Halloween — Halloween (All Hallows Evening or Beggars Night) — night before All Saints' Day. They say Halloween is at least two thousand years old. This controversial holiday takes its origins from Celtic culture. The Celts had clearly defined «beginning seasons». There were four of them. Samhain marked the arrival of winter and was celebrated on October 31st.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV established 1 November as All Saints' Day, wanting to distract the English people from pagan customs. Later, November 2 became All Souls Day — when all the dead were remembered. However, traditions were preserved in folk memory, and they were never completely defeated.
In recent years, the holiday has thoroughly returned to Europe; it is also popular in America and some Asian countries. Children dress up as monsters and go to neighboring houses, bargaining for sweets. There are also themed parties, fireworks, masquerades, and a hollow pumpkin with its eyes cut out and mouth and candle inside is displayed through the window to scare away spirits.
By the way, pumpkin — is an invention of the Americans. And before that, in Ireland and Scotland, scary masks, into which candles were then inserted, were cut from turnips and potatoes, and in England — from beets.
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