of celebrating Samhain existed among the Celtic tribes until the 1st century. AD, until the Romans conquered their territory and began to forcibly convert the pagans to Christianity. The celebration of Samhain ceased, but the traditions of the holiday themselves continued to be passed down from generation to generation.

And only after November 1 began to be celebrated in the 9th century Christian holiday- All Saints' Day - Samhain began to be celebrated again, coinciding with a new holiday. And that's when Halloween came into its own modern name. On the medieval English language“All Hallows Evening” sounds like “All Hallows Even”, and in abbreviation “Hallowe"en”, and very briefly “Halloween”.

From now on pagan halloween is closely united in the minds of people with the Christian All Saints Day and is celebrated not only in English-speaking countries, but also in Asia, Australia and even New Zealand.

Halloween in our time and its main attributes

Since the 19th century, Halloween has transformed from a scary holiday shrouded in mystical secrets into a cheerful masquerade. What are the main attributes of Halloween in our time?

In America, children often look forward to Halloween even more than Christmas or New Year, because it is on the night of October 31 to November 1 that they, dressed in costumes of various evil spirits, go from house to house demanding to treat them with candy. By the way, according to research, a huge amount of candy and other sweets are sold in America during Halloween - worth more than 2 billion dollars! This tradition, as you probably already guessed, comes from the ancient Celtic Samhain - when the owners of houses put out treats for evil spirits outside the door. Only now the “evil spirit” itself comes for a treat to the owners of the house with the words: “Trick or Treat?!”, There are enough translations of which: “Treat or curse?!”, “Life or wallet?!”, “Treat, not Am I playing tricks?!” Greedy owners will be punished - before, angry “evil spirits” threw eggs at their houses, but now they use them more often toilet paper- until the roll unwinds.

Previously, such “going from house to house” was practiced by the poor, who, in exchange for a treat, promised to pray for the deceased relatives of the owners.

But, of course, the most important attribute of Halloween is the pumpkin (the ancient Celts used turnips for this purpose), the core of which was cut out and a candle was placed inside. Such structures are called “Jack’s lanterns” - in honor of the drunkard Jack, who managed to outwit the Devil himself twice, and after his death did not go to either heaven (for his vicious life) or hell (because the Devil, even during Jack’s life, vowed not to take his soul ). And now Jack's soul wanders the earth with the same jack-o'-lantern. By the way, the “Jack-O-Lantern” mounted on the head of a man wrapped in a white shroud makes the figure look like the same soul wandering the earth.

What does a pumpkin with a lantern inside mean? Pumpkin means the end of the harvest, and fire has two meanings: both a way to scare away evil spirits and a fire that burns everything old and outdated. By the way, for the same purpose, electric light bulbs and candles are lit everywhere on Halloween to imitate the sacred fire. In the USA, candles are colored black, purple, orange or pink colors and must be flavored with cinnamon or other aromatic spices.

In many countries where Halloween is especially common, especially large varieties of pumpkins are grown especially for the holiday - after all, competitions for the best “Jack-O-Lantern” are a very popular way to diversify the holiday. By the way, every year a huge amount of money is spent on organizing such competitions during Halloween at prestigious resorts and expensive hotels. The largest cash prize received for the best “Jack-O-Lantern” is $25,000!

To scare away evil spirits, people dress up in costumes of evil spirits, put on scary masks and demonstrably commit all sorts of “atrocities.” This tradition also has its origins in the traditions of the ancient Celts - when they dressed up in animal skins and gathered around the sacred fire for songs and dances.

The main colors for Halloween are black (symbol of death and darkness) and orange (pumpkin color, symbol of the harvest). Also popular are purple, dark green, and gothic combinations of black, white and red. Of the outfits for masquerade participants, the outfits of witches, vampires, sorcerers, fairies, mermaids, ghosts, cats, bats and other nocturnal animals are especially favorite. The sounds of howling wolves, hooting owls, and sounds with a cemetery theme are very popular as musical accompaniment for parties or just masquerade processions on Halloween. Popular attributes include various aspen stakes, crosses, rosaries, and witches' staffs.

Popularity of Halloween around the world

Halloween has gained the greatest popularity in the USA and Canada - it is in these countries that the turnover of pre-holiday sales before Halloween is second in size only to the turnover of sales before Christmas. The largest Halloween celebrations take place in Los Angeles and New York, and 65% of houses, apartments and offices are decorated for the holiday.

Halloween is celebrated just as massively and colorfully in Germany - on the night from October 31 to November 1, the most massive festivities take place in Frankenstein's Castle in Darmstadt. Thousands of people in costumes gather here on this night and believe that the ghost of the castle owner will appear on the roof on Halloween.

In France, the largest celebrations take place in the suburbs of Paris - at Disneyland in Limoges. The night from October 31 to November 1 usually attracts more than 30 thousand people here, and parades of goblins, vampires and ghosts with “Jack-o-lanterns” in their hands leave no one indifferent! By the way, throughout France on Halloween, cafes and bars offer “witch” dishes to everyone.

The Chinese celebrate Halloween as a day of remembrance of ancestors: food, water and lanterns are placed in front of photographs of deceased relatives to illuminate the path for the souls of ancestors. Monks of Buddhist monasteries make special “boats of fate” out of paper, which they then burn so that their smoke will help the souls of their ancestors get to heaven.

