This is Halloween

This Halloween our new youth media recruits have been studying the spooky holiday.

The History of Halloween

Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which have pagan roots, and others which may be rooted in Celtic Christianity.

On All Hallows' Eve, Christians in some parts of the world visit graveyards to pray and place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones.

A soul cake is a small round cake which is traditionally made for All Saints Day or All Souls' Day to celebrate the dead. The cakes, often simply referred to as souls, were given out to soulers (mainly consisting of children and the poor) who would go from door to door on Halloween singing and saying prayers for the dead. The practice of giving and eating soul cakes is often seen as the origin of modern trick-or-treating. In Lancashire and in the North-east of England they were also called Harcakes.

In modern Ireland, Scotland, Mann and Wales, the festival included disguising, which goes back at least as far as the 16th century. This involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food.

Unlike the believed story, it was not the Americans introducing Halloween to Britain, it was the opposite! (Insert dramatic music)

 In Ireland and Scotland, the turnip has traditionally been carved during Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than a turnip. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837 and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.

“En route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes a bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin, drink, and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for a place to rest.<----- True story! ( insert true story guy here)

Evolving from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, modern Halloween has become less about literal ghosts and ghouls and more about costumes and candy. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and also believed that this transition between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead.  Over the millennia the holiday transitioned from a sad pagan ritual to a day of merriment, costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.

By Marek (Youth Media Team)

Halloween in Different Countries

As one of the world's oldest holidays, Halloween is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe but it is in North America and Canada that it maintains its highest level of popularity.

In Austria, some people will leave bread, water and a lit lamp on the table before retiring on Halloween night. The reason for this is because it was once believed such items would welcome the dead souls back to earth on a night which for the Austrians was considered to be brimming with strong cosmic energies.

Modern Halloween celebrations in Canada began with the arrival of Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1800s. Jack O'Lanterns are carved and the festivities include parties, trick-or-treating and the decorating of homes with pumpkins

In China, the Halloween festival is known as Teng Chieh. Food and water are placed in front of photographs of family members who have departed while bondires and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of the spirits as they travel the earth on Haloween night.

In Germany the people put away their knives. The reason for this is because they do not want to risk harm befalling the spirits.

By Terri (Youth Media Team)

Scary quotes

 ~I LOVE HOW IN SCARY MOVIES THE PERSON YELLS OUT HELLO? As if the killer is going be like,  YEAH IM IN THE KITCHEN! WANT A SANDWICH ?

~ EAT DRINK AND BE SCARY. HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

~  KEEP CALM AND SCARE ON!!

~ “WE ARE THE KIDS YOUR PARENTS WARNED YOU ABOUT !!

~ WE STOPPED CHECKING FOR MORNSTERS UNDER OUR BED WHEN WE REALISED THEY WERE INSIDE OF US!

By Yasmin and Rachel (Youth Media Team)