The word Halloween comes from the Catholic Church.
He comes from a tradition of contracted November 1, the Day of All Saints, is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints.
But in the fifth century AD, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially concluded on October 31.
The holiday was Samhain, the Celtic New Year.
Some witches believe that the origin of the name comes from the word hallowinas - name given to female guardians know the hidden land of the north (Scandinavia).
But scholars say that the word Halloween appeared as follows:
The name is actually a shortened version of "All Hallows 'Even" (All Saints Day), the eve of All Saints (All Hallows' Day).
"Hallow" is an Old English word for "holy person" and the day of all the "holy people" is just another name for All Saints Day, the day when Catholics commemorate all the saints. Over time, people began referring to the night of All Saints, "All Hallows' Even" as "Hallowe'en", and later simply "Halloween."
Halloween marks the official end of summer and the beginning of the new year.
Also celebrates the end of the third and final harvest of the year, the beginning of the storage of provisions for the winter, the beginning of the return of herds from pasture and renewal of its laws.
It was a party with several names: Samhain (end of summer), Samhein, La Samon, or even the Sun Party
But what was even the Scot was Hallowe'en.
One of the legends of Celtic origin says that the spirits of all who died during that year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year and use. The Celts believed to be the only hope of life after death.
The Celts believed all laws of space and time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
As the living would not be held on the evening of Oct. 31, extinguished the torches and bonfires of their home so that they become cold and unpleasant, costumes and noisily paraded placed around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible, to frighten looking for bodies to possess, (Panati).
The Romans adopted the Celtic practices, but in the first century after Christ, they abandoned them.
Halloween was brought to America in 1840 by Irish immigrants fleeing famine in which his country has passed and be known as the "Halloween".
Trick or Treat? (Trick-or-treat)
The game of "trick or treating" is originally a ninth-century European custom called "souling" (aim).
On November 2, All Souls Day (or All Souls here in Brazil), Christians went from village to village asking for "soul cakes" (soul cakes), which were made of small squares of bread with currants.
For each cake that won, one should say a prayer for a dead relative of the donor.
It was believed that the souls remained in limbo for a time after his death and that the prayers helped her to go to heaven.
PUMPKINS AND CANDLES:
The candle in the pumpkin probably has its origin in Irish folklore.
A man named Jack, a surly alcoholic, in a Oct. 31 drank excessively and the devil came to take his soul. Desperate, Jack begs for another glass of drink and the devil grants.
Jack was broke for the last drink and asks the Devil to turn into a coin. The Devil agrees.
Ill see the coin on the table, Jack saves it in the portfolio, which has a cross-shaped clasp.
Desperate, the Devil begs Jack to leave and proposes a deal: free him in exchange for staying on Earth for one more year. Without option, the Devil agrees.
Happy with the opportunity, Jack decides to change his ways and starts to treat well his wife and children, go to church and to charitable causes.
But change does not last long, no.
Next year, on the night of October 31, Jack is going home when the Devil appears. Jack, clever as always, the devil convinces to pick an apple from a tree. The devil agrees and goes up when the first branch, Jack grabs a knife in his pocket and draws a cross in the trunk. The devil promises from for over ten years.
Without accepting the proposal, Jack orders the devil never annoys.
The devil agrees and Jack frees the tree.
To his misfortune, a year later, Jack died. Try to get into heaven, but its entry is denied. Without an alternative, go to hell.
The devil, still suspicious and feeling humiliated, does not allow its entry, and as punishment, the devil plays Jack an ember to light his way to the limbo. Jack put the ember in a turnip that lasts longer and goes wandering.
The turnips were used in Ireland as "Jack of the Lantern" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. Then Jack O'Lantern (Jack of the Lantern).
In America becomes a pumpkin, lit with an ember.
His ghost is now known as Jack O'Lantern (Jack of the Lantern).
Who pays attention to see a little light in dim night of October 31. It's Jack, looking for a place.
WITCHES:
Witches have a very important role in Halloween. No wonder that October 31 is known as "Halloween" in Portuguese. According to various legends, witches gathered twice a year, during the change of seasons: in April 30 and October 31.
Arriving on flying broomsticks, witches attending a party led by the Devil himself.
They threw curses and spells on anyone, turned into many things and causing all sorts of trouble.
It is also said that to find a witch had to put your clothes inside out and walk backwards during Halloween night.
Then, at midnight, you would see a witch!
The belief in witches came to America with the first settlers. There, they scattered and mixed with stories of witches told by Native Americans and later, with beliefs in black magic brought by African slaves.
The black cat is constantly associated with witches. Legend has it that witches could change into cats.
Some people believed that cats were the spirits of the dead. Many superstitions are associated with black cats. One of the best known is that if a black cat crosses your path, you must return the way you came from, because if you do not, it's bad luck for sure.
by:Eduardo M. Cheguhem
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