In our country, Halloween is not yet celebrated on such a grand scale as in America or Germany. But even in our cities, nightclubs are preparing special events for Halloween. holiday programs, they decorate the halls in black and orange tones and put “Jack-o’-lanterns” everywhere.

Yes, Halloween evokes conflicting feelings among our compatriots: some are its supporters, others maliciously criticize it. Halloween is especially harshly criticized by the Orthodox Church, which considers this holiday a form of paying tribute to dark forces. But still, maybe you shouldn’t take Halloween so seriously, because it’s just extra reason have fun and laugh at your fears of the other world!

Halloween is a holiday traditionally celebrated on the eve of the Catholic All Saints Day, on the night of October 31 to November 1. It is especially common in English-speaking countries.
Widely celebrated in the UK Northern Ireland, USA, Australia and New Zealand, although it is not a day off. The characteristic attributes and mystical background are gradually making this holiday popular in most countries of the world, including Russia.
History of origin
Halloween, like many other modern European holidays, has origins in the pre-Christian era. It was then that the Celtic people were settled by many tribes in what is now France, Ireland and Great Britain. The ancient Celts had their own language, pagan beliefs and a calendar that divided the year into two halves - summer and winter. The dark part of the year, winter, when agricultural work was impossible, began in November, and October 31st was the last day of the outgoing year. The same date was also the last day of harvest.
The celebration of the New Year and the completion of field work lasted a whole week. The middle of the holiday was the night of November 1st. The Celts called this day Samhain, which meant “end of summer” in the local language. In addition to sharing the harvest, on this day it was customary to especially honor the dead. It was believed that on the night between the last and first days of the year, a door to the other world magically opens, and the souls of the dead, ghosts, come out to people.
In order not to become an accidental victim of the inhabitants of the afterlife, the Celts dressed themselves in animal skins, left their dark dwellings at night, near which they left tasty gifts for the ghosts, and gathered around huge, double-row fires built by the Druids. It was customary for the whole tribe to walk between these fires, with children in their arms, and also to jump over smaller fires. It was believed that the power of fire purifies people and allows them to enter the New Year with pure soul. At the festival, some of the cattle were also slaughtered, the bones of the killed animals were thrown into the Holy Fire, and the future was predicted from the pattern left by the fire on the bones.

At the same time, a tradition developed to carve faces expressing various emotions on the collected vegetables. Most often, carvings were made on turnips, a type of fodder turnip grown for livestock. Leaving the main night of Samhain celebration, everyone took with them a hollow “head” made of turnip, inside of which were placed hot coals from the Sacred fire. Such a lamp drove away evil spirits roaming the streets until the morning. It was he who became the prototype of the Jack-O-Lantern.
The original traditions of celebrating the Celtic New Year were passed down from generation to generation almost until the beginning of our era. Only after the conquest by the Romans did the Celts accept Christianity and were forced to forget about their pagan customs. But with the advent of Catholicism, Samhain unexpectedly received a new round of development - the ancient Celtic traditions of its celebration were reflected in the church holiday of All Saints' Day, celebrated on November 1st. The eve of this day, called in English Hallows-Even - Hallows Even or "Evening of the Saints", over time acquired the abbreviated name inherent in modern holiday, Halloween (Halloween). At the same time, Halloween received its ominous reputation as a black pagan celebration only in the Middle Ages, when it was described In a similar way Christian monks.
Holiday symbols
The night before the holiday, All Saints' Day is celebrated according to changed times, but still retaining the main features of Celtic beliefs. On Halloween, celebrants dress in carnival costumes and hold parties and festivities. The main symbols of this day are considered to be a lantern carved from a large pumpkin. The Celts made such lamps on the occasion of the harvest, and also so that lost dead souls could quickly find their way to the other world with the help of a lantern. The turnip was previously a traditional vegetable, but with the arrival of the holiday in the United States, pumpkin became more popular as a vegetable, more common and cheaper in the autumn season.

Among the costumes made for Halloween, the most popular are traditionally frightening characters: vampires, werewolves, monsters, witches, ghosts and other mystical heroes. Celebrants decorate their homes for an autumn theme, placing jack-o'-lanterns on porches and windowsills. In addition to vegetable lanterns, garden scarecrows, paper and plastic skeletons, spider webs, candles, and dried plant and leaf arrangements are popular decoration items. According to tradition, the main colors of the holiday are all shades of orange and black.
Jack lamp
A large ripe pumpkin, with a very frightening face carved on it, which is illuminated by a candle lit from the inside, has become the main symbol of Halloween. This homemade lantern was given the name Jack's Lantern or Jack Lantern. With the history of this very bright symbol The holiday is associated with an ancient Irish legend.
It is believed that Jack was a blacksmith, very greedy and hungry for money and booze. The residents of his village were so tired of their annoying drinking companion that there were simply no people left willing to share a glass with him. Then Jack offered to drink a bottle at a local eatery for Lucifer himself. The devil agreed to keep him company. And when the time came to pay for the drink, Jack invited the naive Satan to turn himself into a coin, to which he also agreed. The cunning blacksmith, without thinking twice, immediately hid the coin in his pocket, where a pre-prepared cross was already waiting. Lucifer fell into a trap and could not get out of the trap where the image of the Savior was. Jack gave in to Satan's persuasion to release him in exchange for his promise to help the blacksmith in every possible way in his business.

