Halloween History and Cool Halloween Trick!

Halloween in the UK has never really been a big event. Perhaps it's due to wise parents who know that it will cost them an absolute fortune in sweets! In America it is a whole different matter. Halloween beats Christmas and Easter for sweets and candy sales, that's a whole lot of treats - you're missing out on!

So do something this Halloween, get out those ghostly costumes and celebrate Halloween as the American's do - trick or treat for your candy! I have a terrific idea for a trick you can play so read on!

Halloween has a tradition and a history of its own and the beginnings of these traditions are often lost. Well this year we're going to bring them back with a vengeance! Now imagine announcing, "trick or treat!" and there you stand expecting a goodie when all of a sudden some smarty pants throws you a curve ball and replies, "trick!"
Now what?

Well you could stand there and just "…um and …ah," or you could really blow their socks off. Remember, they'll think they've been really clever, right up until the point you begin spouting the history of Halloween! I think it's safe to say that they'll either do one of two things:

They'll be SO impressed with your knowledge that they'll be throwing sweets firmly at your feet OR …

They'll give you a ton of sweets if you'll just quietly go away! Either way, seems pretty good doesn't it?

So now, you've got your costume, you've got your trick…just in case, and and all you need now is the history of Halloween. So here we go!

The word 'Halloween' is a slimming down of 'All Hallows Eve' or 'All Saint's Day.' All Saints Day is a Catholic celebration held on November 1st in honour of Saints everywhere.

Halloween dates back almost 2000 years ago to the days of the Celtic Druids in Europe. Their New Year was always celebrated on November 1st. This date marked the end of summer and festivals were held in celebration of the passing seasons. One of these festivals was called Samhain (said Sha-Von) and this took place on the day we now recognise as Halloween - October 31st.

It was believed that the evening of October 31st, the walls separating our world and the world of dead would merge and so the dead could walk the earth. In order to stop the spirits of the dead entering people's homes, they would put out all there fires to make their homes less welcoming and dress up in costumes to scare away the spirits.

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