Halloween in the United Kingdom
Witches' hats and carved
pumpkins symbolize Halloween.©iStockphoto.com/Nikolay Suslov
Background
Halloween has its origins
in pagan festivals held around the end of October in England, Wales, Scotland
and Ireland. People believed that, at this time of year, the spirits of dead
people could come 'alive' and walk among the living. They thought that it was
important to dress up in costumes when venturing outside, to avoid being harmed
by the spirits. This may be the origin of the Halloween costumes seen today. In
Puritan times, Halloween celebrations were outlawed, but they were revived in
later times.
Halloween used to be called
All Hallows Eve, or the day before All Saints' Day, observed on November 1.
Halloween is also known as Nut-crack Night, Thump-the-door Night or Apple and
Candle Night. Some people call Halloween Bob Apple Night or Duck Apple Night.
This comes from a traditional game played at this time of year and known as
'apple bobbing' or 'apple ducking'. A bucket or other container is filled with
water and one or more apples are floated on the water. The contestants take
turns trying to catch an apple with their teeth. They must hold their hands
behind their backs at all times.
Some people believe that
apple bobbing is a reminder of the way women accused of witchcraft in the
middle ages were tried. They were tied to a chair and repeatedly ducked into a
river or pond. If a woman drowned, she was declared innocent. If she survived,
she was declared a witch and burnt at the stake. Others think that apple
bobbing is a way for young people to predict who they will marry or whether
their partner is faithful.
Some aspects of the modern
Halloween celebrations, such as carving lanterns out of vegetables originated
long ago. Others were introduced more recently, often as a form of commercial
promotion. Many customs originated in the United States and have travelled back
to the United Kingdom.
What Do People
Do?
Halloween celebrations in the United Kingdom include parties where
guests are often expected to arrive in a costume to reflect the day's theme.
Other people gather together to watch horror films, either at home or at a
cinema.
Some children go trick-or-treating. This means that they dress up and go
to other peoples' houses, knocking on the door for treat of sweets or a snack.
Those who do not give out a treat may be tricked with a joke instead.
Public Life
Halloween is not a bank holiday in the United Kingdom. Schools,
businesses, stores and other organizations are open as usual. Public transport
services run on their normal timetables.
Traditions and
Halloween Symbols
There are various symbols are associated with Halloween. The colors
orange and black are very common. Other symbols include pumpkin lanterns,
witches, wizards, ghosts, spirits and characters from horror films. Animals
associated with the festival include bats, spiders and black cats.
-Pumpkin (the pumpkin):
-Trick or Treat:
Children and those who are not so
much disguise themselves, while competing to see which is the most disgusting
costume of all, and go from house to house granting the famous ultimatum
"trick or treat" (trick or treat) . Know the origin and meaning of
this famous expression, certainly the favorite of children on Halloween night.
-Sweets:
Another custom rooted in Halloween
is to order and eat sweets. It seems tradition began in Europe in the 9th
century when, every November 2 (Day of All Souls), Christians went from town to
town asking for "soul cakes" that were pieces of sweet bread. The
more soul cakes they received, the more they promised to pray for the peace of
the deceased relatives of those who gave them such alms. Over time this custom
was fused with the Halloween party to become another typical feature of the
celebration.
Some Games of British Culture about Halloween
Trick or Treat
Many of today's Halloween traditions are associated
with America, however they originated in Celtic history. For example the custom
of 'trick or treat' originated in England as ‘Mischief Night' when children
declared one ‘lawless night' of unpunished pranks (usually May Day eve or
Halloween). In the late 19thC, the Irish belief that 'the little people' or
fairies played pranks on Halloween, led boys and young men to carry out
practical jokes on that night, Nowadays children dress up in costumes and go
from door to door where they knock on the door, or ring the doorbell, and yell
'Trick or treat!'. The idea being that the owners of the house give the
children a treat (sweets or money) or the children will play a trick on them -
I believe that in legal terminology this is called extortion!
Jack o' Lanterns Halloween
It was the Irish who brought the tradition of the Jack
O'Lantern to America. The practice of carving Jack-o'-lanterns goes back to the
Irish legend of Jack, a lazy but shrewd farmer who tricked the Devil into a
tree, then refused to let the Devil down unless the Devil agreed to never let
Jack into Hell. The story goes that the Devil agreed, but when Jack died, he
was too sinful to be allowed into Heaven, and the Devil wouldn't let him into
Hell. So, Jack carved out one of his turnips, put a candle inside it, and began
endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He was known as Jack of the
Lantern, or Jack-O'-Lantern.
Nowadays the typical Jack-o'-lantern is a pumpkin
whose top and stem have been carved off and inner membranes and seeds scooped
out to leave a hollow shell. Sections of a side are carved out to make a
design, usually a face. It is possible, using thicker and thinner sections cut
with differing tools, to create surprisingly detailed and realistic designs. A
light source (traditionally a candle) is placed inside the pumpkin and the top
is put back into place (often after a "chimney" is carved in the lid
in order to allow heat to escape). The light illuminates the design from the
inside. Jack-o'-lanterns are generally made for Halloween, and were originally
made from large turnips, beets and swedes, before the introduction of the now
more familiar pumpkin from the Americas.
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