The devil fell into Jack's trap a second time when the cunning blacksmith begged him to get apples from the very top of the tree. Lucifer, who had climbed to the top, simply could not get down from it, since Jack drew a cross on the crown of the apple tree. This time Satan managed to escape by promising Jack not to take his soul after death. The drunken blacksmith let Lucifer go and lived a carefree life, and when the hour of death came, they refused to accept his soul in both Heaven and Hell. Unneeded by either the Devil or God, the blacksmith began to wander in search of Purgatory. He illuminated his path with a lantern carved from a hollow turnip, in which the remains of coals smoldered.
The British left vegetable lamps, traditionally made from turnips, on the porches of their houses on All Hallows' Day in order to ward off unfriendly spirits from their homes. In North America, this tradition became widespread only in the nineteenth century, when European emigrants settled the country. At the same time, the Jack-O-Lantern became a direct symbol of Halloween only at the very end of the 19th century.
Halloween Music
The ancient Celts did not accompany the Samhain holiday with any music, so this day has no traditional musical accompaniment. But Halloween, as a holiday that gained the greatest popularity already in the twentieth century, acquired its own themed songs and melodies. Since the main leitmotif of the celebration is mysticism, the theme of the other world and its inhabitants, the music is played accordingly. Thus, the song “Monster Mash” performed by Bobby Pickett is considered the Halloween anthem. Soundtrack from the musical cartoon "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is also very popular at Halloween parties. The work of the Midnight Syndicate group is also imbued with the theme of this holiday, many of whose compositions are filled with a mystical theme.
Mixes of frightening sounds, such as howling wolves, ominous creaks, mysterious howls and evil laughter, are often used in Halloween attractions and amusements. At youth parties on the occasion of the holiday, popular cheerful and dance music is used. In clubs there are remixes and tracks specially created by DJs.
Holiday traditions
The main traditions of the holiday were dressing in fancy dress, visiting specialized attractions, playing games, begging for sweets and parties with a festive table.
Suits
Wearing carnival costumes on this holiday has its origins in the tradition of the Celtic peoples wearing animal skins on Samhain to protect themselves from evil spirits and ghosts. IN modern history Dressing up in a scary way for Halloween only became common at the end of the nineteenth century. For the first time such a case was described in Great Britain, 1895. Local kids dressed in masks and outfits fairy-tale heroes, went to neighbors' houses to collect goodies and small coins. In the rest of Europe, as well as in North America, such a tradition did not exist until the beginning of the 20th century.
Today, carnival costumes for Halloween celebrations begin to be sold in the summer. In the USA there are specialized stores and shops for these purposes. And if a hundred years ago a children’s costume included only an ugly mask with an image of an emaciated, disfigured face, now any factory-made Halloween costume looks truly festive and bright. As a rule, adults and children dress up in the image of fantastic movie heroes, fairy-tale characters, both evil and frightening, for example, zombies, and good ones.

With the advent of the 21st century, Halloween parties began to turn into real colorful costume shows. Thus, in 2014, the most popular costumes for the holiday were images of the characters from the Harry Potter saga. At the same time, people use not only masks and clothes of the characters, but also completely recreate the image of the chosen hero using makeup and accessories.
Begging for treats
Traditional Halloween entertainment, oddly enough, is primarily reminiscent of Christmas. Just like in Rus' on Christmastide, children dressed in costumes go from house to house and hope to receive sweets or coins from their neighbors. But on Halloween this tradition has its own characteristics.
Children dress in clothes and masks depicting monsters or other evil characters, go from house to house in the area, begging various sweets. At the same time, they ask the owners the question “Trick or treat?”, which translated means “Wallet or life?” This question contains a humorous threat to cause some kind of trouble to the owners if they do not give the children coins, candy or other treats.
This tradition has spread in Western Europe and America since the beginning of the twentieth century. At the same time, neighbors who want to see costumed children on the threshold of their house decorate the porch with Halloween symbols - Jack-O-Lantern, candles, artificial skeletons and other frightening things. And those who do not want to participate in the general fun simply put out a basket filled to the top with sweet treats.

Despite its modern spread, the tradition of begging for food during church holidays has its roots in the Middle Ages. At that time, it was common practice for the poor to come to sing prayers and mournful songs under the windows of townspeople on this holiday, hoping to receive food or money. This tradition was first combined with Halloween in Great Britain in 1895, when children in one of the villages dressed up in costumes and went to their neighbors' houses, begging for sweets.
Most widespread in modern world The tradition of asking neighbors for sweets began in the USA, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Latin and Central America and Western Europe. However, the details differ in different regions. For example, in the Caribbean, instead of asking “Trick or Treat?” they ask the question “Where is my little skull?”, and their neighbors give them candies made in the shape of a sugar or chocolate human head.
Halloween Games
Like any holiday with an ancient background, Halloween has a number of characteristic games, rituals and fortune telling. They are most widespread in Ireland and Scotland. So, girls in Scottish villages tell fortunes using apple peels. To do this, they cut the skin off the ripe fruit, while trying to keep the skin as long as possible. They then throw it over their left shoulder. You need to see the first letter of the groom's name by looking at the skin that fell on the floor.
Another fortune telling game was common in England. Unmarried young ladies had to enter an unlit house backwards and hold a burning candle in front of the mirror. It was believed that this way they would be able to see the face of the betrothed. If a young maiden sees a skull, it means that she will remain unmarried until her death.
Halloween Attractions
The organization of frightening rides and carousels, called "ghost attractions", is a main feature of Halloween celebrations in the West. The first such entertainment was established in 1915.
In the USA, where such attractions are mainly widespread, they are held every autumn. At the same time, the technical equipment of these unique frightening parks is constantly growing. Thick fog, ominous sounds and rustles, mysterious music, squeaks and special effects are used here for one purpose - to scare customers. Visiting “ghost attractions” is undesirable for pregnant women, children, people who are especially impressionable or mentally unstable.

