The date was not chosen by chance: when is Halloween celebrated

Fans of mysticism and horror are looking forward to the end of October, when the scariest holiday of the year, Halloween, is celebrated. On this day, it is customary to dress up in costumes (not necessarily scary ones) and have fun with all your might.

OBOZ.UA tells you when Halloween is celebrated. And what traditions are associated with it in Ukraine and the world.

When is Halloween celebrated

The date of the holiday does not change from year to year – it falls on October 31. It precedes the Catholic All Saints' Day, thus combining the pagan tradition of the arrival of winter with the honoring of Christian figures.

According to the beliefs of the ancient Celts, this day marked the beginning of the dark season, which lasted until early May. At that time, the risk of dying of cold and hunger increased. Therefore, people tried to appease the spirits so that they would not take them away.

The origin of the holiday

All European pagan cultures celebrated the beginning of winter in late October and November. The most famous today is the Celtic Samhain, which is considered the basis of Halloween. On this day, the harvest season officially ended, and people thanked nature for its gifts and asked for a less severe winter.

It is also believed that on this day, the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead becomes thin and spirits come to earth. Those whom they meet and recognize can be taken with them. That is why it is important not to be like yourself on this day.

Halloween traditions

The main tradition of the holiday is dressing up. You can start dressing up in the morning, and all the main fun should take place at night.

In the United States, Irish immigrants introduced the custom of sending children in disguise to trick-or-treat. It is somewhat reminiscent of Ukrainian Christmas caroling. Those who visit the house on this day are supposed to give sweets. The ancient Celts did indeed treat each other to apples and nuts with wishes for an easy winter.

Nowadays, the holiday has no special menu. Except maybe candy for a treat. But the ancient Irish used to cook colcannon, a dish of cabbage and boiled root vegetables, on Samhain. They also baked a pie made from newly harvested apples.

A characteristic attribute of the holiday is a lantern carved from a pumpkin. Most often it depicts a scary face. It is associated with the legend of Jack, a miserly man who did not go to heaven after his death. Since he did not want to go to hell, he decided to deceive the devil. Left on earth, where he did not belong, Jack wanders in the dark with a homemade lantern with a smoldering coal inside.

A modern tradition of the holiday is to hold horror parties. Scary movies are shown everywhere, and the most popular costumes represent vampires, witches, and other evil spirits. Although, of course, they are not limited to them.

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