It's time to select a spooky costume and carve out pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns! It is All Hallows Eve, in short, Halloween. The spooky holiday is celebrated in many countries during the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows Day. The Christian holy day of All Hallows' Day or All Saints Day is marked annually in recognition of all the saints of the church, whether they are known or unknown. Before the observance, people begin the celebration of Allhallowtide. The liturgical period is dedicated to recalling the deceased, including saints who are said hallows, martyrs, and all the departed souls. Halloween 2022 falls on October 31, Monday. If you want to ensure you are correctly celebrating the year's scariest holiday, continue reading the article. Spooky Halloween Facts About This Observance That Will Creep You Out.

Halloween's Interesting History

The origin of Halloween is believed to have roots in the Christian faith and customs. The term 'Halloween' comes from "All Hallows' Eve", which is the evening before the pious Christian observances of All Hallows' Day or All Saints' Day, falling on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2. The creepy vibes of the occasion come from the legend that the All Hallows evening celebration started from the ancient festival of Samhain, meaning Summers' End, observed by Celts people who lived two centuries ago in the areas now known as Ireland, England and northern France. The event marked the end of summer. Celts believed that the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its narrowest during Samhain's time. So these Indo-European folks wore eerie costumes to ward off the evil energies and made bonfires. The extraordinary present-day American way of celebrating Halloween came about in part as various groups of Europeans immigrated to the U.S.

Halloween Significance & Activities

Major Halloween activities include trick-or-treating when children wear their Halloween costumes and go from home to home asking for treats with the utterance of the phrase "Trick or treat". Then comes the most followed practice of carving out pumpkins to make the jack-o'-lanterns. Some people also play the game of apple bobbing, while other horror enthusiasts visit haunted attractions in their cities. Other popular Halloween Day celebrations include playing pranks, fortune telling or divination games and watching ghost flicks. Some individuals consider the event a secular occasion. These people attend church services, light candles on the graves of departed ones, and abstain from meat on All Hallow's Eve.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2022 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).