In addition to the seasonal theme parks, Halloween themes are common at Disneyland. All Disney parks celebrate this holiday and set up themed attractions where the decorations change every year.
Traditional holiday table
On Halloween, which has its origins in celebration of the harvest festival, sweets made from fruits, mainly apples, are traditionally served. Apple caramel and sweet apples covered in chocolate, sprinkled with colorful confetti, as well as nuts, became the main delicacies of the holiday. You can either prepare them at home or buy them at a Halloween market or in a park with scary attractions.
At the beginning of the twentieth century in Great Britain there was a tradition of making sweets from apples and distributing them to children begging for sweets in their neighbors. But it quickly fell out of use due to cases where evil townspeople stuffed such candies with needles. In order not to avoid the occurrence of traumatic situations, the authorities banned the distribution of such delicacies.
Now in North America, special sweets are made for Halloween, called “Candy Corn” and “Candy Pumpkin”. These are candies in the shape of a pumpkin or a cob of corn. Since the beginning of the century, the recipe has remained virtually unchanged, as has manual method preparations. The candies are made mainly from sweet molasses, gelatin, sugar and natural juice.

In Ireland, a special bread called barmbrack is traditionally baked for Halloween. This is a sweet bun with raisins, in which various objects are hidden - a ring, a coin, a pea, a piece of wood and a piece of cloth. By the item you receive, you can find out your fate, so a ring means an imminent wedding, a piece of wood means loneliness or divorce, a pea means celibacy, a cloth means failure in money matters, and a coin means wealth. These breads, cut into buttered toast, can now be found throughout the United Kingdom. In its factory versions, objects denoting the future are made of plastic or edible material.
Halloween in Russia and the world
Initially, Halloween was celebrated only in countries that inherited Celtic culture. Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales are the regions where this holiday was formed. Since the end of the nineteenth century, emigrants have spread the traditions of celebrating Halloween in the United States, where it has become particularly widespread and has taken on its modern appearance. In the twentieth century, when borders have become a very elusive concept, this cheerful and bright holiday began to gradually spread throughout the world. Today, in addition to America and Europe, Halloween is popular in Asian countries.
The holiday came to Russia in the nineties and is still considered very exotic. For Russians, Halloween is, first of all, an opportunity to have a fun carnival party, with the opportunity to dress up in the costumes of mystical characters.

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Svetlana Epifanova

Halloween: history and traditions

Well, of course, what else can we talk about if not Halloween, since it is inevitably approaching, or rather, almost already approaching, marking the slow but inevitable onset of winter.

The nights are getting longer, the sun shows its face from behind the clouds less and less often, and this face rather resembles a bald head according to the concept of an ancient riddle: “It shines, but does not warm...” And the snow is right there - flying, or, more precisely, rolls around in disgusting wet lumps, trying to stick right to your face.

Samhain marks the arrival of winter. The Celts had sreches - the beginnings of the seasons. There were four of them - February 2 – Imbolg, April 30 – Baltain, July 31 – Lammas, October 31 – Samhain. Each day was celebrated in its own way, but today we are only interested in Samhain.

Halloween is, first of all, a transition, this mystical “now”, which does not exist, but, as our popular song sang: “There is only a moment between the past and the future, it is called: life.” In general, I incomprehensibly associate the holiday of All Hallows' Eve with this song. Because both of them make us think about how short our life is, which always - at the same time - has already passed and has not yet begun.

And only on this night - the night of Halloween - Samhain opens the gates in both directions, and only on this night can a person realize his place in this world. Or - in another? In some kind of Through the Looking Glass?

Jean Cocteau wrote a stunning script for the film "Orpheus" (Jean Marais played Orpheus there). The theme of mirrors runs through this entire film, the theme of two worlds, the gates between which are mirrors, and, in my opinion, this was probably perhaps the first work of art of our time to which one could put Halloween as a subtitle.

"Heurtebise: I will tell you the secret of secrets... Mirrors are doors through which death enters and exits..."

Halloween is intriguing. Samhain was considered a dark deity, but the Great Wasteland in which he lives is far from dark. There is White Silence, something that has always existed - even before anything appeared. But Samhain is by no means the devil, as overzealous priests and another hypostasis of religious fanaticism like to portray him now: Satanists. Can death be good or evil?

