Happy Halloween 2015!

Although us Europeans are slowly getting the hang of Halloween, Americans are still the best celebrators of this strange but fun holiday – if you are currently in the U.S, you will probably get to experience it yourself. On a typical Halloween night out you will typically see carved pumpkins lit up and people dressed in terrifying costumes – Zombies, monsters, bloody nurses, scary doctors…you name it. Whilst teens and adults go to Halloween dinners or parties, kids usually go trick or treating around the neighborhood’s houses collecting candy and other goodies (treats) spooking and booing all those neighbors that don’t have any sweeties to hand out (trick).

These celebrations (pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating and the whole spooky atmosphere) has become a real tradition, especially in the U.S but why is it celebrated and what lies behind Halloween?
Just like other historical celebrations, the true meaning of Halloween is greatly disputed. Some say that it’s a pagan festival whilst others claim that it is connected to the Celtic Samhain (Summer’s end).  Gaels believed that the walls between our world and the next became thin and thus easier for spirits to pass through, come to life and damage the crops. Therefore, Gaels usually made bonfires and even prepared food and drinks for the spirits to calm their anger, which later turned into dressing up and trying to scare them and push them back into their own world. When researching a little, it seems as though Halloween has various backgrounds that formed into the celebration we know today.
The background stories sound very strange to us but back then, people were more superstitious and gullible, which is why this festival and celebration spread across various countries and is celebrated in many different ways.
Nowadays it is obviously not celebrated for the same reasons but is another reason for us to have a fun time with family and friends, dress up and make a cold and dark autumn night a little more exciting than the average one.

Whether you’re in the U.S, Europe or elsewhere, we hope you have a great time!

Happy Halloween!
- Rebecca Grove