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9 facts about Halloween and why the date is significant

What's up with this spooky date?

October 24, 2017

South Coast Herald 1 minute read

Halloween falls on October 31 every year which is a Tuesday this year.

According to Wikipedia, Halloween or Hallowe’en (also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve) is a celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day.
The word Halloween or Hallowe’en dates to about 1745, and is of Christian origin.The word “Hallowe’en” means ‘hallowed evening’ or ‘holy evening’.
It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.
It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianized as Halloween by the early church.
Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films.
Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows’ Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.
On All Hallows’ Eve, Christians in some parts of the world visit cemeteries to pray and place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones. At Halloween, yards, public spaces, and some houses may be decorated with traditionally macabre symbols including witches, skeletons, ghosts, cobwebs, and headstones.
Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o’-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows’ Eve in order to frighten evil spirits. There is a popular Irish Christian folktale associated with the jack-o’-lantern, which in folklore is said to represent a “soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell”.