Only a person can be good or evil. By plunging into the fun and slightly creepy Halloween extravaganza, a person gets a chance to understand something unknowable. And only by throwing off the burden of everyday worries, “taking off your shoes,” can you be cleansed and reborn to a new life.

And the Shadows of the Gate Guardians... Well, they are what they are - that’s why they are Shadows.

“The night thickened, flew nearby, grabbed those jumping by the cloaks and, tearing them off their shoulders, exposed the deceptions... In the place of the one who, in tattered circus clothes, left the Sparrow Hills under the name of Koroviev-Fagot, now galloped, quietly ringing gold chain occasion, a dark purple knight with the gloomiest and never smiling face.

The night also tore off the fluffy tail from the Behemoth, tore off its fur and scattered its shreds across the swamps. He who was a cat who amused the prince of darkness now turned out to be a thin youth, a demon page, the best jester that ever existed in the world..."

This is how they are, these Shadows - on the Other Side. But Jack-the-Lantern is also far from a negative character. But in literature he also has two most famous incarnations - the good-natured Jack Pumpkinhead in "The Land of Oz" and the sinister Jack Skellington - the Pumpkin King from "The Nightmare on Christmas Eve."

Two hypostases, as always: good and evil, black and white - these are just two sides of the same coin, and each of us must decide for himself which side he will choose.

Halloween is approaching, the hour of decision is coming...

Scandinavian myths describing Valhalla - the Chamber of the fallen in battle - tell:

"...in Valhalla they sit side by side at the tables sworn enemies, who were never able to reconcile in earthly life. Now they see that all their previous feuds were just puppy dog ​​fights..."

The history of Halloween

Halloween itself dates back far, far in history; they say that it is at least two thousand years old - then it was celebrated on May 13, and on that night the dead saints and martyrs were remembered.

But at the beginning of our era, devils were brought to the lands of the Celts by the Romans. And during the 400 years that the Romans spent on the lands of the Celts, not only the population mixed, but also traditions:

Two Roman holidays connected with Samhain. The first is Feralia, celebrated at the end of October - also something like All Souls' Day, and the second - in honor of the goddess of fruits and trees, Pomona. Its symbol was an apple, and this is where the modern Halloween tradition of playing with apples came from. And the original Celtic Baltain (festival of the fire) and Samhain (festival of summer, winter, fire and the power of darkness) shifted towards Samhain.

Then Christianity supplanted the Druids and became the dominant religion, and in the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV established November 1 as All Saints' Day, on which saints and martyrs were supposed to be glorified.

Actually, the tradition of the Christian church to coincide its holidays with pagan ones and replace them with something similar is familiar to all nations. So November 1 became All Saints' Day, or simply All Hallows. And the night before - the night of Sauin - began to be called "All Hallow's Eve" - ​​the eve of All Hallows' Day.

Later, everything was reduced and the name Halloween (Hallow E"en) arose. And the people are a harmful creature, they nod their heads as a priest, and then go and celebrate the holidays in their own way, according to tradition. And where can Christianity compete with centuries-old traditions!

Halloween was of great importance, because at this time they said goodbye, as usual with the help of rituals, to the old, bad, unnecessary and welcomed the new. Apples were brought as a gift to the gods of nature, autumn vegetables, flowers, they left them under trees or buried them in the ground asking for help and support; on the night of October 31, they put a plate of fruit on the street - for dead souls, so that they could come to the aid of the living. And in general, in all pagan beliefs, the souls of ancestors were treated with more than reverence - and not only the saints.

The Church made a knight's move, declaring November 2 as All Souls' Day in the year 1000, on which it was supposed to commemorate not the saints, but the common dead. The wake was organized in the likeness of Samhain (and remember also when Baltain joined him) - large bonfires, processions, dressing up in costumes of angels and devils. All three dates—All Hallows' Eve (October 31), Saints' Day, and Souls' Day—were called Hallowmas.

But the fellow pagans did not give up on this either. In addition, they had another holiday associated with Halloween - the Hunter's Moon, the last full moon before Samhain. It is believed that this is the time of the highest psychic upsurge, and at this time the line between the worlds becomes so thin that many entities pass through it. This is also the time when Otherworld has the greatest impact on the earth.

This is how the night was described in some legends: "That night a horseman from the Glass Island appears on horseback with his terrible pack of hunting dogs, and in front of him is the army of the Underworld……."

And when the American pioneers rushed to settle the New World, they, of course, brought with them new homeland and your favorite holidays. And without Halloween, and without Christmas - what holidays could there be?

And since not only the Irish and the English came, but also many other peoples, there is also a rich Indian culture here! And all this was mixed up once again. The wild nature was conducive to unbridled fun - to dancing until you drop around the fires, to fortune-telling and to some hooliganism, of course: try to refrain from hooliganism when you are wearing a mask of some evil spirits! And, of course, to true stories about the dead and ghosts - such stories themselves come to mind: in the dark!

By the middle of the 19th century, annual autumn holidays became commonplace, although at that time they were not yet common everywhere: the Puritan settlements in the north were not in a hurry to indulge in riotous revelry.

But when millions of Irish appeared in the New World, a grinning pumpkin could be found in every home on October 31st. Now almost all Americans - like the Irish and the English (in England there was a tradition on the Day of Souls of begging food and ale from the rich in exchange for a promise to pray for their dead relatives) - began to dress up in costumes that evening and go around their neighbors, begging for food and money (the custom is called trick-or-treat - “treat, otherwise I’ll do harm”).

