Halloween Day Explained, Activities, Halloween Masks & Costumes, GK, Traditions & Celebrations
It’s that time of year again where ghosts & ghouls come out to play! What is Halloween? For many people, it is a day to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating & attend Halloween parties. But what is the history behind this spooky holiday?
What is Halloween Day? Date
Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated on the evening of October 31st every year. Halloween is a celebration of the autumn season and its various aspects, including ghosts, goblins, witches & other supernatural creatures In short it is a celebration of the horror genre & its associated culture. The event is often celebrated with costumes, trick-or-treating and heavy participation in popular events such as parades and carnivals. Its more a cultural festival than a Christian.
Traditions of Halloween in Different Cultures
Halloween is also a time to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a holiday that is celebrated on November 2nd. Families visit gravesites and decorate them with flowers, pictures & foods that the deceased loved.
Halloween is one of the world’s most popular holidays, celebrated by billions of people around the world. While the real origin of Halloween is really unclear and the holiday on this strange festival is associated with many different traditions & celebrations over the centuries. Today in the era of internet Halloween is a fun & festive occasion that is enjoyed by people of all ages.
Halloween Day in Pakistan, Intro, Celebrations, Features, History, Costumes & Masks
Americans began to celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door asking for candy. This tradition is still popular today, although some people have replaced candy with healthy snacks like fruits and nuts.
Real History Behind Halloween Day Explained
Halloween day has quite interesting history behind it. Fun holiday is celebrated on this day in many different ways all across the world. In fact the origins of Halloween day can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts who lived in present-day Ireland, the UK & northern France used to celebrate their new year on 1st November. This day also marked the end of the harvest season & the beginning of long winter season. On the night of October 31st, the Celts would light bonfires & dress in costumes to ward off evil spirits. The Celts believed that on the night before Samhain, the unseen door between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. They believed that the ghosts of the dead roamed the earth on this night and that they could damage crops & bring illness to people.
To ward off these harmful spirits, the Celts built huge bonfires and burned crops and animals as sacrifices to their deities. They also wore costumes & mask to disguise themselves as harmful spirits. When the Romans conquered the Celts in 43 A.D., they incorporated some of the Celtic traditions into their own festival of Feralia which honored the dead. This history shows that Halloween was not a christian festival in the beginning.
Halloween in Christianity
Around the 9th century, the Christian church established All Saints’ Day on November 1. The holiday was also called All-Hallows or All-Hallowmas. The church was trying to replace the pagan holiday of Samhain with a Christian one. All Saints’ Day honored saints & martyrs of Christianity. It was also believed that on this day, the souls of the dead were released from purgatory.
Later in the 12th century AD, the church established All Souls’ Day, which was celebrated on November 1st. This holiday honored all of the faithful departed. People went to church, prayed & gave alms to the poor. They also attended Mass & lit candles to honor the dead.
Back in the 14th century, All Souls’ Day was combined with All Saints’ Day and the holiday became known as All Hallows’ Day. The night before All Hallows’ Day was called All Hallows’ Eve & later became known as Halloween. While the holiday was originally celebrated primarily by Christians, it has now become popular among people of all faiths. Now a days Halloween is a secular holiday that is enjoyed by people of all ages, religions countries and even cultures.
Halloween in America
In the 19th century when Irish & Scottish immigrants came to the America, they brought their old Halloween traditions with them. By the 1920s & 1930s, Halloween had become a national holiday in USA. Today majority of American people spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween day and Eve. This large spending have make it one of the country’s most lucrative & fun holidays.
Halloween in Pakistan
Halloween has really become an international festival now due to rise of western media, hollywood movies and cartoons. That’s why now Halloween day is celebrated by many people of Pakistan too. There are many activities and events held on this day which includes pumpkin carving, costume parties, trick-or-treating and much more. Generally these activities are witnessed in elite educational institutes, mega malls, clubs, churches, Christian community and 5 star hotels. Halloween in Pakistan is a relatively new concept but it has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Many people have started to celebrate this festival by dressing up in Halloween costumes & masks, decorating their homes and indulging in traditional Halloween activities. Conservative people in Pakistan believe that Halloween is a part of Western cultural attack on Muslim countries. They argue that it has root in Christianity, so Muslim should never take part in Halloween celebrations.
Popular Halloween Costumes & Masks
There are many popular Halloween costumes for both boys & girls. Some of the most popular costumes include costumes that portray scary characters like Dracula, ghosts, witches and other horror-themed outfits. There are also many costumes that are just fun to wear for example clowns, Spider man, Super man and Batman. You can find many different types of Halloween masks on the market. Some masks are made with plastic & are not very durable, while others are made from more durable materials like metal or cloth. It really depends on what the person wants to look for in a mask and what is popular among people. Some are more popular than others, but all of them have their own unique qualities that make them perfect for costumes or decoration. Whether you are looking for a pumpkin head mask, Dracula skin mask or even a zombie mask, there is something sure to be a popular choice on the market this year.
Halloween Celebration Activities
There are many different ways to celebrate Halloween. Some people enjoy dressing up in costumes & going trick-or-treating, while others prefer to attend Halloween parties or go to haunted houses. Some celebrate this occasion by sleeping at homes or watching horror movies at home or in cinemas. Halloween tv shows and cartoons are also watched all over the world on this day. No matter how you choose to celebrate, Halloween is a fun & festive time of year.
This year if you are also looking for a fun way to celebrate Halloween day then consider attending one of the many Halloween parties in five star hotels or events taking place around the world. From large-scale Halloween parties to smaller gatherings, there is sure to be a Halloween party or event near you.
Halloween is a great time to stock up on Halloween candy & decorations. Many stores offer special Halloween sales on candy, costumes & decoration pieces. If you are looking for a great deal on Halloween candy then visit your nearest local stores or buy them online on discounted prices.
Conclusion
Whether you celebrate by going to a Halloween party, taking your kids trick-or-treating or just passing out candy to the neighborhood kids, Halloween is a fun holiday for people of all ages. So put on your Halloween costume, turn on the porch light & enjoy the sweet treats!
