Halloween is a celebration observed in several countries on 31 of October. Halloween activities include attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, playing pranks and games, visiting attractions, telling scary stories, as well as watching horror films. The word Halloween or Hallowe’en dates to about 1745 and it is of Christian origin. The word “Hallowe’en” means “Saints’ evening”. It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows’ Eve. Although the phrase “All Hallows'” is found in Old English “All Hallows’ Eve” is itself not seen until 1556. Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after supernatural figures such as vampires, monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils.
Trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating is a Halloween ritual custom for children and adults in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase “Trick or treat”. The “treat” is usually some form of candy.
Costumes
Dressing up in costumes and going “guising” was prevalent in Scotland and Ireland at Halloween by the late 19th century. A Scottish term, the tradition is called “guising” because of the disguises or costumes worn by the children. In Ireland the masks are known as ‘false faces’. Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in the US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children. The first mass-produced Halloween costumes appeared in stores in the 1930s when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in the United States.
Games and other activities
There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween. During the Middle Ages, these rituals were done by a “rare few” in rural communities as they were considered to be “deadly serious” practices. In recent centuries, these divination games have been “a common feature of the household festivities” in Ireland and Britain. They often involve apples and hazelnuts. In Celtic mythology, apples were strongly associated with the Otherworld and immortality, while hazelnuts were associated with divine wisdom. Some also suggest that they derive from Roman practices in celebration of Pomona.
Food
There are some kinds of food which are associated with Halloween. For example barmbrack, bonfire toffee, toffee apples , candy apples, candy corn, candy pumpkins, chocolate, monkey nuts, caramel apples, caramel corn, colcannon, halloween cake, sweets, candy, novelty candy shaped like skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted sweet corn, soul cakes.
Մելինե Մարտիրոսյան 