Girls believed that on Halloween they could find out the name and appearance of their groom by telling fortunes on threads, apple cores and mirrors, and the bravest citizens turned their clothes inside out and went out onto the road at night, hoping to meet a witch.

By the end of the 19th century, the mystical slant of Halloween was almost done away with, turning it into a public holiday, however, not completely: mass hooliganism continued. They managed to cope with them only by the middle of the last century, making the holiday mainly for children.

Although some remain mere children even at a hundred years old.

Modernity

IN last years Halloween has become even more popular. More and more Americans are having weddings on this day. Weddings with a “Halloween” twist are especially popular: when the newlyweds are crowned by Dracula, who has risen from a coffin installed right in a gloomily decorated chapel.

Every year in Baltimore there is a pumpkin toss, a competition for physics students best invention, which will prevent the pumpkin from splitting when falling from the 10th floor.

Halloween is an occasion for charity. People can bring candy to “caramel jars” for those who cannot buy it themselves. Special costumes are distributed for disabled children. Sweets are delivered to nursing homes in advance, and then children in disguise are sent to collect them.

And, of course, the Halloween industry is booming.

In New York, up to two million people gather for the Halloween Parade, which is usually covered by major US television channels and broadcast live. Tens of thousands of participants in the costume parade dress in costumes of all sorts of evil spirits, they are accompanied by musicians, jugglers, breakdancers, citizens on stilts and other audiences, not counting the crowds of onlookers.

The parade attracts such a huge number of tourists that on average each Halloween enriches New York by $40 million. Owners of restaurants and bars in Greenwich Village, where the celebration is concentrated, consider Halloween night to be the best night of the year (from a business point of view, of course).

The apotheosis of frivolity reigns on this day in America. The country is turning into a do-what-you-want monastery. And everyone really does what they want. Moreover, this is not always so pleasant, but on this day it is not customary to be offended.

We personally do not approve of the stupid custom of throwing eggs. It’s good that you can’t get rotten ones in the States. But a fresh broken egg is much more appropriate in a frying pan than on a coat. On November 1, New York looks paved with scrambled eggs and even slightly changes the color scheme due to the cheerful yellow color.

(from an abstract from the Samara Lyceum of Information Technologies)

And now Halloween is coming back to Europe. Many European countries greeted him with great enthusiasm, filling store windows with creepy masks and brooms. Last year, $18 million worth of Halloween accessories were sold in France alone - ten times more than last year!

The bigots, of whom there are still plenty all over the world, complain: the expansion of the Americans, the expansion of the Satanists.

Writer Francois Thailand: "Halloween is a continuation of the trend of destruction of European culture, along with such phenomena as the worship of rap, McDonald's, Hollywood cinema. Now America, it seems, is beginning to change our daily life. And mind you, they specifically targeted our children."

But, forgive me, if there is culture, if they are strong national traditions, no one will ever destroy them. This is evidenced by Halloween itself, which they tried to destroy for two centuries! This is evidenced by other pagan holidays - say, our Russian Maslenitsa.

If something passes away, it means that it was not good enough and deeply rooted enough in the consciousness of the nation.

Why was Americanization so strong among young people and teenagers in socialist Russia in the 70s and 80s? Yes, because Soviet culture caused only disgust. A holy place is never empty. Young people will not sit in front of the TV in the evenings, consuming political news - the pique vests will still wait for them. Young people want reckless fun - after all, youth passes so quickly!

Does anyone not like this holiday? Try replacing it with something else. Try to revive YOUR national culture. Never before in the history of mankind has almost anyone, of their own free will, preferred a full, colorful life to boring chants and mortification of the flesh. Church and cultural leaders did not think about this when they killed their own culture. Alas, gentlemen, you realized too late.

Fortunately, there are other people:

Galina Anatolyevna RAZBIVNAYA, Minister of Education of the Karelian Republic:

"In my opinion, it is high time for us to create a new value system educational process, intensify activities to develop new forms of development of the education system. And raising children through cultural exposure different nations world, knowledge and respect for the traditions of many nationalities, of course, without obligatory imposition, but through professional, beautiful and educational festive events should not be regarded only as “holidays alien to our traditions”.

Today we need to create conditions for the return of real Culture, Culture with a capital C, to school and Childhood in general, and we will all think together about how to do this better, kinder.”

These are the words of a thinking person, and not a fanatic who knows nothing but pointing fingers at apostates, without disdaining manipulation and distortion..

Irreconcilable

English archbishop calls for an end to Halloween

Catholic Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham urged his flock not to celebrate the traditional Halloween at the end of October. Instead, on October 31, he called on believers to gather in churches for services on the eve of the feast of All Saints in order to “counter the growing tendency in the mass consciousness to associate this holiday with secular, if not pagan, rituals.”

Archbishop Nichols called on parish rectors to think about ways to spend the evening of October 31 in their communities to show others the vitality of the Church. The triumph of All Saints, according to the prelate, can and should become a source of great inspiration and joy for the whole world.

