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Halloween 2022: There's more to Halloween beyond 'trick or treat' and 'monster balls'

Synopsis

Although Halloween is a popular Christian festival it may have originated from a pagan harvest ceremony.

halloween canva leadReuters
This is the day where everything spooky reigns supreme.
The term Halloween may sound vaguely familiar to those living in the Indian subcontinent. For horror film nerds, the word will whip up images of a masked figure trying to slash the throats of innocent pedestrians (for many of us desi slasher movie aficionados, the only ‘Halloween’ we were familiar with for a long time, was John Carpenter’s eponymously named cult classic) .

However in the Anglosphere, Halloween is not just a festival, it's an emotion. Imagine a day when kids can go around knocking on neighbor’s doors, ask for a treat and threaten the adults with nasty tricks if their demand request is not met. (Those of us who have grown up in Indian suburbs could barely imagine bothering the neighborhood aunty for anything let alone demand for chocolates and candies. After all, log kya kahenge?). But in the US, this is the day where children go for a bout of ‘trick or treat’. This includes dressing up in crazy costumes and gallivanting around the neighbourhood after dusk, demanding candies or else… Jack-o’-lanterns are also one of the staple features of Halloween. People engage in competitions to carve out the scariest face from pumpkins. Many end the day by throwing a grand monster ball where people can dress up as their favourite ‘monster’. Above all Halloween is a celebration of all things spooky and otherworldly.

Although the festival that is celebrated every year on October 31 is mostly known as a popular Christian holiday and is associated with All Hallow’s Day, observed in honour of all the saints of the church, many scholars believe that the festival has pagan roots. According to some theories, the history of Halloween dates back thousands of years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain, a festival that marked the end of the harvest season. Samhain was also believed to be a time when the the worlds of the dead and the living collided and the spirits abided with their living relatives. Here are some of the most interesting Halloween trivia:


Dear Future Husband....

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Believe it or not, people once thought you could meet your soulmate on this day! In the 1700s, women used to participate in apple-bobbing ceremonies at parties, believing that the first to finish would be the first to marry! Some believed that if you stood in front the mirror with a candle you may catch a glimpse of your future spouse in the mirror! Sounds like the regular old-wives tale that most people.


The Irish Introduced America To 'Jack-o' lanterns

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The smiling pumpkins without which Halloween is unimaginable was a gift from the Irish when they arrived in the Americas in the 19th century. Back then Jack-o' lanterns were carved from potatoes and turnips. Ireland's devastating Potato Famine of 1845 led more than 1.5 million Irish flee from their motherland and seek their fortunes in USA.

The 'Trick or Treat' Has Its Origins In Catholicism

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In the 1200s many people in countries like Britain, Ireland and Germany used to believe that 'soul cakes' - sweets made from saffron and currants might help warding off evil spirits. Beggars would do the rounds in neighbourhoods, knocking on doors and asking for soul cakes in return of praying for their dead family members. Instead of saying ''trick or treat'' they would say, "A soul cake, a soul cake, have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake!"

Jack-o' lantern Was Inspired By An Irish Folktale

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According to an old-wives tale, there was a man named Stingy Jack who tried to doublecross the Devil. He was cursed to roam the earth with only a burning coal in a hollowed turnip as a source of light. He was nicknamed 'Jack of the Lantern' which was later shortened to Jack-o' lantern.


Michael Myer's Mask Was Actually A Cheap Captain James Kirk Mask

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Any discussion about Halloween is incomplete without at least an honourary mention of John Carpenter's slasher classic 'Halloween'. The 1978 film that still gives viewers sleepless nights, is immortalised by its psychotic protagonist Michael Myers who goes on serial killing rampages wearing an ivory pale mask.

The mask which has since become iconic for horror movie fans, was originally...wait for it... just a $2 Captain James Kirk (Star Trek) mask! The crew reshaped the eye-holes and painted it paperwhite. A little bit of creative effort turned this dirt-cheap mask into a symbol synonymous with terror.

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