On the evening of Oct. 31, millions of people in US and some other countries celebrate Halloween with its symbolism of witches, devils, skeletons, bats and black cats.

Children are dressing up as ghosts and monsters . Many parents encourage their children to celebrate Halloween, assuming it to be harmless and innocent fun. In recent times, children have taken up the practice of dressing in Halloween costumes and visiting homes in search of edible and monetary treats, lightly threatening to play a trick on the owner if a treat is not produce. While this allows children to have fun and enjoy a little harmless fun but some criminal activities go under these masks.

Moreover, I don't understand parents [either believers or atheists] allow their children to celebrate witches and goblins, they are teaching them that it's acceptable to deal in demonism and witches. History shows that behind the dark mask of this popular children's holiday reside the terrors of an ancient Celtic festival renamed All Hallows Eve.

Where, how and when did such strange customs begin?
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead supposedly rose from their graves to walk the earth.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was a day in late October when the Romans commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor the Roman goddess of fruit and trees with Apple as its symbol This probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

Centuries later, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the custom of Halloween with them to US. After massive immigration of the Irish to the United States during the great potato famine in Ireland (1845-46), Halloween eventually became a national event in US.

In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is believed that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related Christian holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

We in Australia we do not in general celeberate it. Also Egyptian, Russian, Greek do not celeberate it.

I want to know whether people in your country celeberate Halloween?

 

 

 

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you know the history but do you understand it, this was being done during the time when people thought only one religion is need thus the conquest of religions started basically in the last 2000 years (so history rights) almost every religion has been destroyed by those who think otherwise these are top religions in the world

Catholic, Protestant, Orthadox, Muslim, Hindu/Buddism, Judism and tribal religions (africa, south america, mexico, parts of asia)

but not in that order, history shows us which religions where the most dominate in power religious and government.

its not why do parents do it, it why do people accept it, its harmless fun for people to dress up outside reality, but the fact that religion has become more relaxed in it's laws minus the people who take it to the extreme (won't mention who but you know), people wanted the government and church seperated (America/18th century england) so the balance of power is equal on both fronts, thus thats how America was found just on that notion.

People have the freedom to do what they want thats across the world, but some people don't believe all people should be free (yet again i won't mention who but you know).

But again history comes into play the catholic church had a hard time destroying the celtic religion because it is still in full bloom, its hard to change ones views when you have practice it for so long and have been taught and learn about the history behind it.

its your opnion that holloween is bad and is the purest evil, but to me and alot of other people its just another holiday to have fun with friends and family.

YEah people use it to do bad stuff, thus one of my favorite activites is long been illegal, i do believe other parts of north america celebrate cabbage patch night.

For those who do not know what cabbage patch night is its October 30th where you get to throw toliet paper on houses and trees, spray silly string all over everything, spray shaving cream and more stuff. Its basically a fun way to be destructive but yet not destroy everything. (some people take it to the extreme as well, so they ruin it for the rest of us)

by the way do you know how cold its gets in russia this time of the year, i think thats one of the reasons why most people don't celebrate like we do here in america, maybe religous as well but its freak'n cold out thier.

Also Holloween dares people to go to the unknown as well, its the stories and legends that keep holloween alive make it fun and exciting, I loved it as a kid and can't wait to show my kids the lore of holloween as well.

People should enjoy holloween for it's history, myth and legend, not cuz people wanted to change it. (well yeah that to) but cuz it brings everyone into a new reality of life.

 

 

 

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Where I live in the UK, there is the odd party for Halloween, though these are just another excuse to have a party and drink, rather than to celebrate anything. Little kids go around knocking on doors, but where I live, they ask for money rather than sweets.

I hate halloween, and do my very best to avoid answering the door.

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Yes, I don't think that halloween is evil or to be avoided either, but then again, I'm from Canada and have celebrated the holiday every year I've been alive... it's what we do. It's not bad, but fun.

When your small, it's so much fun being able to dress as something you couldn't normally be any other day of the year... plus, you get to stay out late, and get a ton of free candy. I can't see anything better than that.

I'm not sure about everyone else... but I've never thought of 'tricking' a person if I don't get the candy. So what -- houses run out... some don't want to participate, whatever the reason, it doesn't matter, you just go on to the next house.

And hey, you really can't forget the pumpkin carving. It's fun.... really... I was just carving one yesterday actually. The shame about it is that I won't be able to enjoy halloween this year, because I'm working from 4 - 11.... that'll just about cover the time in which all the kids will come and go.

Oh yea... and about that cold thing stopping people from celebrating halloween.... I'm not too sure just how accurate that is. I know I have (and many other people in my country for that matter) gone out for halloween with a snowsuit under my costume. Otherwise you'd just freeze to death.

This year, kids won't have to do that up here from what I can tell... because it seems nice and oddly warm today. So yea, that's my take on halloween.... curious to hear what other people have to say.

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yeah I did forget that we had a snowsuit like holloween once, but what i makes me angry is how earlier parents start the holloween instad of starting it at 12 pm when the sun is out do it at like 6 or 7 when its dark. people are to afraid, that why you brign a baseball bat to beat the heck out of people trying to rob you of your stash.

how could someone hate holloween, just cuz you have to get up and answer the door when some one knocks, everyone knows the cardinal rules of trick & treating its not that hard, just turn off the front door light its that simple so thos who do enjoy can hit the money banks in houses.

now thinking about as a kid i should have mad e map for those who give the most candy, hit them up first change costume and get more MUHAHAHA, i know people do that wish i did it, twice as much as candy, of course twice as much crap like apples and other fruit, those people should be tarred and feather when we want candy, we want candy not fruit.

GOD I LOVE HOLLOWEEN

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Hmmm.... I guess we aren't afriad up here so much. We start having kids come around right about 5:30pm or so... right about when it gets dark... and they tend to keep coming until sometime between 9 and 10pm. Then you usually get a couple of older stragglers that show up after 10pm.

It's funny how many college students who are living in residence end up going around. They are all looking for as much food that they don't have to buy from the cafeteria at school. Hey, it's free food night - can you blame them?

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of course not but i hear college holloween parties are killer as well and i don't mean a body count either.

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Halloween's not all that bad but I don't like some of the costumes. It just disgusts me when I see little kids dressed up as devils and similar stuff. In my opinion it would be ok as long as it's originaly ties were destroyed (witches and that stuff). For me it's an extra day off school (today) and a chance to fool around (go around asking for candy the day after. I don't go out on Haloween itself.) my costume? Dart Vader goes punk lol.

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I think Halloween is a fun time of year when people can dress-up if they want to. Just in the papers today I saw a picture of a man and his kid walking away from some store dressed up as Darth Vader. And his kid had a mini Darth Vader costume as well. So I myself think it's a day to have fun and dress-up if you want but there are some people around my town that do dress-up. It's always fun looking like someone else but only for a day. And from what I can see people always have fun on Halloween. Also today I was working and I saw a guy dress-up as Julia Caesar. So yeah some people in my town celebrate Halloween in their own special little ways.

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I am in England and went trick or treating with soem tohe kids tonight, we saw some teenagers throwing stink bombs at houses if they didn't get what they wanted. It gets really annoying whent he police continualy stop all the kids to chek for eggs and stuff. When soem people wanna just have some fun!!!

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