The Barnaul diocese distributed an appeal to the city's media in which it calls on citizens not to succumb to the temptations of Satanists

The appeal, in particular, says: “Active devil worshipers are appearing in the city, who seek to lure as many people as possible. To do this, on October 31, one of the satanic holidays “Halloween” (All Saints’ Day), they will hold their Sabbath in one of the theaters city, famous for showing blasphemous operettas and the performance of lascivious sodomists, on November 13, a satanic gathering called “Friday the 13th” will take place in the same theater and all this abomination will be shown on television.”

The press service of the Barnaul Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church is authorized to declare, as follows further in the appeal, that the holiday "Halloween" is an ancient pagan rite worship of Satan. During this holiday, almost the entire population of the United States participates in rituals of imitating the dead, dressing up as the dead. It is not for nothing that American Satanists openly proclaimed this day as their holiday.

The appeal ends with the following: “We declare to the sponsors of this outrage: the money donated to Satan will not benefit either you or the people.”

The Vladivostok diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church called for a boycott of the American holiday "Halloween"

“There is no doubt that all this is propaganda of Satanism,” says Hieromonk Innokenty, chairman of the missionary department of the Vladivostok diocese.

As stated in the message, the holiday "Halloween" represents the ancient pagan rite of worship of the lord of death, Satan. It is celebrated on the eve of the Catholic holiday - All Saints' Day. Halloween arose as a counterpoint to it. It became most popular in the USA.

Wittingly or unwittingly, during the holiday, participants perform a ritual of imitation of the dead, dressing like the dead and asking for a gift for them. An indispensable attribute of Halloween - the ritual "Trik or trak" ("Dirty or Gift") is an offering to the souls of the dead associated with Satan.

It is not for nothing that the American Church of Satan openly proclaimed this day as their holiday, which, according to their plans, should be used to testify to the worship of the devil.

This holiday is being cultivated more and more actively in Russia. " Orthodox Church indicates that the satanization of public consciousness is taking place in Russia. You turn on the TV, radio, leaf through the press - symbols, passwords, spells are all around.

This has become commonplace, but has not ceased to be ominous. Behind the planting of the cult of violence, debauchery and the occult lies the goal of destroying the traditional Russian Orthodox culture and morality. We call for a boycott of Halloween wherever it is celebrated."

Catholic bishop against Halloween

Bishop of Nice Jean Bonfils spoke out against the tradition of celebrating Halloween, which, in his opinion, is “the most important holiday of Satanists around the world,” which “has nothing in common with Mediterranean and Christian culture.”

In his message “Halloween, or All Saints’ Day,” fragments of which are cited by the newspaper “Nice Matin,” the bishop explains the meaning of the word “Halloween,” the roots of which are Celtic and, accordingly, pagan.

"It's about about the conjuration of evil spirits and the expulsion of them, since they take on the images of the dead, ghosts, in order to instill in us the fear of death,” says Bishop Bonfils. “Everything that instills fear and has the taste of death comes from the devil,” adds the bishop. "Let it be known to everyone that Halloween is almost main holiday Satanists all over the world."

“Let us not renounce our culture and faith and let us not succumb to the deception of Halloween preachers.”

French Catholics are offended by Halloween.

French Catholic priests organized a protest against Halloween. In their opinion, honoring ghosts, goblins and other evil spirits is at the same time honoring Satan, that is, the embodiment of absolute evil.

Several priests and 120 Catholic school students gathered for a rally near a church in the Riviera resort town of Saint-Raphael, AFP reports. The priests consider the “festival brought to France from the USA” disgusting.

So I’m wondering - are they deliberately confusing people, or do they themselves sincerely believe in what they say? Here are some quotes with some of my own comments:

- The holiday "Halloween" is an ancient pagan rite of worship of Satan.

A little higher I wrote about the history of Halloween. I specifically included this section in the article, although it is almost entirely compiled from various sources. The only thing I did was put together all the scattered information and weed out the obvious nonsense that was written by those who did not bother to understand the subject properly. I wrote about this so that my readers understand TRUE meaning Halloween, and did not fall for provocative statements. Everyone decides for themselves whether to celebrate this holiday or not, but let this decision not be dictated by deception.

- the holiday "Halloween" represents the ancient pagan rite of worship of the lord of death, Satan. Is Satan the lord of death?

And this is what the priest says? In this case, God is exactly the same master of death as Satan. If the fellow priests themselves do not understand theological issues, then let them figure it out first, and then bother with teachings.

- It is celebrated on the eve of the Catholic holiday - All Saints' Day. Halloween arose as a counterpoint to it.

This is actually a squeak! It turns out that All Saints' Day, which was not forcibly introduced a thousand years ago, was opposed to the three-thousand-year-old Samhain. And not vice versa. Yes, citizens, this is how history is written!

- An indispensable attribute of Halloween - the ritual "Trik or trak" ("Dirty or Gift") is an offering to the souls of the dead associated with Satan.

What, are all the dead connected with Satan? Then November 2 is the Day of Remembrance of the Dead, which was introduced by the Catholic Church - a holiday no less satanic than Halloween.

- It’s not for nothing that the American Church of Satan openly proclaimed this day as its holiday.

Yes. And also, for example, Christmas Eve. It turns out that Christmas is a satanic holiday, for, according to the belief of Satanists, Satan was born just on the night before Christmas.

- Behind the implantation of the cult of violence, debauchery and occultism lies the goal of destroying traditional Russian Orthodox culture and morality

When did this Orthodoxy become a traditional Russian culture?

Slavic paganism was and remains Russian culture. Favorites folk holidays are inextricably linked precisely with pagan traditions, to which the Russian Orthodox Church somehow attached its names - just as the Catholic Church attached its name to Samhain.

The only difference is that the Russian Orthodox Church was never able to achieve new names for the holidays: Midsummer remained the Day of Ivan Kupala (and very rarely anyone can remember that this is the Day of John the Baptist), Maslenitsa remained Maslenitsa, and Christmas is accompanied by a completely non-Christian Christmastide.

“We are talking about conjuring evil spirits and driving them out, since they take on the images of the dead, ghosts, in order to instill in us the fear of death,” says Bishop Bonfils.

Isn’t it the church that first of all frightens you with the torments of hell? Is it not priests who instill fear? And we also need to think about who can be called the progenitors of “horror films”: Satanists or priests. If the medieval church had not so zealously looked for devil worshipers in everything, maybe there would actually be fewer of them?

By the way, some Protestant ministers are not inclined to blame Halloween for all sins. Don't take Satan too seriously, they say. Fear is for those who doubt. It's better to make fun of evil spirits - as Jack-O-Lantern did.

Jack-o'-lantern

There's no Halloween without a pumpkin! For hundreds of years, on October 31st, Jack-o-lanterns have been shining in every window, scaring away evil spirits. The story of its appearance is told by an Irish legend about a drunkard named Stingy Jack.

One day, on the eve of All Hallows' Day, the drunken blacksmith Jack, sitting in a bar, was coveted by the devil himself. The blacksmith agreed to give him his soul, but only in exchange for a mug of ale. To buy a drink, the devil had to turn into a coin. Sly Jack put the sixpence in his pocket, where he had the silver cross. Tortured by the cross, the devil begged for mercy, and Jack released him, but first bargained for himself ten years of quiet life.

When the devil appeared again 10 years later, the Irishman's last request hinted at an apple. When the devil stood on his shoulders to reach the apple tree branch, Jack quickly scratched a cross on the tree bark. The devil hovered in the air and, as a result, promised that he would not touch Jack for another ten years and would not take his soul at all.

Finally Jack died. God, naturally, refused to place the sinful drunkard in heaven. The Devil met Jack on the threshold of the underworld.

“I can’t take your soul,” he said, fulfilling his promise.

-Where should I go? - asked Jack.

“Where he came from,” answered the devil.

There was pitch darkness all around... Jack asked for fire. And the devil, having scooped it up from a hellish fire, gave Jack a smoldering coal and sent him to wander around the world. The Irishman had a turnip with him. Having cut out the middle, he inserted a hellish coal there - so that the wind would not blow it! - and set off on his eternal journey.

The Jack-O-Lantern still roams the earth in anticipation of the Last Judgment and is a symbol of the damned soul.

In Ireland and Scotland, scary faces, into which candles were then inserted, were carved from turnips and potatoes, in England - from beets. With immigrants, the tradition migrated to America. It turned out that a native of the continent, a pumpkin, is ideal for the role of Jack-O-Lantern!

(based on materials from the Komok newspaper - the only place where the legend is presented in full detail)

Do you know what the legend of Jack reminded me of? I quote:

- He didn’t deserve light, he deserved peace...

Yes, the master was luckier. It is strange that the Irish Deities did not reward Jack with peace - after all, he had fooled the devil himself! It's strange that Satanists love this holiday so much - a holiday whose symbol is the Man Who Fooled the Devil!

There are a lot of weird things about Halloween. He is mysterious, mystical and inexhaustible in inventions. He is good and bad at the same time. Everything bad and everything good merges in it. He is the same as life: multifaceted.

Afterword

"...So who are you, finally?

I am part of that force that always wants evil and always does good.”

Goethe "Faust"

"You spoke your words as if you did not recognize shadows, and also evil. Would you be so kind as to consider the question: what would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would the earth look like if shadows have disappeared? After all, shadows come from objects and people. But there are shadows from trees and from living creatures. Do you want to peel off the entire globe, removing all the trees and all living things from it because of yours? fantasies of enjoying the naked light? Are you stupid."

Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"

"Evil is necessary. If it did not exist, then there would be no good. Evil - the only reason existence of good. Without death there would be no courage, without suffering there would be no compassion.

What would self-sacrifice and self-denial be good for with universal happiness? Is it possible to understand virtue without knowing vice, love and beauty, without knowing hatred and ugliness? Only to evil and suffering do we owe the fact that the earth can be inhabited, and life is worth living. Therefore, there is no need to complain about the devil. He created at least half of the universe. And this half merges so tightly with the other that if you touch the first, the blow will cause equal harm to the other. With every vice eradicated, its corresponding virtue disappears."

Anatole France "Gardens of Epicurus"

“— “Well,” asked Zadig, “so it is necessary that there should be crimes and disasters, and that they should be the lot of good people?

“Criminals,” answered Ezrad, “are always unhappy, and they exist to test the few righteous people scattered throughout the earth.” And there is no evil that does not give rise to good."

Voltaire "Zadig"

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